Copyright Royalty Board

SoundExchange posts Q3 payments as it awaits CRB rate decision today

Posted on by Anna Washenko

SoundExchange released its third-quarter figures for payments made and received from digital radio. The rights manager paid out $204 million in the quarter to 87,219 payees. The timing of this release is pointed, as today the Copyright Royalty Board is slated to release its decision on the statutory royalty rates to be paid by non-interactive streaming platforms during 2016-2020. Pandora is one of the bigger players to be impacted by this ruling, but SoundExchange has just as much on the line. Continue Reading →

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CRB rates and Pandora

Posted on by Brad Hill

As the webcasting universe turns its expectant and apprehensive gaze toward the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), which will issue new webcasting royalty rates for 2016-2020, Pandora Media has more skin in the game than any other webcasting distributor of music — in a sense. The company has another path to potentially go down. Continue Reading →

CRB announces: New royalty rates to post Wednesday [correction]

Posted on by Brad Hill

As the webcasting world is poised with anticipation, The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has just announced that its royalty rate-setting decision will be publicized on Wednesday. The ruling deadline is Tuesday, and the CRB will deliver its ruling to the Register of Copyrights, and the proceeding participants, for review and removal of sensitive information that will be redacted from public documents. Continue Reading →

Internet Radio Rewind #68: Incoming royalty rates; webcast metrics; Rhapsody growth; WNYC jabs Facebook; Serial — it’s baaack!

Posted on by Brad Hill

A weekly podcast from RAIN News

Sponsored by AudioBoom

The weekly update of the streaming audio industry, from RAIN News. THIS WEEK: CRB royalty rates due any day; Triton Digital webcast metrics; Rhapsody grows its audience; WNYC pokes Facebook with audio; Spotify faces a decision, more. Continue Reading →

Pandora will get its $300-million next week as stock nears YTD low and CRB decision looms

Posted on by Brad Hill

Pandora issued a follow-up press release today, after announcing yesterday that the company is issuing a $300-million debt offering to institutional investors. Pandora stock closed down 11.5% yesterday, and has inched downward another 2% this morning, nearing the year-to-date low of $11.51 per share. Continue Reading →

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From the Copyright Office: All labels equal in music royalty rates

Posted on by Brad Hill

One aspect of the music licensing ruling expected from the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has been delivered, as an answer from the Register of Copyrights to a question posed by the CRB. The question? Whether webcasters could pay different royalty rates to major labels and non-major labels. Continue Reading →

CRB approves the NPR/SoundExchange 2016-2020 rate deal

Posted on by Anna Washenko

SoundExchange and the public radio networks have received approval from the Copyright Royalty Board for their royalty settlement. CRB still needs to approve the part of the settlement that dubs the public radio sector a collective entity, a decision which is not expected until after it has settled rates for all webcasters. Continue Reading →

CRB may want different royalty rates for different suppliers

Posted on by Anna Washenko

The Copyright Royalty Board is still in the throes of its decision-making process of setting webcasting licensing rates for 2016-2020. In the latest development, the CRB has asked the Copyright Office whether it can set different rates for different music suppliers. The query has sent industry leaders into heavy speculation about the intent behind it. Continue Reading →

Pandora’s Merlin deal affirmed as admissible benchmark for CRB rate-setting

Posted on by Anna Washenko

The U.S. Copyright Registrar issued a decision to the Copyright Royalty Board, ruling that Pandora’s use of its licensing deal with indie group Merlin was admissable evidence. It’s important because the Merlin deal is a lynchpin in Pandora’s argument for lower royalty rates starting in 2016. Continue Reading →