European digital music rights organization ICE announced a new multi-territory licensing deal with dance music-focused digital music service Mixcloud. Mixcloud’s new ‘Core’ licence deal with ICE covers PRS, STIM and GEMA repertoire for their combined 290,000 members and repertoire for some of the leading independent music publishers. Mixcloud currently has…
Category archives: Publishing & Songwriting
Court Approves $43.4M Spotify Artists Compensation Fund Settling Class Action Lawsuit
The court has approved the settlement of combined class action lawsuits originally brought against Spotify for copyright infringement by musicians David Lowery and Melissa Ferrick. The settlement guarantees an artist compensation of $43.4million plus future royalties. The full settlement totals $112.55 million, including legal fees. The ruling came despite objections…
Court Approves $112M Spotify Artists Compensation Fund Settling Class Action Lawsuit
[UPDATED] The court has approved the settlement of combined class action lawsuits originally brought against Spotify for copyright infringement by musicians David Lowery and Melissa Ferrick. The settlement guarantees an artist compensation of $43.4 million plus future royalties. The full settlement totals $112.55 milliion. The ruling came despite objections of…
ALTERNATIVE TAKE: How Recording Industry Hid A New Attempt To Expand Copyright
Some of the new music legislation currently sailing through Congress has received criticism from music rights advocates. Not so with the CLASSICS ACT. But here, Mike Masnick of Techdirt shares his belief that some provisions in the bill represent a recording industry effort to expand copyright and why he opposes…
ALTERNATIVE TAKE: Music Modernization Act Database – Landmark Or Landmine?
As the Music Modernization Act has moves through congress, controversy continues to persist surrounding the actual impact it will have on the creators, producers, and performers in the music industry, particularly with regard to the database creation built into bill. ________________________ Op-Ed by Christy Cowl of ProMusicDB From what we…
How To Critique Creative Work With A Growth Mindset
In this post by music tech educator Ethan Hein, he dissects the process of critiquing creative work, the challenge presented therein, and how using a growth mindset can make the assessment more fair and constructive. __________________________ Guest post Ethan Hein from Soundfly’s Flypaper I’m in the process of doing some…
Sony Takes $2.3B Controlling Stake In EMI
With a check for $2.3 billion, Sony has become the world’s largest music publisher. The deal adds a catalog of more than two million songs from EMI Music Publishing, including hits ranging from Queen to Pharrell Williams to Sony’s already massive 2.3 million track repertoire. The EMI investment is the…
Why EPs Are Still Important
EPs have existed for a long time as a great way for artists to test the waters before dropping a full length album. Here we look at the benefits of having an EP, how to use it, and the history behind the format. __________________________ Guest post by Ellie Batchiyska of…
Spotify, Apple, Google, Amazon, Orchard, Deezer, Others Sued For Copyright Infringement
Sony, Apple, Amazon, Spotify, Google, Microsoft, Orchard, Deezer, Shazam, MediaNet, CD Universe and Saavn are being sued for copyright infringement by a South African musician. A new lawsuit alleges that major digital music distributors and streaming services allegedly sold or streamed tracks from South African gospel singer Seugne Botha aka…
Smokey Robinson Gives Moving Defense Of Artists Rights At Hearing Over Music Modernization Act
Singer songwriter Smokey Robinson too the stage in a somewhat different capacity recently to act as a moving and powerful advocate for artists’ rights, delivering a passionate defense to the Senate Judiciary Committee as they deliberate on the Music Modernization Act. _____________________________ Guest post Chris Castle of Music Technology Policy…