Internet Radio Fairness Act Doesn't Touch Songwriters, Publishers
As the battle over the Internet Radio Fairness Act [IRFA] heats up in Washington, it's becoming clear that not everyone understands what the fight is all about. Case in point: Recently, songwriter Ellen Shipley claimed that although her hit song "Heaven Is a Place On Earth" was played nearly 3.2 million times on Pandora, she only received $39 - an amount that easily could be reduced if the proposed legislation is signed into law. However, as Digital Music News (no relation to this publication) this week pointed out, neither Pandora nor other online streaming services pay songwriters at all. Instead, these companies all pay a set fee to ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, which then distribute royalties to their member publishers and songwriters. Since Shipley is a member of BMI, her $39 check came from that organization, which reportedly charges Pandora (and others) approximately 4.5% of their gross revenues, to be distributed 50/50 (after administrative fees) to publishers and songwriters, respectively. As DMN says, Shipley's concern raises the question of whether BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC are fairly crediting the value of plays on Pandora and other streaming services. Note: Pandora has commenced a legal action against ASCAP in the "Rate Court" that supervises the fees charged by both ASCAP and BMI and, if it is successful, could use that decision to try to reduce BMI's fees. [Full story: Digital Music News]
SoundExchange Makes Largest Payment Ever To Artists, Labels In Q3 Just as internet radio services are mounting a lesgislative challenge to the way performance royalty fees are calculated, SoundExchange last week announced it distributed $122.5 million to record labels and artists in the third quarter, and $326.9 million for the first nine months of 2012. Since its inception, SoundExchange has paid more than $1 billion in royalties collected from Pandora and more than 2,000 other digital music services. "This distribution represents yet another record-setting quarter for SoundExchange, but means so much for the recording artists and record labels that rely upon this growing revenue stream," commented SoundExchange President Michael Huppe. "Musicians and rights owners - both superstars and rising stars - have come to depend on these royalty payments. We are proud to help facilitate this growth and are passionate about our work in protecting this revenue stream, and moving the music and creative community forward." [Full story: Sacramento Bee] |
Digital Music Holdout AC/DC Finally Releases Catalog On iTunes Heavy metal recording act AC/DC, one of the last holdouts in the digital download space, last week announced it finally would be making its entire catalog available for sale via iTunes and other online music sites. After years of arguing that iTunes was, as singer Brian Johnson said, "going to kill music if they're not careful," the band reached a deal to sell its entire catalog - 16 studio albums, four live albums, and three compilations - through the service. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, AC/DC was one of the last high-profile holdouts from the digital music marketplace, outlasting the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd. Only two major artists remain steadfastly opposed to digital music sales: Garth Brooks and Kid Rock, neither of whom offer downloadable versions their back catalog, although Rock recently broke ranks and is selling his new album "Rebel Soul" via iTunes. Angus Young, AC/DC's lead guitarist, for years had been opposed to making the band's music available via iTunes or any other digital service, arguing the group's albums were designed to be experienced from beginning to end. In 2008 he said, "It's like an artist who does a painting. If he thinks it's a great piece of work, he protects it. It's the same thing: This is our work." He obviously changed his mind. [Full story: Los Angeles Times] |
| Triton Digital Partners With Microsoft For Multiple Xbox Music Services Triton Digital this week announced it will provide multiple services for Microsoft's new free streaming Xbox Music service. The company will will serve audio ads within the free Xbox streaming service on Windows 8 and Windows RT devices, and also will also provide its Media Ratings Council-accredited webcast metrics measurement solution and advertising platform, including campaign management and ad insertion technology. "Digital audio is bursting at the seams and some very big names are joining the competition," said Triton Digital COO Mike Agovino. "We're very proud to serve the audio advertising needs of Microsoft's new Xbox Music streaming service and have them further validate Triton's platform to measure, manage, and monetize." According to a company statement, each stream on Xbox Music will be enabled for targeting by geographic, demographic, and other criteria and will be personalized to every listener. This reportedly leads to more relevant and targeted ads, superior measurement, and a better overall experience for listeners. [Full story: Triton Digital] |
| Radical.FM Launches Listener-Supported Online Radio...In Sweden From the "send in the clones" department: Yet another internet radio startup stuck a toe in the crowded digital water this past week, as Radical.FM launched - according to a company statement - a "a web-based service that combines on-demand streaming and curated radio stations with a platform for artists to create and broadcast their own public playlists." So what sets it apart from all the other online streaming services? Unlike such companies as Pandora, Spotify, and Rdio, which function on advertising and subscription platforms, Radical.FM is pushing its digital music catalog as a wholly-listener-supported model to fund its operations. The service is built around a catalog of 20 million tracks, IFPI-licensed music from all major recording labels, and offers three listening options. These include an on-demand streaming service where users can create and share playlists of music; a radio service where they can access curated radio stations complete with DJs commenting and shaping the playlists; and something called "RadCasts," a further set of radio stations where independent artists can create and share playlists of their own music. The services are available online and via the mobile web, and have options for sharing built into them. Interestingly, Radical.FM is available only in Sweden, birthplace of Spotify and The Pirate Bay. [Full story: Tech Crunch] |
Al Bell Presents American Soul Music ... And American Soul TV
If you're into classic and contemporary Soul, R&B, Blues, Gospel, Jazz, Hip-Hop Soul, Rap Soul, and Neo-Soul, we invite you to listen to Al Bell Presents American Soul Music. Former Stax Records owner and Motown Records Group President Al Bell personally has programmed this awesome radio station online, presenting your favorites from the 1960s and '70s [and some '80s], a lot of the best new music that's being released today, and some real gems you haven't heard in a long, long time. Come to www.AlBellPresents.Com and hear it for yourself!
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