As Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer stood on the stage of New York’s Beacon Theater, basking in waves of deafening applause from their rabid sold-out crowd, one might have forgotten that their masterpiece began as a failure.
Month: April 2019
Music royalties reach record high but songwriters ‘on minimum wage’
The money that artists receive when their tracks get played has just hit a record high.
In 2018 £746 million was paid out – a rise of 4% on 2017.
Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-48093231
‘Bones’ Stars & EPs’ Stunning $128M Punitive Damages Award Against Fox Punted By Judge In Appeal Hearing
Just over two months after Bones stars Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz and executive producers Barry Josephson and Kathy Reichs were awarded $179 million in their long-standing profit participation fight with 21st Century Fox, a California judge today heard arguments on the arbitrator’s hefty decision.
Matthew Modine Running For SAG-AFTRA Presidency On Membership First Slate
EXCLUSIVE: Matthew Modine has thrown his hat into the ring as a candidate for president of SAG-AFTRA. Modine, a member of the union’s local and national boards of directors, is running at the top of the Membership First ticket, the self-styled progressive wing of the union that promises more democracy and transparency — which the union’s loyal opposition says is in short supply. He seeks to unseat Gabrielle Carteris, who’s been president of the union since 2016.
20 Questions for New Artists Part 1: Bank Accounts/Tax Returns/Accountants
For the next few weeks, we’re going to post updated sections from the article “20 Questions for New Artists” by Chris Castle and Amy Mitchell which has been posted various places. This doesn’t constitute legal advice, or any intent to form the attorney-client relationship. (If you miss an installment, try searching this blog for “20 Questions for New Artists”.)
Spinal Tap Rocks, Rolls and Delights at Tribeca 35th Anniversary Screening
Fans of the legendary British rock outfit Spinal Tap were given a rare treat Saturday night as the band’s core trio reunited for a rare acoustic performance following the Tribeca Film Festival’s 35th anniversary screening of the landmark documentary “This Is Spinal Tap.”
Read more: https://variety.com/2019/film/news/this-is-spinal-tap-tribeca-rob-reiner-1203199697/
Music Streaming Services Are Gaslighting Us
I feel that in recent weeks I have had something of a “road to Damascus” moment around my consumption of music.
Read more: https://blog.usejournal.com/music-streaming-services-are-gaslighting-us-d782fe44072f
COURT REVERSES MISGUIDED FAIR USE RULING; RESTORES ORDER FOR PHOTO COPYRIGHTS
In a new ruling meant to protect the incentive of professional photographers to create new work, a federal appeals court has rejected a controversial fair use ruling by a lower court. The earlier ruling, in the copyright infringement case of Brammer v. Violent Hues, held that an unauthorized use of a photograph qualified as fair use, even though it was a commercial use that did little to give any new meaning to the original photograph.
Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google Withhold Endorsement of the NMPA’s MLC Proposal
Earlier this week, the highly-influential Recording Academy also withheld its support for the NMPA’s MLC bid, thanks to serious concerns about unfair royalty claims. Just 24 hours after straddling the fence, however, the Grammy organization sided with the National Music Publisher’s Association and its major label clientele, but not without serious reservations and calls for greater oversight into questionable ‘black box’ claiming procedures.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/25/spotify-apple-amazon-google-nmpa-mlc/
TV’s New Math: What if $100M Netflix Deals Actually Shortchange Creators?
Wowed by the number of zeroes in his recent overall deal, one TV showrunner was surprised when his agent slipped him a final piece of paper to sign. It read, “I will never be upset about this deal.”
Competing Groups Vying to Form Mechanical Licensing Collective Slam Each Other’s Proposals
While the two applicants vying to be named the group that will build the Mechanical Licensing Collective created by the Music Modernization Act (MMA) have thus far engaged in mudslinging at their competitors, in the comments to the Copyright Office filed Monday and posted Tuesday evening, each group let loose with both barrels in appraising the other’s proposal.
50,000-Member Strong ESCA Endorses the AMLC; Slams the NMPA’s MLC Bid as a ‘Major Conflict of Interest’
The influential European Songwriter & Composer Alliance (ESCA) has strongly backed the American Mechanical Licensing Collective, or AMLC, in its bid to oversee the US-based Mechanical Licensing Collective. The strong endorsement also included a sharp rebuke of the NMPA-submitted MLC proposal, which is backed by major music publishers and larger indie pubs like Downtown Music Publishing and Reservoir Media Management.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/24/esca-amlc-nmpa-mlc/
Black Box Money & Hidden Conflicts: Industry Groups Air Concerns in MLC Comments to Copyright Office
With Monday (April 22) the final day to submit comments to the Copyright Office, tasked with choosing between two groups to form the mechanical licensing collective (MLC) created by the Music Modernization Act, the politicking and yes, a little mud slinging, has moved into high gear.
Today In Copyright Lawsuits: Three Six Mafia’s DJ Paul Sues Travis Scott for $20 Million
Filed at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, DJ Paul – real name Paul Duane Beauregard – claims that Scott’s ‘No Bystanders’ “blatantly and egregiously” infringed on the hip-hop trio’s ‘Tear Da Club Up.’
‘No Bystanders’ features a distinctive chant in the hook – ‘F—k da club up, F—k da club up.’ Beauregard claims that while Scott’s recording doesn’t include the exact lyrics of ‘Tear Da Club Up,’ the cadence and sound remain virtually identical and strikingly similar. Citing a recent Grammys performance, DJ Paul says Travis Scott used the chant in much of the performance.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/24/dj-paul-v-travis-scott-lawsuit/
Talent Agencies’ Fight With Writers May Impact IPO Plans
When the Writers Guild of America sued the four major agencies April 17 over packaging fees, it was a major escalation in a war that has upended talent-representative relationships. But even if WME, CAA, UTA and ICM beat the lawsuit, they may already be losing in one respect: The guild’s move to end an “illegal kickback” could effectively put on ice — or at the very least, slow down — any ambitions for public offerings.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/talent-agencies-fight-writers-may-impact-ipo-plans-1204251
WHY AMAZON AND GOOGLE’S FREE MUSIC TIERS COULD SPELL TROUBLE FOR SPOTIFY
Spotify has regularly proffered the following justification for its “freemium” model: In a world where YouTube and piracy sites allow any of us to access most of the world’s recorded music without paying a bean, Spotify needs to be able to offer the same level of cost-free convenience to thrive. This is good news for artists and the industry, says Spotify, because “free” users will not only drive revenue by listening to advertising, they’ll also be in a position to be up-sold into Spotify’s $9.99-per-month Premium tier.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, Content Chief Ted Sarandos’ Pay Rises in 2018
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings received a $36.1 million payday in 2018, up 48 percent compared with the $24.4 million he had made in 2017 and his $23.2 million compensation for 2016, the streaming video giant disclosed in a regulatory filing Tuesday.
After Stunning ‘Bones’ Decision, Fox Aims to Wipe Out $128M in Punitive Damages
For years, some plaintiff-side litigators in Hollywood have complained that when it comes to arbitration, the cards are stacked in favor of big studios, which repeatedly use these alternative dispute-resolution forums. But in February, the tables turned when one JAMS arbitrator decided that not only did 21st Century Fox cheat the creative talent behind Bones out of tens of millions of dollars in profits, but that the fraud was so reprehensible that Fox should also pay an additional $128 million in punitive damages.
STATEMENT ON THE DESIGNATION OF THE MECHANICAL LICENSING COLLECTIVE
The Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL) is the premier organization for film, television, video game and musical theatre composers and lyricist with a distinguished 74-year history of creating music for visual media. While the vast majority of our members are based in North America, we have many others around the world and our international affiliations with like organizations allows us to speak on behalf of thousands of music creators. It is with this voice that we welcome the opportunity to offer our comments on the proposed establishment of the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC).
Read more: https://thescl.com/news/statement-on-the-designation-of-the-mechanical-licensing-collective/
Thousands of Indie Songwriters Rally Against Major Music Publishers’ ‘Industry Consensus’ MLC
As the U.S. Copyright Office mulls over competing bids to run the Mechanical Licensing Collective, indie songwriters and publishers are becoming increasingly vocal. Yesterday, the Copyright Office’s deadline for receiving comments on the selection of an MLC proposal lapsed, with hundreds of comments peppering the agency’s site.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/23/indie-songwriters-nmpa-mlc/
ECSA PRESS RELEASE ON THE DESIGNATION OF THE US MECHANICAL LICENSING COLLECTIVE (MLC)
On 22 April 2019, the US Copyright Office’s consultation on the designation of a Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)came to an end. The Music Modernization Act (“MMA”), enacted on 21 October 2018, calls for establishing such a collective to manage a new blanket licensing system governing licensed uses of musical works by digital music providers.
Read more: http://composeralliance.org/press-release-on-the-designation-of-the-us-mechanical-licensing/
Who owns Spotify?
Declared numbers + our current best guesses
The Real Reasons Artists Succeed on Spotify — From a Playlisting Pro
(1) Write long albums with short songs.
Rappers like Drake have turned this technique into an art, with albums loaded with lots of shorter tracks. And he isn’t alone. The strategy generates far more plays, thereby ensuring a top-charting album while multiplying per-stream revenue.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/22/spotify-playlist-artist-succeed/
The Recording Academy Withholds Endorsement of the ‘Industry Standard’ MLC Pending Further Review
The Recording Academy has declined to lend its endorsement to an MLC bid from major publishers like Sony/ATV, UMPG, and Warner/Chappell.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/22/recording-academy-mlc-amlc/
SiriusXM CEO Jim Meyer’s 2018 Pay Rises to $17.6 Million
Sirius XM CEO James Meyer (known as Jim) earned $17.6 million in 2018, up from $9.7 million the year prior, the company said in a regulatory filing Monday.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/siriusxm-ceo-jim-meyer-s-2018-pay-rises-176-million-1203804
Why Did Agencies Only Offer Writers One Percent of Packaging Fees?
It seems a mystery. The last time they met, the Association of Talent Agents offered to share backend television packaging fees with the Writers Guild of America, but that April 12 offer was only about one percent, a figure ostensibly so meager as to defy explanation. Negotiations cratered and the WGA filed suit days later. Why would any negotiator propose such a minuscule amount? Why didn’t the agencies propose, say, 25 percent as a reasonable opener?
Abigail Disney Calls Bob Iger’s $65.6M Salary “Insane”
Filmmaker and activist Abigail Disney — granddaughter of company co-founder Roy Disney — says she believes that Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger is grossly overpaid.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/abigail-disney-calls-bob-igers-656m-salary-insane-1203621
Writers Guild Launches New Effort to Cut Agents From Pitch Process
The Writers Guild of America expanded its resources for agentless writers Friday, announcing a new Weekly Feature Memo that will allow screenwriters to list available spec scripts and pitches in a format that will be sent to producers and development executives every Friday by subscription email.
In a Stunning Defeat, Madonna ‘Vogue’ Co-Writer Beats Warner Music Group in Court
Two years ago, the co-writer behind Madonna’s ‘Vogue’ filed a lawsuit against a major music group.
Taking on Warner Music Group, Robert ‘Shep’ Pettibone claimed that the label group had withheld royalties from the 1990 hit.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/18/madonna-pettibone-v-warner-music-group/
Founding SONA Member, Top Composer Breaks Ranks to Support the AMLC — Here’s Her Statement
This is a truly momentous time in the history of music copyright.
Fellow composers and songwriters, and those who rely upon us for their living, our Digital Mechanical Royalties are about to be collected by a new Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC). There are billions of dollars at stake already, and billions more as the future moves towards on-demand streaming platforms where mechanical royalties become big business.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/18/sona-mlc-amlc-statement/
Producer of Madonna’s “Vogue” Wins Fees Fight With Warner on Appeal
The producer of Madonna’s iconic song “Vogue” isn’t responsible for paying the publisher’s legal fees in connection with a copyright fight they won, a federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/madonnas-vogue-producer-wins-fees-fight-warner-1202660
Writers Guild Sues Talent Agencies as Dispute Goes Nuclear
The Writers Guild of America on Wednesday filed suit against the major talent agencies, turning a roiling conflict into an outright war in which neither side is likely to compromise.
Germany Vows to Prevent the Copyright Directive’s Upload Filters ‘as Far as Possible.’
You probably already know the story by now.
Last month, in a landmark vote, the European Parliament approved the controversial Copyright Directive. 348 Members of European Parliament (MEPs) voted in favor. 274 voted against. 36 abstained.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/17/germany-copyright-directive-upload-filters/
Jean-Luc Godard Laments Advent of Streaming, Compares it to the End of Silent Film
Legendary filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard made an extremely rare personal appearance to accept the 2019 FIAF Award in Lausanne, Switzerland, on April 11. The award was presented by the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) at the Cinémathèque Suisse, which has provided IndieWire with exclusive video of the occasion below. Frédéric Maire, President of FIAF and director of the Cinémathèque Suisse, was on hand to present the award to the filmmaker. “I’m unsettled and emotional, and I think you are, too,” he said in his introductory remarks.
Read more: https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/jean-luc-godard-netflix-streaming-loss-fiaf-video-1202059256/
Dramatists Guild Lends Support to Writers in Battle Against Agents
The organization representing U.S. playwrights, the Dramatists Guild of America, weighed in Tuesday with a statement supporting the Writers Guild of America in its battle against the Association of Talent Agents. Although the DG is not a union, it is the professional organization for playwrights and others — librettists, composers and lyricists — writing for the stage in the U.S. (Those writers are not unionized.)
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dramatists-guild-lends-support-writers-battle-agents-1202453
Lady Marmalade co-writer sues Sony/ATV over royalties and rights ownership
One of the writers of ‘Lady Marmalade’ has sued Sony/ATV in a wide-ranging dispute over royalties, reporting and the ownership of a bunch of his works.
Amid Writers’ Fight, Directors Guild to Examine Agreement With Agencies
The Directors Guild of America on Monday weighed in on the battle between the Writers Guild of America and the Association of Talent Agents, potentially opening a dramatic new front in the fight involving representation in Hollywood.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/directors-guild-examine-agreement-agencies-1202213
Revenge Of The Record Labels: How The Majors Renewed Their Grip On Music
Last October SoundCloud–a free music-streaming service with a massive 175 million monthly users–appeared to be running out of cash. News brokethat the Berlin-based company had lost $29.2 million in 2013, and when a rumored $2 billion buyout bid by Twitter fell through, it looked like music’s hottest startup might be in danger of going bust.
Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/
Inside The Black Box: A Deep Dive Into Music’s Monetization Mystery
Zack O’Malley Greenburg and I have a story in the magazine this week entitled, “Revenge Of The Record Labels.” In those pages, we comprehensively discuss how major labels are “quietly coopting the multibillion-dollar digital revolution.”
BREAKING: Council adopts DSM Directive
Following publication on the EU Official Journal, the DSM Directive will enter into force. After that, individual EU Member States will have 24 months to transpose this new piece of legislation into their own national legal systems.
Read more: https://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2019/04/breaking-council-adopts-dsm-directive.html
As Writers Fire Their Agents, Agencies Vow to Fight “Chaos”
As a Friday midnight deadline passed with no deal between the Writers Guild of America and the Association of Talents Agents, writers began firing their agents, with several dozen taking to Twitter and other social media platforms to advertise their disaffiliation from their representatives, some of long-standing. The WGA posted a new list of franchised agencies devoid of any large or medium-sized firms.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/as-writers-fire-agents-agencies-vow-fight-chaos-1201987
Unrepresented songwriters deserve to be heard
I took a few years away from artist advocacy (after my husband died of cancer) but recently I feel called to get involved again and I’ve joined the board of the American Mechanical Licensing Collective.
Read more: https://medium.com/@zoecello/unrepresented-songwriters-deserve-to-be-heard-610d1f3cb706
Writers Guild-Agent Talks Fail; New Code of Conduct to Take Effect at Midnight
The Writers Guild of America on Friday rejected the latest proposal from the Association of Talents Agents and said in a letter to members that as the parties had not reached a deal, the guild’s new “Code of Conduct” would take effect at midnight.
‘Home Improvement’ Creators Insist on Jury for $40 Million Trial Against Disney
If James Madison were alive, the American founding father would probably have a strong view on whether the creators, writers and producers of Home Improvement are entitled to have a jury hear their claims of being denied a fair share of net profits earned by the series. After all, Madison authored the Seventh Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which provides the right to jury trials in certain kinds of civil suits. In doing so, Madison stood up to Federalists like Alexander Hamilton and John Adams concerned about juries being overly sympathetic to debtors during post-colonial rule where the collection of taxes was needed.
Disney, Netflix, Amazon: The battle for streaming survival
Disney has announced its rival to the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime – and they’re calling it Disney+.
Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-47692925
AMLC Tells Nashville It Is Best Pick to Form Mechanical Licensing Collective, Arguing NMPA-Led Group Has Too Many Conflicts
Five members either sitting on the board of directors or one of the committees of the American Mechanical Licensing Collective made their case yesterday to the Nashville songwriting community as to why they should be chosen to form the mechanical licensing collective (MLC) created by the Music Modernization Act and to administer the blanket license the bill also created.
Talent Agencies Offer to Share Packaging Fees with Writers in Significant Move Towards Deal
In a dramatic move towards averting an en masse firing of agents, the Association of Talents Agents proposed Thursday that it would share a portion of packaging fees with writers. It’s unknown whether the Writers Guild of America, which has blasted packaging fees as “illegal kickbacks,” will be receptive to the move.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek Says ‘Far Greater’ Than 30,000 Artists Are Making a Living off of Spotify
For the third year in a row, Napster ranked as the ‘king’ of streaming music payouts. On average, the Rhapsody-owned service pays out $0.019 per stream. To meet the monthly minimum wage amount in the US, an indie artist would need 77,474 total plays.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/11/spotify-streaming-artists-living/
BMI Asks Concert Industry to Pay Songwriters Their Fair Share (Guest Op-Ed)
Last September, BMI initiated a rate court proceeding against the nation’s major concert promoters in an effort to secure a more fair and appropriate rate for our songwriters. Our goal is to raise the rate from the mere fraction of a percent promoters are currently paying, to roughly 1 percent of revenue. Not surprisingly, the North American Concert Promoters Association (NACPA) believes this increase is far too large. In a statement to Pollstar(9/26/18), NACPA’s attorney characterized BMI’s proposal as “massive, unprecedented and unjustified.”
SoundExchange Takes Music Choice to Court Over Underpaid Royalties
SoundExchange has filed a lawsuit against Music Choice, alleging that the music service has shortchanged it in millions of dollars of royalty payments from its business establishment music service. The lawsuit was filed in the Washington, D.C. District Court today.
Read more: https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8506636/
JODY GERSON: UMPG ‘STANDS WITH SONGWRITERS’ FIGHTING SPOTIFY CRB APPEAL
The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) ruled last year that songwriters and publishers would see a 44% statutory royalty increase from streaming platforms by 2022. Yet in recent weeks, the likes of Spotify, Amazon, Pandora/Sirius XM and Google have legally challenged this ruling, aiming to have it reversed – while Apple, in contrast, has declined to do so.
“You Have Used Us” — Hit Songwriters Pen Open Letter Slamming Spotify’s CRB Appeal
Two months ago, in a split decision, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) published a significant streaming royalty increase for songwriters and publishers. The 44% increase – the first in 110 years – would force streaming music services to pay a lot more.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/10/songwriters-v-spotify-letter/
Writers Guild Standoff Won’t End Hollywood’s Culture of Conflicts
Over the past several months, writers and talent agents have settled into warring camps in a fight over television packaging fees and agencies’ move into affiliate production. On April 13, if a deal is not made between the Writers Guild of America and the Association of Talent Agents, the consequences of failure are potentially calamitous for the industry.
Trump’s video tweet using Batman music removed due to copyright
The two-minute promotional video for his 2020 campaign used Hans Zimmer’s track Why Do We Fall? from The Dark Knight Rises without requesting copyright from Warner Bros Pictures.
Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47878038
Streaming Platforms are Keeping More Money From Artists than Ever (and Paying Them More, Too)
Spotify has worked hard to improve its reputation amongst artists. The company has forged close ties with everyone from Shawn Mendes to Camila Cabello and Justin Timberlake in recent years – not long after it was being publicly harangued by the likes of Thom Yorke for both its business model, and its meager per-stream payments to artists.
SAG-AFTRA Unveils Residuals Direct Deposit
SAG-AFTRA said Tuesday that after successfully testing its residuals direct deposit process with local members across the country, automated residual payments will be available to all eligible members nationwide as of May 1.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sag-aftra-unveils-residuals-direct-deposit-1200805
The Check’s Not In The Mail: SAG-AFTRA Residuals Payments Going Digital
SAG-AFTRA will launch automated residuals payments nationwide beginning May 1. The union, which processes more than 4 million residuals checks for 270,000 people per year, says the new system will “ensure a secure, stable, and high-quality experience that will allow members to receive residual payments and statements quicker and easier than ever before.”
AMLC Songwriters Blast Major Music Publishers Over Wrongful Royalty Claims — Here’s Their Statement
The answer to that question depends on who ends up taking the mantle of the Mechanical Licensing Collective, or MLC, a government-mandated agency that forms a critical part of the Music Modernization Act, or MMA.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/07/music-royalties-claims-publishers/
European Survey on the Renumeration of Audiovisual Authors
Over the past decades, cultural and creative industries have gained recognition as important components of our society due to their role in the enrichment and development of culture (UNESCO, 2009). This importance of these industries are constituted by both economic and non-economic elements (impact on social cohesion, values, creative innovation, etc.). In recent years a lot of attention has gone on the economic elements, because of the acknowledged impact of cultural industries on e.g. GDP growth rates and employment, and the conviction that cultural industries can improve a country’s foreign trade position and competitiveness (UNESCO, 2009).
Writers, Meet Your New Agents? A Dozen Boutique Agencies Sign Statement Of Support For WGA
EXCLUSIVE: A dozen smaller talent agencies have signed a statement of support for the WGA’s efforts “to eliminate conflicts of interest and properly align the incentives of agencies with their clients.” None of the agencies is a member of the Association of Talent Agents, which is locked in a do-or-die battle with the WGA over a new franchise agreement. This positions a lot of have-not agencies — they would not ordinarily be considered as the reps of top screenwriters or TV writers — to be alternative landing places if the WGA follows through with its threat to force members to fire their agents at the Big Four percenteries.
As Europe Goes to War With Tech Giants, Will Artists Benefit?
On March 26, after two years of charged debate, the European Parliament passed the contentious new Copyright Directive — legislation aimed at updating the law for the internet age.
‘Non-Profit’ SoundExchange Refuses to Disclose Top Executive Salaries, ‘Black Box’ Holding Balances from 2018
In 2017, SoundExchange CEO Michael Huppe collected compensation of nearly $1.4 million, a 27% year-over-year increase of roughly $300,000. That ‘non-profit’ payout drew serious criticism, though a ‘black box’ unmatched holding balance of nearly $300 million also raised eyebrows.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/04/
Writers Guild Expected to Release List of About 40 Signatory Agencies
The Writers Guild of America is expected to release a list of about 40 talent agencies that have signed on to the guild’s new “Code of Conduct,” according to a private email sent Friday from a senior guild executive and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
EU | The directive on copyright adopted by the Parliament
With its partners from the Fair Internet coalition, FIM has been working relentlessly and continuously for four years now to promote performers’ interests with members of the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council.
Read more: https://www.fim-musicians.org/copyright-directive-adopted-on-26032019
As Europe Goes to War With Tech Giants, Will Artists Benefit?
On March 26, after two years of charged debate, the European Parliament passed the contentious new Copyright Directive — legislation aimed at updating the law for the internet age.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/as-europe-goes-war-tech-giants-will-artists-benefit-1198964
Writers Guild Garners Support in Agency Battle From Canadian, International Guilds
The Writers Guild of Canada and the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds issued a statement Thursday supporting their U.S. colleagues as the fight between the Writers Guild of America and talent counted down to a weekend deadline.
As Writers Declare War on Agents, Top Showrunner Salaries Hit “Another Peak”
With J.J. Abrams being courted for what could be a record-breaking $500 million new overall deal, executives at his longtime home of Warner Bros. Television (and corporate parent WarnerMedia) are pulling out all the stops to ensure that the company retains his services — especially since at least two other media behemoths are looking to sign him.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/as-writers-fight-agents-were-at-peak-now-1198849
IFPI Global Music Report 2019
The global recorded music market grew by 9.7% in 2018, the fourth consecutive year of growth. Figures released today in IFPI’s Global Music Report 2019 show total revenues for 2018 were US$19.1 billion.
Television Packaging Deals: All the Confusing Questions Answered
When agents act like producers, they want to get compensated as such, either by capturing producer-like fees, called packaging fees, or by owning content through a sister company, referred to as affiliate production.
The Writers Guild of America objects to both of these practices as conflicts of interest and for other reasons. But what are packages, package fees and affiliate production? Let’s take it step by step.
Agentless Writers? WGA Has an App for That
The Writers Guild of America has unveiled its promised Staffing Submission System, telling members in an email Monday that the system “lets writers submit their work directly to showrunners who are looking for writers for TV staffs.” The system is intended for writers who fire their agents, an action the guild is expected to order many to take as early as April 7, the day after the current agreement between the WGA and Association of Talent Agents terminates.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/wga-unveils-staffing-submission-system-app-1198705
SONY/ATV EMPLOYEES TO BE PAID ‘SPECIAL’ BONUSES RELATED TO EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING BUYOUT
MBW understands that, as a result of that deal, around $200m in compensation was shared between a small group of top execs at Sony/ATV towards the end of 2018. Some suggest as much as 50% of this money went to the company’s now-ex boss, Martin Bandier.
For Some Rock Pioneers, Warner Music Treats Streaming Royalties as Charity
For an older generation of musicians, the ethos was sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Nobody ever said much in the 1960s and early 1970s about the importance of good dealmaking. Now playing out is the ramifications of such negligence.
Tom Petty’s Widow and Two Daughters Are Now Fighting Over the Singer’s Estate
Dana Petty, Tom Petty’s widow, doesn’t exactly agree with Petty’s two grown adult daughters, Adria and Annakim.
So, she’s filing a civil lawsuit against them.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/03/tom-petty-estate-battle/
Talent Agents Under Fire: As Hollywood Writers Declare War, Who Will Blink First?
It’s the one thing everyone has agreed on: Not much actual negotiation has occurred during the increasingly pitched battle between the Writers Guild of America and the Association of Talent Agents as the April 6 expiration of their franchise agreement approaches, and Hollywood faces the uncharted waters of screenwriters breaking up with their agents en masse.
IFPI Global Music Report 2019
The global recorded music market grew by 9.7% in 2018, the fourth consecutive year of growth. Figures released today in IFPI’s Global Music Report 2019 show total revenues for 2018 were US$19.1 billion.
Read more: https://www.ifpi.org/news/IFPI-GLOBAL-MUSIC-REPORT-2019
Paid Streaming Subscriptions Now Account for 37% of Global Recorded Music Revenue
According to the RIAA, paid subscription streaming in the US remained the largest driver of revenue for the American music industry. Last year, the recorded music market posted $4.7 billion in revenue, up 33% from 2017.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/02/ifpi-global-music-report-2019/
Irving Azoff’s Global Music Rights Scores a Significant Victory Against RMLC
Irving Azoff’s performance rights organization, Global Music Rights (GMR), doesn’t exactly see eye-to-eye with terrestrial radio group Radio Music Licensing Committee (RMLC).
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/02/global-music-rights-v-rmlc/
WGA Launches Script Submission System For Use If Last-Ditch Talks With ATA Fail
The WGA’s new Staffing Submission System is up and running. It’s designed to help guild members find jobs if their leaders order them to walk out on their agents if a new franchise agreement isn’t reached with the Association of Talent Agents by April 6. The WGA and the ATA are expected to return to the bargaining table this week, but no date has been set.
Breaking: Google/Alphabet Acquiring Spotify In $43.4 Billion Cash, Equity Deal
The acquisition, first reported by the Wall Street Journal with additional details supplied by Bloomberg, gives Google/Alphabet a much stronger position in the music subscription space. The deal also gives Google a serious edge over competitors like Apple Music, now the largest streaming service in the United States based on paid subscriptions.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/01/google-alphabet-spotify-acquisition/
SAG-AFTRA Stands With WGA In Its “Struggle” With Talent Agents
The WGA has a new ally in its ongoing feud with Hollywood’s talent agents – SAG-AFTRA. “We congratulate the Writers Guild of America on their successful membership vote and applaud the guild for taking steps in the best interests of their members,” the actors’ union said today. “We stand with our sister union in the ongoing struggle to protect members in the entertainment industry.”
Read more: https://deadline.com/2019/03/sag-aftra-wga-ata-talent-agents-writers-guild-of-america-1202586006/
‘Blurred Lines’ on Their Minds, Songwriters Create Nervously
It’s not easy to be a songwriter in the pop world these days. Listeners rarely see your name. For anything but a giant hit, royalties from streaming are infinitesimal — and big tech companies seem to want to keep it that way.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/31/
WGA, Talent Agents On Brink Of All-Out War: How We Got Here
Now that the WGA’s membership has overwhelmingly approved a new Agency Code of Conduct, the guild and the Association of Talent Agents are expected to return to the bargaining table this week for one last try to work out a new franchise agreement before the April 6 deadline. After that, guild leaders could order their members to fire their agents en masse if they refuse to sign the Code. This is how they got to the brink of all-out war.
Read more: https://deadline.com/2019/03/wga-talent-agents-on-brink-of-all-out-war-how-we-got-here-1202585911/