Could Music Modernization Act Be Trojan Horse For Orphan Works?

In taking a closer look at the language used in the controversial Music Modernization Act, Chris Castle here speculates that the bill may contain some of the same content as an orphan works bill that went down in flames. __________________________ Guest post by Chris Castle of Music Technology Policy OrphanWorks.net…

Shareholder Lawsuits Against Spotify Just Got Easier

While there has long been a crusade from the powers that be to de-fang small publishers and independent songwriters as much as possible to prevent them from suing major companies like Spotify, the streaming platform’s new public status could shareholders a legal leg-up. ________________________ Guest post by Chris Castle of…

Buy And Sell Music Rights, Royalties On Royalty Exchange

Antony Bruno from Royalty Exchange joins Michael Brandvold and Jay Gilbert on the Music Biz Weekly Podcast. They discuss how songwriters can buy and sell their music rights and copyrights on the platform. Royalty Exchange connects artists with private investors through the world’s first online marketplace for buying and selling…

Music Modernization Act: More Vagaries and Mindfields

Here Chris Castle explores some of more concerning aspects of the proposed Music Modernization Act, as well as the peculiarities of the non-profit collective it is supposed to established and the collectives Congressionally mandated board composition. ________________________ Guest post by Chris Castle of Music Technology Policy One of the most…

Music Modernization Act 2018: We Can And Must Do Better [OP-ED]

The Music Modernization Act currently before Congress has the support of almost every major music trade organization. But that does not mean iti s not without problems, as Phil Galdston and David Wolfert of the 3300 member songwriters group Music Answers point out in the op-ed. ___________________________ By Phil Galdston…

How To Organize Your Music Industry Team

As a entrepreneur in the music industry, it can be easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything yourself, a guaranteed recipe for burnout. Here we look at how to identify your various band member’s strengths and let go of enough control to successfully delegate. ___________________ Guest…

No Copyright Protection For ‘Players and Haters’

While having lyrics protected under copyright is standard legal procedure, this doesn’t hold true if the lyrics aren’t saying anything creative, at least according a ruling in a copyright suit involving Taylor Swift, the group 3LW, and a good number of players and haters. _________________________ Guest post by Bobby Owsinski…

Rep. Goodlatte To Unveil Combined Songwriter Super-Bill

U.S. Rep. Robert Goodlatte (R, VA ), powerful chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is set to unveil umbrella copyright reform legislation that combines three major bipartisan bills currently before both houses of Congress. __________________________ U.S. Rep. Robert Goodlatte (R, VA) and the House Judiciary Committee that he chairs are…

Ravyn Lenae: Anatomy Of An Artist

In this piece, on the rise R&B singer out of Chicago Ravyn Lenae chats about the sounds and influencing factors behind her music in anticipation of her upcoming new release Crush, set to drop soon. ______________________ Guest post by Rachel Grate of Next Big Sound What if we looked at…

Playlist Culture And Our Shrinking Attention Spans

Besides getting the industry back on its feet as a whole, playlist have been a huge asset in bringing unknown groups and artists out of obscurity. While this all seems like a good thing, playlist culture has it’s own potential downsides. ______________________________ Guest post by Patrick McGuire on the ReverbNation…