Music News (6/4/14)

NSAI will host a parking lot picnic, June 17 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in its parking area, located at 1710 Roy Acuff Place. The free industry event will feature songwriters from Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music Publishing, and ole.

Lunch will be provided by Twice Daily. The event is sponsored by City National Bank, CORT Furniture, the Nashville Recording Academy and Twice Daily.

• • •

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division announced this week that it will review the 73-year-old legal system governing what songwriters and publishers charge broadcasters, digital music services and other licensees for playing their compositions, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Justice Department’s review will include a 60-day period for public comments about the consent decrees. The department could then recommend changes to regulation, which will be reviewed by the U.S. District Court.

ASCAP’s consent decree was last amended in 2001, while BMI’s was last amended in 1994.

According to sources, BMI and ASCAP will request the government streamline the rate-setting process, in order to limit it to a 90-day arbitration period, instead of full-blown trials. They will also push for the ability to license members’ catalogs to select music users.

Some publishers are considering withdrawing their catalogs from these PROs if not allowed to opt out of ASCAP’s and BMI’s licensing agreements in case-by-case circumstances. If publishers do withdraw from these PROs, they would be responsible for collecting their own performance royalties from radio stations, streaming services, television broadcasts and other outlets, or they can outsource the job to a third party.

To read ASCAP and BMI replies to the review, click here.

• • •

Artists from many different genres of music have been announced to either present or perform at the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction and awards ceremony including Jon Bon Jovi, Rosanne Cash, Chubby Checker, Vince Gill, Jimmy Iovine, Martina McBride, Ralph Peer and more. The event will be held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on Thursday, June 12. 

Inductees at this year’s event include Ray Davies, Donovan, Graham Gouldman, Mark James and Jim Weatherly. The prestigious Johnny Mercer Award will be presented to Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. The 2014 Towering Song Award will be presented to “Over the Rainbow,” written by Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, and published by EMI Feist Catalog.

• • •

The NMPA and Sony Music Entertainment have struck a licensing deal for music videos. The agreement provides songwriters’ and music publishers’ percentage royalty rates for their participation in revenue generated from music videos in exchange for rights related to the use of their musical works in SME’s videos. All NMPA music publishers will be offered this deal on an opt-in basis through the Harry Fox Agency.

Additionally, songwriters and publishers who opt-in to the agreement may receive retroactive payments for past use of music works in Sony Music Entertainment music videos dating back to Jan. 1, 2009. The agreement will also cover lyric videos as that market increases.

• • •

Warner/Chappell Music & Buckeye 26 have signed a worldwide publishing agreement with singer/songwriter Jordan Reynolds. Reynolds was a recent winner of the SongTown USA songwriting contest for his song “Love is Like Rain,” co-written with Robyn Collins.

Pictured (Front Row): BJ Hill (W/C), Jordan Reynolds, Wendell Mobley (W/C Songwriter), Karen Harrison-Hite (W/C). Back Row: Blain Rhodes (W/C), Chase Neely (Attorney), Phil May (W/C), Alicia Pruitt (W/C), Travis Carter (W/C), Matt Michiels (W/C)