Food for thought? Ram
Agreement reached on Internet music royalty rates By RACHEL METZ – 2 days ago NEW YORK (AP) — A group that collects royalties for music artists and recording companies has agreed to reduce rates for thousands of commercial radio stations that also play songs over the Internet. Internet radio station operators had complained that rates originally set by the federal Copyright Royalty Board in 2007 could essentially force them to shut down. The new deal lowers those rates by about 16 percent in 2009 and 2010. The stations will now pay $1.50 for every song heard by a thousand listeners in 2009, rising to $2.50 per 1,000 listeners in 2015. The agreement between the National Association of Broadcasters and the royalty-collection group SoundExchange covers the Internet streaming operations at several thousand NAB-member stations, including those owned by Clear Channel Communications Inc. and CBS Corp. Stations that are not members of the broadcasters' group have the option of joining the agreement, according to the NAB. The deal, announced Monday, is the latest between SoundExchange and groups representing over-the-air radio stations that also stream music over the Internet. Both sides have been negotiating new rates since a 2007 ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board dramatically raised the rates Internet radio stations had to pay recording companies and artists. SoundExchange Executive Director John Simson said Tuesday that the agreement brings certainty to his group and the NAB about what the rates are. "It also reinforces the value of our recordings for the artist and copyright owners over the course of the term," he said. SoundExchange is a nonprofit that collects royalties from Internet radio stations and other digital radio services and distributes them to recording companies and artists. In a statement, NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton said the deal ensures that U.S. radio stations can continue to stream music over the Internet and "further strengthens the relationship between free, local radio and our 235 million weekly listeners." Webcasters and over-the-air radio stations already pay composers and music publishers royalties for the music they play, but traditional stations have been exempt from paying artists and recording companies any royalties under the logic that airplay provides free promotion. But broadcasters are subject to royalties for any songs played online. Simson said SoundExchange is still trying to hammer out rate agreements with various groups, including two that represent college radio broadcasts and one representing religious broadcasts. The group also is in talks with major online-only webcasters, such as those represented by the Digital Media Association, a trade group composed of companies that run online audio and video services. The agreement with the NAB comes several weeks after SoundExchange reached a similar deal with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Under that agreement, SoundExchange gets an upfront royalty payment of $1.85 million for streaming of sound recordings on numerous public radio Web sites from Jan. 1, 2005, through Dec. 31, 2010. -- N.Ramakrishnan Director of Projects Ideosync Media Combine 177, Ashoka Enclave III Sector 35, Faridabad - 121003 Haryana - India Tel: +91-0129-4131883/6510156/2254395/2254396 (Prefix 95129- from Delhi) Telfax: +91-0129-2254395 (Prefix 95129- from Delhi) Mobile: +91-9810273883 Email: [email protected] _______________________________________________ cr-india mailing list [email protected] https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/cr-india
