Future of Music Coalition

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Future of Music Coalition is a national nonprofit organization that works to ensure a diverse musical culture where artists flourish, are compensated fairly for their work, and where fans can find the music they want. More

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This might be our new favorite story about @remhq http://t.co/ZccExI77kz (cc @m_millsey)

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How does the money flow from digital services to artists, labels, songwriters, & publishers? Like this: http://t.co/USamTKmY4r

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Digital services still aren't getting jazz and classical right. http://t.co/cCnT1G9m5q

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FutureBlog

Copyright Hearing Recap: Music Licensing Pt. 2

by Juan Carlos Melendez-Torres, FMC Policy Intern

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet held its second hearing on music licensing on June 25, welcoming input from a variety of interest groups and organizations as a continuation of the ongoing reexamination of our country’s copyright system. You can find our coverage of the prior hearing here.

Nine witnesses testified before the committee, offering opinions that varied in focus but all highlighted major areas of potential reform. Witnesses for this hearing included singer/songwriter Rosanne Cash representing the Americana Music Association, Cary Sherman (CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, or RIAA), Charles Warfield on behalf of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Darius Van Arman on behalf of the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), Ed Christian of the Radio Music License Committee (RMLC), Paul Williams as President of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Chris Harrison of Pandora, President of SoundExchange Michael Huppe, and David Frear, CFO of Sirius XM.

By Griffin Davis, Communications Intern

Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that streaming music host SoundCloud was close to finalizing licensing deals with the three major labels. The deals would reportedly grant each label an ownership stake in SoundCloud of 3-5 percent in exchange for their agreement not to sue over copyright infringement on SoundCloud. Meanwhile, a mini-controversy has erupted over Soundcloud’s implementation of its copyright enforcement procedures, making it important to separate fact from fiction.

You may have heard that the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating potential anticompetitive behavior by major music publishers and Performing Rights Organizations (PROs), which collect and distribute royalties to songwriters and publishers for the performance of musical compositions. These “blanket licenses” are made possible by DOJ consent decrees and cover all forms of broadcast as well as concert venues or other establishments that publicly perform music (think bars or restaurants).

Make no mistake, PROs are crucially important to songwriters. They provide leverage to artists who wouldn’t otherwise have it in rate negotiations with music services; they pay their songwriter members directly under fair splits (50-50 between artist and publisher); and they allow music to be efficiently licensed to AM/FM, Internet and satellite radio, which means listeners have more opportunities to hear music, and songwriters have more opportunities to get paid.

By FMC Policy Fellow Jordan Reth

The US House of Representatives continued its review of existing copyright law yesterday with the Subcomittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet hearing on “Moral Rights, Termination Rights, Resale Royalty, and Copyright Term.” read more

Indie Labels Go to Bat for Indie Artists

There’s a reason FMC is so often aligned with independent labels: this community, representing a diverse array of genres and business models, typically does right by artists. Today’s news that more than 700 indies are backing fair treatment of musicians is further proof that indies have a different way of doing business than major labels.

Independent imprints including Domino, Cooking Vinyl, Epitaph, Glassnote, Nettwerk, Ninja Tune, Secretly Canadian, Saddle Creek, Sub Pop, Tommy Boy, XL Recordings and the Beggars Group (which includes indie powerhouses 4AD, Matador and Rough Trade) and many more signed on to the “Fair Digital Deals Declaration,” a commitment by the labels to treat artists fairly and equitably on today’s digital distribution platforms.

Artists in Conversation with Bob Boilen

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Featured Articles

House Copyright Review Timeline

Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, The Internet, & Intellectual Property

Jul 20, 2014

FMC Remarks at the International Copyright Institute Symposium

Event hosted by the United States Copyright Office and the World Intellectual Property Organization

May 13, 2014

FMC Keynote Address at Minnesota Music Summit

Interim Executive Director Casey Rae Speaks to MN Musicians and Composers

Mar 10, 2014

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FutureBlog

Copyright Hearing Recap: Music Licensing Pt. 2

Understanding SoundCloud's Copyright Woes

A Faustian Bargain for PROs and Songwriters?

Copyright Hearing Recap: Moral Rights, Termination Rights, Resale Royalty, and Copyright Term

Indie Labels Go to Bat for Indie Artists

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