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CRB Rate Ruling: $.0017 for Pandora et al, SoundExchange wanted $.0025

At 5:15 Eastern U.S. time, the Copyright Royalty Board released the outline of its Webcaster IV ruling, setting royalty rates paid by Internet radio to music labels for the 2016-2020. Pandora’s rate: $.0017 per stream for non-subscribing listeners. SoundExchange wanted that number to be $.0025. Continue Reading

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CRB rates and Pandora

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]

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

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright Office Issues Report on Music Licensing, Issues Include Broadcast Performance Royalties, Publisher Withdrawals from ASCAP and BMI, and Pre-1972 Sound Recordings

by David Oxenford

As we reported last week, the U.S. Copyright Office released a comprehensive review of music licensing, and made recommendations for changes. Broadcast Law Attorney offers this thorough analysis of the report’s contents.

“The report tees up many issues for consideration. So now, let the debate begin!” Continue Reading

Pandora to discuss music licensing in public conference call

Tomorrow, Pandora will discuss the eventful and controversial topic of music licensing in a public conference call with investors. Anyone can dial in. The call comes after webcasters filed their royalty-rate arguments to the Copyright Royalty Board, in which Pandora proposed royalty rates to labels and artists lower than present rates, and about half the amount suggested by SoundExchange in its brief. Continue Reading

David Oxenford: Noncommercial Webcasters Royalty Rate Proposals for 2016-2020

Noncommercial webcasters are often forgotten in the discussion of the current proceeding to set Internet radio sound recording royalties. But, along with the royalties for commercial webcasters, the current Copyright Royalty Board proceeding will also set the rates for noncommercial webcasters. Broadcast attorney and frequent guest contributor David Oxenford explains everything. Continue Reading