Congress introduces legislation for pre-1972 royalties; music industry parties react

Congress is preparing to address the topic of royalties for pre-1972 recordings, a move that sparked positive response from several music industry players. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced the CLASSICS Act to establish royalty payments for the creators of music recorded prior to the advent of federal copyright laws in 1972. Representatives from SoundExchange, the RIAA, and Pandora have all reacted favorably toward this proposal. Continue Reading

Apple seeking lower revenue share payouts to labels

Apple is reportedly looking to renegotiate its deals with record labels in a move that could reduce the share of revenue it needs to pay out to those industry players. Unnamed sources told Bloomberg that the talks cover both Apple Music and iTunes. The current deals are slated to expire in June, but could be extended if new terms are not reached, according to the sources. Continue Reading

PwC Entertainment and Media Outlook, Part 2: United States results

Yesterday we shared the top-down global overview from PwC’s Entertainment and Media Outlook. Today’s we’ll drill down into the report’s data specifically for the United States. The results point toward projected total entertainment and media revenue of $666.13 billion in 2017. Music revenue in the U.S. is projected to hit $18.3 billion in 2017 with a CAGR of 5.596% for the report period. Continue Reading

2016 round-up: Music industry results from around the world

In the first few months of every new year, trade bodies from all corners of the globe reflect on their successes of the previous 12 months. Those analyses offer a snapshot of the music industry and the trends that cross national borders. For 2016, the results generally reflected a continued increase to the share of revenue delivered by streaming. Continue Reading

IFPI 2016 report sees global streaming revenue up 60.4%

The IFPI published its annual global music report reflecting on the industry’s 2016 performance. Global revenue increased 5.9% to $15.7 billion. Digital revenue rose 17.8% to $7.8 billion, enough that it now has a 50% share of the global music industry’s total. “If the digital market continues to grow, so too will the overall level of remuneration to artists, as will the levels of overall investment required to create new music whilst helping to drive digital innovation,” IFPI CEO Frances Moore said. Continue Reading

“Transformational moment” for Pandora; Premium goes wide; new ad campaign

Pandora Premium, long in development and selectively released in March, is available to all users as of this morning. Along with that, Pandora has started a new ad campaign titled “Sounds Like You.” Many people will view the unlimited release of Pandora Premium as the more important news. Today is a moment of fruition that alters the competitive landscape of music services. Continue Reading

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“Very cynical” label head splashes cold water on music industry revival

The chief officer of the BMG label issued downward sentiment when he talked about the prospects of a music industry revival powered by streaming. “I am very cynical about the view that the good days have returned,” said Hartwig Masuch as quoted in Financial Times. Streaming drives the music industry now, and artists are set to demand a bigger cut from their labels. Continue Reading

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Radio performance royalty debate escalates with new bill giving control of airplay to artists

The battle of the bills continues in Washington, as over-the-air radio’s music royalty exemption is again under scrutiny by the 115th Congress. In the latest development, Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif) has introduced a new bill with a new solution which gives artists the right to forbid airplay of their music without payment. Continue Reading