April 28, 2023
Artificial Intelligence (aka AI) is not a new thing. It has been used for various purposes like social media algorithms and Siri on your phone. However, for the first time, AI is being used in
Read moreApril 28, 2023
From Kidz Bop idol to R&B and pop singer, Kiana Ledé has fully planted herself within the music industry. The release of her latest single “Jealous” featuring Ella Mai adds to her growing achievements
Read moreApril 23, 2023
In the past few years, the K-pop culture has experienced a number of suicides, which has devastated the Korean entertainment industry. Sulli from f(x), Jonghyun from SHINee, Goo Hara from KARA, and
Read moreApril 20, 2023
Since SZA has released her latest album ‘SOS’, it has made a lot of buzz in the music industry. The album has received positive reviews for its combination of R&B, pop, and hip-hop and featured.....
Read moreApril 20, 2023
With K-pop bands like BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, and SEVENTEEN, Korean music has been on the rise over the past ten years. But Korea’s music culture doesn’t stop there....
Read moreApril 8, 2023
In October 2019, member of the K-pop group Monsta X, WONHO, faced allegations of drug usage, resulting in his departure from the group. Fans were disheartened by the news of him leaving and wondered..
Read moreApril 1, 2023
Songwriters, composers, and publishers have long been underpaid when it comes to the live concert industry. However, a successful court case may be the first step to changing that.....
Read moreMarch 28, 2023
Society has always placed a high value on music. As technology starts to become more part of our lives, social media and music platforms have become more and more prominent in the music business....
Read moreMarch 28, 2023
The Latin GRAMMY Awards are changing it up this year for songwriters! On March 21, 2023, The Latin Recording Academy released a press release announcing various additions and changes to the awards...
Read moreMarch 22, 2023
Even if you haven't heard of NewJeans yet, there's a good chance you'll soon be humming along to their infectious tunes. The Korean pop group is quickly gaining international attention and breaking..
Read moreMarch 31, 2023
Even if you don’t know who Max Martin is, you’ve definitely heard his songs. Hit-pop songs are kind of his thing after all. Martin first stepped into the music world in 1985 as a frontman for....
Read moreBMI
Songwriters, composers, and publishers have long been underpaid when it comes to the live concert industry. However, a successful court case may be the first step to changing that.
On March 28, Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) won its federal rate court case against Live Nations, AEG, and the North American Concert Promoters Association (NACPA). The win results in an increase in the live performance revenue rate and base for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
Before we get into the details of what BMI’s win entails, let’s start with who BMI is.
According to their website, BMI was founded in 1939 and is the largest music rights organization in the US. BMI wants to be the “bridge between songwriters and the businesses and organizations that want to play their music publicly.” They represent over 20.6 million musical works from more than 1.3 million songwriters, composers, and music publishers.
Needless to say, BMI is pushing for big changes in the live music industry. So what has their latest win resulted in?
For context, from 1998 to 2017 the revenue rate these groups were paid by promoters was as follows:
Now, these rates have changed to the following:
Furthermore, this new revenue rate and base also apply to the period of mid-2018 through Dec. 31, 2022.
“This is a massive victory for BMI and the songwriters, composers, and publishers we represent. It will have a significant and long-term positive impact on the royalties they receive for the live concert category. We are gratified the Court agreed with BMI’s position that the music created by songwriters and composers is the backbone of the live concert industry and should be valued accordingly. Today’s decision also underscores BMI’s continued mission to fight on behalf of our affiliates, no matter how long it takes, to ensure they receive fair value for their creative work.” - Mike O’Neill, BMI President.
Unfortunately, BMI’s results fell short of what they originally wanted. The changes that were rejected include:
Despite its full request not being fulfilled, BMI’s win was a step in the right direction for recognizing the important work of songwriters, composers, and publishers.
If you’d like to read more details on the case, check out Billboard’s article here!