The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), which is tasked with tracking, collecting, and distributing mechanical licenses from streaming services in the U.S., has just been granted a $62 million starting budget. Initially, the MLC — principally backed…
Author archives: Paul Resnikoff
Taylor Swift Says She’s Prohibited from Performing Her Own Songs at the American Music Awards
Despite being slated to perform at the upcoming American Music Awards, Taylor Swift says she’s being blocked from performing her own songs. The extremely contentious battle between Taylor Swift and both Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun has taken…
Top Streaming Exec: The MLC Is Choking On a ‘Once-In-a-Lifetime Opportunity’
Major streaming services appear to be growing increasingly frustrated with the as-yet-unformed Mechanical Licensing Collective, or MLC. Just this morning, a top executive at one of the largest streaming platforms in the world — who wished to remain ano…
Radio Broadcasters, Streaming Services Demand a Truly Comprehensive Music Rights Database
The National Association of Broadcasters, DiMA, and dozens of other organizations are demanding the creation of a far more comprehensive music rights database. Since the passage of the Music Modernization Act (MMA) into law in 2018, publishers and stre…
Drake Booed Off the Stage at Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival — Tyler, The Creator Responds
Is Drake becoming the Nickelback of Rap? Drake battled a chorus of boos at Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival over the weekend, and ultimately ended the set early. “Ya know… like I said, I’m here for your tonight,” Drake told the crowd at …
Hi-Res Audio Platform Qobuz Ditches MP3s for Good — “MP3 Is Really Bad for Music, Artists, and Listeners”
The format that started it all is now getting ditched by hi-res platform Qobuz. The move is part of a broader streamlining of the service. In audiophile-speak, two terms often pop up: ‘lossless’ and ‘lossy,’ with the latter bein…
People Aren’t Getting Paid on Spotify’s $43.5 Million Class Action Settlement — No Responses, No Payments
Two years ago, independent songwriters and publishers agreed to a $43.5 million settlement with Spotify over unpaid mechanical licenses. Now, the payout process doesn’t seem to be happening. Back in 2017, Digital Music News broke the story that S…
The Grammys Prepare to Honor Dr. Dre — Not Everyone Thinks That’s Such a Great Idea
As the Recording Academy and Grammy Awards prepare to honor Dr. Dre, difficult questions over domestic violence and women’s advocacy are emerging. Just last week, the Recording Academy made a surprising announcement. As part of its splashy Grammy…
Datsik Breaks His Silence After Multiple Sexual Assault Accusations — Here’s His Complete Statement
18 months after battling a string of sexual assault allegations, dubstep DJ Datsik is breaking his silence. Not only is Datsik (real name: Troy Beetles) breaking his long, 18-month silence with a lengthy statement, he’s also issuing an official p…
91% of Artists Remain Undiscovered — Here’s How Show4me Is Planning to Change That
Would you pay $1 a year to directly support an artist? That’s one of several solutions that Show4me is spinning as part of its broader direct-to-fan network. It’s a statistic that can make any emerging artist feel depressed. Several years ago, Next Bi…