Royalties

Kobalt invests in Slipstream, creating synergistic partnership covering the entire music ecosystem

Posted on by Brad Hill

Kobalt, the world’s largest independent music publisher, has acquired an equity stake in leading music licensing company Slipstream. The result is a licensing/content behemoth. The announcement from Slipstream says the deal “brings together complementary technology and expertise to serve the entire music publishing ecosystem, from the world’s top songwriters to brands and creative businesses of all kinds. This significant alliance comes on the heels of Slipstream’s acquisition of Anthem Entertainment earlier this month, also covered by RAIN. Continue Reading →

BMI takes legal action in royalty conflict with SiriusXM

Posted on by Brad Hill

“Years of negotiations.” That’s how performing rights organization (PRO) BMI describes its patience and perseverance in royalty dealings with SiriusXM. With patience and perseverance evidently expired, BMI filed a legal action to determine what it calls “fair and appropriate fees.” Click for details — all from BMI’s perspective. No public word from SiriusXM at posting time. Continue Reading →

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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 →

“Definitive Guide” to Spotify’s updated royalty system pits labels vs. artists

Posted on by Brad Hill

Jeff Price, indefatigable advocate for independent musical artists, has produced an information/fact sheet which explains how Spotify royalty calculations and payments work. This effort comes after the streaming company made significant changes to its payment allocations. Carrying the weighty title “The Definitive Guide to Spotify’s Changes In Sound Recording Royalty Calculations — And Its Impact on Artists,” the 26-page PDF (available HERE) is part explainer, part statistical sheet, and part accuser. It’s deep, complex, illuminating, and freely available. Continue Reading →

Spotify’s 2024 royalty scheme shifts payouts upward; significance is debated

Posted on by Brad Hill

Spotify has announced change to its royalty payout calculation, limiting royalty eligibility to tracks which exceed 1,000 streams per 12-month period. Whereas in the past, sub-1,000 tracks earned negligible royalties, now those tracks will be taken out of the calculation entirely. This change will create meaningful results. Continue Reading →

Digital distribution companies criticize the UMG/Deezer royalty breakthrough

Posted on by Brad Hill

The new royalty attribution method recently deployed by Universal Music Group and streaming music platform Deezer seeks to make royalty calculation more fair. But the change is not universally applauded. Two digital distribution companies Believe and TuneCore, whose customers are mainly indie musicians, calls the system “reverse Robin Hood.” Continue Reading →

Industry first: UMG changes royalty terms with Deezer — to favor artists

Posted on by Brad Hill

In an unprecedented shift in how streaming music royalties are assessed, Universal Music Group (UMG) has reached agreement with Paris-based global streaming service Deezer. It is an artist-centric model which scales payouts upward in an attempt to reward musicians who are most favored by fans. Click for the details. Continue Reading →