public performance rights

RMLC Requests Consolidation of ASCAP and BMI Proceeding on Radio Music Royalties – A Step Toward a Unified Process for Resolving All Music Royalty Issues?

By David Oxenford|2023-08-18T10:03:45-05:00August 18th, 2023|Legal News|

In recent weeks, some of the radio trade magazines have been carrying coverage of the litigation between the Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) and ASCAP and BMI over the rates that will be paid by commercial radio broadcasters for the public performance of musical compositions that are licensed through these Performing Rights Organizations (PROs). Negotiations... Continue Reading…

RMLC Requests Consolidation of ASCAP and BMI Proceeding on Radio Music Royalties – A Step Toward a Unified Process for Resolving All Music Royalty Issues?

By David Oxenford|2023-08-18T10:03:45-05:00August 18th, 2023|Legal News|

In recent weeks, some of the radio trade magazines have been carrying coverage of the litigation between the Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) and ASCAP and BMI over the rates that will be paid by commercial radio broadcasters for the public performance of musical compositions that are licensed through these Performing Rights Organizations (PROs). Negotiations... Continue Reading…

Lawsuits Filed Against Three Radio Companies Alleging That They are Playing Global Music Rights Songwriters Without a License – Background for the GMR Claims

By David Oxenford|2022-10-07T11:12:47-05:00October 7th, 2022|Legal News|

Global Music Rights (GMR) has sued three radio groups for allegedly playing GMR catalog songs but not paying the associated public performance royalties to GMR. As we have written many times, GMR is a performing rights organization (a “PRO”) representing what they term in the complaints filed against these companies “an elite roster of just over... Continue Reading…

A Church Gets Called Out for Adaptation of “Hamilton” – Looking at the Copyright Issues

By David Oxenford|2022-08-23T11:14:27-05:00August 23rd, 2022|Legal News|

Recent press reports have talked much about a Texas church that decided to put on a production of the musical Hamilton – both live and streamed via YouTube. The church not only put on the performance of the musical, but also adapted the script to include material with religious themes not included in the original... Continue Reading…

GMR Offers to Extend Its Interim License With Commercial Radio Stations – But It Wants a 20% Increase in Royalty Payments

By David Oxenford|2021-03-02T17:33:00-06:00March 2nd, 2021|Legal News|

Global Music Rights, one of the newest performing rights organization licensing the public performance of musical compositions, has agreed to extend its interim license with commercial radio broadcasters. That license is set to expire at the end of March (see our article here). This interim license has been offered and extended for the last several... Continue Reading…

RMLC and SESAC Agree to Extend Current License Agreement for Commercial Radio – Music Licensing Update for Radio

By David Oxenford|2020-08-25T10:43:45-05:00August 25th, 2020|Legal News|

The Radio Music License Committee and SESAC yesterday announced an extension of the terms of the royalty agreement that is currently in place between the commercial radio industry and this performing rights organization. As we wrote here, the agreement under which radio broadcasters have been paying for the last three years was arrived at after... Continue Reading…

This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: July 18, 2020 to July 24, 2020

By David Oxenford|2020-07-25T18:34:52-05:00July 25th, 2020|Legal News|

Here are some of the FCC regulatory, legal, and congressional actions of the last week—and music licensing action in the coming week—of significance to broadcasters, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. The Media Bureau settled investigations into six major radio groups... Continue Reading…

Using Music in Podcasts – Talk to the Copyright Holders – Why You Can’t Rely on Your ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and SoundExchange Licenses

By David Oxenford|2020-07-22T10:28:44-05:00July 22nd, 2020|Legal News|

Our friends at Edison Research recently released a study on music discovery highlighting the ways in which people discover new music. Among their findings was that broadcast radio, YouTube and streaming services were among the largest sources for that discovery. That report caused one radio trade publication to suggest that podcasts, which ranked relatively low... Continue Reading…

BMI Settlement of Royalty Battle with RMLC to Include Music in Podcasts? – Not So Fast….

By David Oxenford|2020-01-31T11:14:16-06:00January 31st, 2020|Legal News|

BMI and the Radio Music License Committee announced a settlement of their rate court litigation over the royalties that commercial radio will pay for the public performance of musical compositions licensed by BMI. While we have not yet seen the agreement, the press release already raises one issue likely to sew confusion in the broadcast... Continue Reading…