Copyrights & Legal

All about copyright, understanding music licensing, and government regulations.

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Spotify to hike subscription rates in France in dispute with a targeted tax hike

Posted on by Brad Hill

In what seems like a protest action in addition to a logical finance decision, Spotify will raise its subscription rate in France to compensate for a new tax levied by the French government. A public blog post which is both aggressive and defensive makes a case for the streaming giant. “Se simply can’t absorb any additional taxes.” Spotify also disputes whether taxed revenue in France gets where it is supposed to go — assisting artists. Continue Reading →

Music rights investment firm democratizes long-tail sale of song catalogs

Posted on by Brad Hill

Called the Catch Point Catalog Acquisition Program, the goal is to allow mid- and lower-level songwriters monetize their compositions. The company hopes to realize long-tail value which can be accumulated through many purchases of small catalogs. Click for details. Continue Reading →

Web VI streaming royalty rate-setting process begins; participants revealed

Posted on by Brad Hill

The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has released a participant list in “Web VI” — the petitioning and rate-setting process which will determine what streaming outlets must pay music owners in the 2026-2030 royalty period. This every-five-year exercise is conducted by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), which sets the rates. Today we learn which streaming entities are participating in the two-year-long legal process. Continue Reading →

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European Parliament wants revision of streaming royalty calculations to favor “less popular” music

Posted on by Brad Hill

The European Parliament, a 705-member body which works with the European Union to consider and create legislation, has issued a statement regarding artist payment by streaming music platforms. This week the EP called for new EU rules regulating a “fair and sustainable” streaming sector, and cultural diversity. In short, the European Parliament wants streaming royalty calculations to be revised to favor “less popular” music. Continue Reading →

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iHeartMedia will get $100-million in BMI sale. So will creators. Not everyone is thrilled.

Posted on by Brad Hill

The acquisition of performance rights organization BMI by New Mountain Capital, which transpired late last week, will put approximately $100-million of cash into iHeart’s balance sheet. Along with that, BMI announced that $100-million of post-sale proceeds will be distributed to music creators. There is some controversy. Continue Reading →

RIAA asks U.S. government for protection against AI; targets Voicify

Posted on by Brad Hill

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has identified voice-cloning services as threats to musicians’ intellectual property, and reported Voicify particularly to the U.S. government. Voicify.ai was the only service called out by name, though it certainly is not the only service in the game. The RIAA makes two specific complaints. Continue Reading →