ASCAP Expands Royalty Premium Payment Plans

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ASCAP is expanding its TV Premium payment plan to include eligibility for top streamed shows on services, such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Apple TV+, Disney+ and HBO Max.

The TV Premium Plan is being renamed and expanded to a platform agnostic Audio-Visual Premium plan. The expanded eligibility requirements for premium payments ensure that ASCAP composers, songwriters and publishers are also eligible for premium bonus payments for the top streamed shows and movies on these services.

In a further expansion of its premium payment program, ASCAP is also adding the Univision and UniMás networks to its existing broadcast TV premiums, recognizing the growing market for Spanish-language programming in the U.S.

“AV OTT services are rapidly scaling their businesses by providing subscribers with high-value offerings at price points that are disruptive to traditional TV economics,” says ASCAP Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Matthews. “ASCAP is expanding its premium plan structure to ensure that our composers have the ability to earn a viable living from top-streamed shows. This protects the economic value of their music in AV OTT programming by creating incentives to retain their future backend public performance royalties in their own deal making with production companies and streaming services.

“The board approved this change because ASCAP is committed to evolving its distribution rules to keep pace with the way music is consumed and licensed in the marketplace,” adds ASCAP Chairman of the Board of Directors Paul Williams. “ASCAP’s Audio-Visual Premium payments recognize the significant value that the music in top programs brings to ASCAP’s repertory.  The Board’s action here ensures the highest good for all concerned and the future health of the ASCAP membership.”

ASCAP’s expanded Audio-Visual Premiums will take effect with the December 2021/January 2022 Publisher and Writer distributions.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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