Industry News

BMI has finally been sold and there is controversy in its new ownership (Alphabet/Google), the payout to songwriters and publishers, and how broadcasters are profiting from the sale.

The Hollywood Actor's and Writer's strikes are finally over...now what? After an abrupt halt in the creation of new TV and film projects, experts in the industry expect the music licensing business to flatten for a while before returning to its previous rapid growth.

As the music industry continues to grow, music copyrights have increase in value. Looking back at revenue from 2022, industry specialists see a monetary increase in both master and publishing copyrights. These numbers are expected to escalate as the industry continues to flourish.

Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash" was released in 1962 on Gary S. Paxton's independent label, Garpax Records. Decades after its initial success, the song is being licensed in commercials, used for Halloween merchandise, and streamed millions of times during the month of October. "Monster Mash" is a prime example of why it is important for older recording artists and publishers to take advantage of their unique catalog of music years after they first publish it.

As 2023 comes to a close, the music industry evaluates music rights collection trends in the past years. From 2021 to 2022 the music industry experienced a historic high of a 28% increase in growth due to a rise in digital royalty streams. Rights management organizations are thriving and hope that this upward trend continues as we come to the end of 2023.

In response to the tragic event that took place in Israel, major recording companies have issued statements standing with those who have been affected by the violent acts. Music has always been a resource to bring people together, and organizations from the music industry want to continue to support people who are facing hardship around the globe by advocating for peace, unity, and kindness. 

Thanks to the Copyright Act of 1976, musicians, songwriters and other creators have a second chance to recapture the copyrights to compositions and sound recordings, in the United States. Applying these rights, creators might sell their valuable assets to those who invest in music catalogs.

Simon Cowell began his legendary career in music publishing and now joins forces with one of the leading publishers in the world. Syco Publishing is proud to represent talented songwriters such as Camila Cabello, James Arthur, Grace Vander Waal and Fifth Harmony.

Live Music Archive allows fans to listen, stream or download a collection of recorded live shows. Music lovers are able to access their favorite live shows from the Grateful Dead, Rusted Root, and many others.

Live Music Archive allows fans to listen, stream or download a collection of recorded live shows. Music lovers are able to access their favorite live shows from the Grateful Dead, Rusted Root, and many others.

At a time where the world is recovering from a global pandemic, Europe is battling its longest war in almost 80 years, and both inflation and interest rates keep rising, Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF) has reported a valuation problem due to investors seeking out "risk-free" investments when exposed to new types of assets. The biggest shareholders of this intellectual property investment and song management company are creating plans to improve its public valuation.

Goldman researches have evaluated the negative effects of outdated streaming service royalty payouts. In order to avoid the revenue growth from slowing, AI technology has the potential to lower barriers for artists, improve creative potential, and increase productivity.

The Music Modernization Act (MMA) was passed in 2018 in order to modernize copyright-related issues for music professionals due to new forms of technology. This article shares how the MMA has made a positive impact on people in the industry over the past 5 years.

Motown, founded in Detroit in 1959 and credited for launching several iconic singers and songwriters, is opening a landmark opportunity for its artists. The metaverse allows artists to expand their audiences in a new and innovative way. Once again, Motown is pushing the boundaries of what is possible for the music industry.

NMPA President/CEO David Israelite states that mechanical streaming royalties are up 27% so far this year compared to last year. There are multiple reasons for this surge, including an increased royalty rate from streaming services and rising rates of their subscription prices. This is a win for songwriters and publishers as it continues to improve their revenue stream.

Duetti has seen a need to assist independent artists who are trying to monetize their catalogs in exchange for up-front liquidity. Co-founders Lior Tibon and Christopher Nolte purchased assets of various indie artists with a strategy to invest in digital marketing efforts to make a profit for future investors.

For the first time ever, Facet Records has created a standard for gifting writers a cut on the master side. Label owner Justin Tranter highlights that record labels have been taking advantage of their artists for years and hopes to inspire others to give songwriters a better royalty stream for their creative works.

The Copyright Royalty Board has finally granted Songwriters the 15.1% headline rate that they requested back in 2018. This is a step in the right direction for songwriters as they now have some more certainty in the rates they will be paid by streaming services.

This week the Supreme Court took an extra step in protecting artists' original works. The decision further defines the courts responsibility of deeming a new work as "transformative' compared to an existing one.

The recent lawsuit against Ed Sheeran's song "Thinking Out Loud" has increased both artist and listener's understanding of music composition copyrights. Australian comedy group, Axis Of Awesome created a funny skit to highlight a common musical structure that is used in many popular songs.

Seven performers are nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, including four who are gaining entrance on their first nomination.

Those involved in the music industry have a desire to own music publishing now more than ever. Old music catalogs are becoming highly sought out as newer artists are emerging by refashioning previous Top 40 Hits.

Service fees and venue cuts on merchandise sales make it difficult for independent artists to make a profit from live touring.

A writers strike could cause major problems for music supervisors. Since music supervisors are largely a freelance group, they would not receive contractural benefits the way actors, directors, music editors and other unionized professionals do.

Investing in music royalties is a unique alternative to what people consider a typical investment. Once you decide to invest in music royalties, you have to choose if you want to invest in a company, intellectual property, or ownership of a music catalogue.

It is important that songwriters receive the royalties they deserve. BMI's fight for live event royalties helps the company achieve its mission of advocating for their clients' rights.

The Metaverse has allowed musicians to reach new audiences beyond the physical world. With this opportunity also comes difficulty and complexity when it comes to licensing their musical works.

Metallica's business acquisition could not have come at a better time, because 2022's vinyl sales outsold CDs for the first time since 1987.

Learn more about how Larry Jackson's company is different than the traditional record label.

Learn more about the life of a copyright and what it means for the entertainment companies who have made billions off of some of well known and lovable characters over the years.

How do you calculate the value of an estate? What can you do to exploit current assets so they can reach to their full potential?

Musicians push the boundaries of innovation when connecting with fans.

Beyoncé takes the title for the artist with the most Grammys of all time. Other Grammy winners join her in celebrating their achievements. 

Billboard released their annual list of the music industry’s top players and reflects on a year of change and competition.