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
Amid the public relations nightmare of Sony getting hacked last month, sleuths found email correspondence among top brass discussing the potential sale of Sony/ATV. Since then, Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton stated in an interview with Bloomberg that the company is not considering a sale of the publishing arm. Sony/ATV’s Chairman and CEO Martin Bandier also issued a memo to his team reassuring them that the parent company was not selling off the division. Continue Reading
Sony experienced a debilitating hack on its confidential information earlier this month, with hackers publishing reams of email correspondence between the company’s leaders online for public viewing. Some of these emails revealed that Sony Corp. was considering selling off the music publishing arm because of concerns over its growth prospects. Thanks to a 2012 acquisition, the music publishing arm includes Sony/ATV Music Publishing and EMI Music Publishing. Continue Reading
Martin Bandier, chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV, has added his voice to the criticism of rates paid to music publishers for streaming. “We at Sony/ATV want these digital music services to be successful because they are a great way for music fans to listen to music and have the potential to generate significant new revenues for everyone,” he said. “However, this success should not come at the expense of songwriters whose songs are essential for these services to exist and thrive.” Continue Reading
As the Department of Justice weighs what to do about digital performance rights, Sony/ATV/EMI has been making bold claims that it would consider leaving the collective licensing system in order to negotiate its own rates. According to The New York Post, that could be happening soon. The paper reported that Sony could split from ASCAP and BMI by the end of the year. Continue Reading
Universal Music Publishing Group has followed through on the plans it made earlier this summer to list its catalog online. For starters, the online Song List only includes the portions of its catalog written by members of the ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC performing rights organizations. The company plans to expand the list over time. Continue Reading
Sony/ATV/EMI announced that its complete catalog of songs is now visible on its website. “As the world’s leading music publisher we want to ensure that existing users, prospective licensees and those with a need to access our extensive song list are provided with that capability,” said Martin Bandier, the company’s chairman. Continue Reading
The simmering legal battle for collective licensing took a new turn last week. Martin Bandier, chairman of Sony/ATV/EMI, said that his company would consider withdrawing from the U.S. collective licensing system unless the Department of Justice overhauls the current regulations for song performance rights. Continue Reading