The biggest news of the week was Friday’s settlement between Sony Music Entertainment and U.S. publishers over proposed statutory mechanical royalty rates for the upcoming term (2018 – 2022). Sony, along with the National Music Publisher’s Association and the Nashville Songwriters Association International filed a join agreement with the Copyright Royalty Board putting the dispute to bed.
Here are the other stories from the week worth noting:
Maria Pallante's Departure From the Copyright Office: What It Means, And Why It Matters (Billboard)
While Pallante had no lawmaking power, she was the country’s top copyright official, and her sudden removal could suggest a more skeptical view of the value of intellectual property in Washington DC.
SiriusXM May See Its Digital Royalties Nearly Double If New Proposal Is Greenlit (Billboard)
In a rate proposal presented to the Copyright Royalty board recently, SoundExchange is seeking to more than double the royalty payments it receives from SiriusXM.
Jay Z Becomes First Rapper Nominated For Induction Into Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame (Vibe)
Thursday’s Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame nominations were a historic one for the hip-hop community, as it was announced that Jay Z is up for induction into the Class of 2017. This nomination makes the Jigga Man the first rap artist nominated for the honor in the history of the music organization.
DistroKid Can’t Wait to Pay You: A Conversation with Founder Philip Kaplan (Performer Mag)
We’re paying out about $1,000,000 each month in royalties. That’s not just one big artist, either; it’s representative of a big family of independents. In addition to Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music, we service to 150+ more stores and streamers.
Meet Soundstr, the Tech Startup Trying To Streamline Performing Rights Royalty Payments (American Songwriter)
Soundstr will eventually ensure independent songwriters get paid when their music is used in the real world. Our data can also be used to figure out where your fans (or similar artist’s fans) are located in order to more efficiently promote releases and book gigs.
