ACCESS — NOT CONTENT — IS KING
The future of music is access. Forget sales and mechanical royalties, forget airplay and performance royalties. Those terms no longer represent how consumers use music. Today it’s all about access — to any song, by any artist, anyplace and anytime. But access doesn’t have to mean “free.” We have access to electricity most anyplace we go, but is it free? No. We have access to water most anytime we want it, but is it free? No. Whether at your local grocery store, your favorite restaurant or your neighborhood drycleaners, in addition to paying for the goods or...
Read MoreWill the SESAC-HFA Merger Prove to Be a Licensing Game Changer?
The rumor has been around the mill for over a year. Today that changed. SESAC, one of the three performing rights organizations in the US and the only one which does not operate under a consent decree, has closed the deal to purchase the Harry Fox Agency, the largest mechanical royalties collection service in the US. What does this mean for the rights users and the rights owners? In theory, the licensing process should simplify which could lead to financial benefits for the rights owners and fewer administrative headaches for the rights users. According to SESAC chairman and CEO John...
Read MoreIs it all just a bunch of “Monkey (Selfie) Business”?
What do you get when you cross an accessible camera with a curious monkey? (No, this is not the set up for a joke.) You get a monkey selfie, of course! It could be argued that some of the photos on Instagram and Facebook look like they could have been of primate origin, but I digress. Furthering the “who owns the selfie?”copyright debate that was generated Oscar night, thanks to the extended reach of Bradley Cooper, we now have the a similar debate brewing in, of all places, an Indonesian forest, thanks to the antics of a a crested black macaque. Click HERE for...
Read MoreYoung Entertainment Professionals–Q&A
The Young Entertainment Professionals, or YEP, is network focused on creating a platform for the entertainment industry to thrive in a supportive and creative environment for the betterment of its members as well as the industry as a whole via networking events, showcases and educational development. I was asked recently to answer a few questions for their blog about my start in the Nashville music industry, and I was honored to do so. Here are links to the YEP website and blog....
Read MoreJay Z Faces Sound Engineer’s Bold Claim Over Song Rights
Can music engineers and producers, as independent contractors, claim ownership (in part) to the sound recordings on which they work? The ruling in this lawsuit involving Jay-Z and Chauncey Mahan could impact how that question is answered. Click HERE to read more.
Read MoreSony/ATV threatens to withdraw from ASCAP and BMI
Another shot across the bow in the increasingly heated discourse about streaming rates. While I may not agree that withdrawing from the PROs is the long term solution, there is no doubt that the consent decrees need to be reviewed and revised. To read more, click HERE.
Read More
