All about copyright, understanding music licensing, and government regulations.
The Songwriter Equity Act has been reintroduced to Congress, which could lead to changes in how royalties to composers are calculated. The act, which was initially introduced last February but not passed, seeks again to amend two sections of the Copyright Act. Continue Reading
The Download on Podcasts is a new weekly feature sponsored by PodcastOne.
Podcasting is generally known as a spoken-word audio category. But there is no technical roadblock to publishing musical podcasts. Legal restrictions are the problem — U.S. music licensing law that dates back to early days when podcasting operated differently than it does now. Everyone loses without an easier licensing framework for podcasts, but there are legal options. Continue Reading
ASCAP posted revenue of more than $1 billion last year, the first performance rights collector to do so. The company distributed more than $883 million in royalties to songwriters, composers, and publishers. ASCAP also said that it doubled the number of performances that it has processed for payment, paying out royalties for 500 billion musical moments. Continue Reading
Flo & Eddie, representing The Turtles, have been cutting a legal swath through audio publishers of late. Most of its lawsuits have focused on Sirius XM, but Pandora was also on the receiving end of a suit seeking royalties and damages for playing songs recorded prior in 1972 when U.S. federal copyright law took effect. Continue Reading
One of the most intractable issues in music licensing is broadcast radio’s exemption from performance royalties to artists and labels for the use of recorded music. The exemption has the weight of history: It has always been so in the U.S., though not in most other countries with government-regulated music licensing. The situation’s rarity is not of concern to advocates of radio’s licensing privilege, who assert that radio’s traditional role in driving awareness, success, and sales of music performers is as vital today as ever. Continue Reading
SoundExchange filed its rebuttal document with the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), part of the “Webcasting IV” proceeding which will set music licensing rates that govern online radio royalty payments to artists and labels for the 2016-2020 period. Pandora filed its… Continue Reading
Spotify is looking to hire a vice president of public policy to help give voice to the company’s interests among lawmakers. This new hire will report to Jonathan Prince, Spotify’s global head of communications and public policy. Continue Reading
CD Baby shared the latest growth figures for its Pro music rights management subscription. It has increased more than 250% and represents more than 54,000 writers and administrators. The service helps members to collect mechanical royalties from streaming services worldwide. It also has direct registration of songs with more than 40 foreign societies to help with global rights management. Continue Reading
Snapchat has been making big waves in the field of social media, most recently getting valued at a staggering $19 billion. Today, it introduced the ability to add music to your videos. The update lets people have music playing from iTunes, Spotify, and SoundCloud on their phones and then appear in their Snaps. Continue Reading
Spotify has inked a new licensing deal with Sony/ATV to offer its catalog in Europe. The deal for Sony’s Anglo-American music covers all 30 territories of the European Economic Area. Sony/ATV Chairman and CEO Martin Bandier has been critical of the payouts that songwriters and publishers receive from streaming, and the latest tie-up seems to have resolved his concerns. Continue Reading
Yahoo-owned Tumblr, one of the biggest content sites in the world, is experiencing a furor among its bloggers who post music. Several tumblr blogs have reportedly been switched off for copyright-infringing music posts. A newly-installed download button on Tumblr is part of the controversy. Continue Reading
Dozens of Swedish songwriters signed an OpEd in Aftonbladet, a leading Swedish newspaper, complaining of low royalty payouts from streaming services compared to royalties collected by record labels, and predicted an imploding industry if a different balance is not created. Spotify is a target, but record labels get more heat. Continue Reading