If you’re a songwriter frustrated by our music licensing system (which is to say a songwriter), then maybe it’s time to craft a ditty that sounds funny coming out of a fake animal. In all seriousness, last week saw the passing of Memphis legend Mabon “Teenie” Hodges, guitarist and songwriter, who created several hits in collaboration with singer Al Green. ...
We spend a lot of time talking about the pros and cons of technological disruption in the creative industries. And each of us has our theories and predictions as to what the future might look like for a market like the United States. And to be honest, the discussions often revolve around how we should or should not be responding ...
Last week, Pandora CEO Tim Westergren, appearing on a forum called PandoMonthly, said a strange thing while defending against criticisms streaming services received in 2013 from name-brand artists. He said the following: “The industry has for a long time been propped up by a product where you’re paying $20 for something you really wanted to pay $1 for. Maybe you ...
As the debate will no doubt rage (or stomp its feet) on the subject of copyright review in the coming year, one subject that will assuredly be on the table will be the terms of copyright (i.e. how long ownership can last). There is a persistent assumption that these terms are somehow the exclusive privilege of large corporations. As Robert ...
Last week, the National Music Publishers Association put the top 50 unlicensed lyrics websites on notice. President of the NMPA David Isrealite had a simple message to these top infringers: “Get licensed, get offline, or get sued.” And with two recent judgments in its favor, Isrealite has little doubt his organization would prevail in its pursuit of these cases. Identifying ...
