BMI rate court federal judge Louis Stanton has issued an order rejecting the US Department of Justice’s recent interpretation of the consent decree. The order concludes that fractional licensing of musical works is allowed under the consent decree that BMI operates under.

That interpretation from the DOJ stated that the consent decrees that govern both BMI and ASCAP required full-works licensing. The Department of Justice also gave BMI and ASCAP one year to adopt full-works licensing. Members of the music publishing industry express grave concern earlier this year, after the Department of Justice’s announcement.

“As we have said from the very beginning, we believed our consent decree allowed for the decades-long practice of fractional licensing and today we are gratified that Judge Stanton confirmed that belief,” BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill said via a statement. “Our mission has always been to protect the interests of our songwriters, composers and publishers, and we feel we have done just that. Today’s decision is a victory for the entire music community.”

ASCAP CEO Beth Matthews said, “This is terrific news for all of us in the songwriting community as we continue to work on modernizing the consent decrees to reflect the real world.”

Also reacting to the ruling this afternoon was the National Music Publishers Association.

“Thanks to the courage of Mike O’Neil, BMI, and the entire songwriting and music publishing community, the DOJ’s disastrous views on 100% licensing have been rejected by a federal Judge,” said NMPA President & CEO David Israelite. “This is a huge win for songwriters and a huge win for the rule of copyright law.”

Sony/ATV Music Publishing’s Chairman & CEO Martin Bandier responded, “We are thrilled with Judge Stanton’s common sense interpretation of the consent decree which clarifies that BMI is not required to grant 100% licenses. His statement that “nothing in the consent decree gives support to the division’s views” could not be clearer. While the DOJ’s interpretation would have upended decades of licensing practices and caused uncertainty and disorder to everyone in the marketplace, Judge Stanton’s ruling is in the public interest and will benefit all interested parties in the music industry, including songwriters, music publishers and licensors. We can now focus once again on working on behalf of our songwriters.”

Garth Brooks is thinking outside the box—and inside the box—for his newest project.

Brooks and Target announced a partnership on Thursday (Sept. 15) that will give Garth fans a fresh look at material from a career that has spanned 25 years. Brooks will release an exclusive, 10-disc boxed set dubbed Garth Brooks: The Ultimate Collection, on Nov. 11.

The boxed set will include an exclusive version of his upcoming album, as well as nine discs of curated music from his catalog with bonus tracks exclusive to Target.

“It’s twice the size of any box set we’ve ever put out, and the first time we’ve gotten to put a new record in that box. I’m excited about this fall,” says Brooks, who released previous boxed set collections The Limited Series in 1998, a second boxed set collection (also named The Limited Series) in 2005, as well as the four-CD collection of covers Blame It All On My Roots: Five Decades of Influences in 2013.

“We’ve done box sets before but they’ve always been restricted to the first half of the career or second half of the career,” Brooks explains. “This is all 25 years of selected music and they are in their own playlists. Like, I’ve always wanted to do just a cowboy CD where ‘Much Too Young’ can be put up there with ‘Rodeo,’ so it’s a pretty neat little playlist.”

Those playlists/track listings for the project have not been released, as Brooks says they are still curating them.

One new track he confirms will be part of the boxed set has already been previewed for fans, during Brooks’ recent debut full-band concert at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 8. The show was aired live as part of the launch of The Garth Channel on SiriusXM.

While Brooks spent the majority of that concert paying homage to his favorite iconic country songs such as George Strait’s “Amarillo By Morning” and entertaining the energetic crowd with hit after hit, he did take the time to welcome one of country music’s top vocalists, his wife Trisha Yearwood, to the stage for a debut performance of “Whiskey To Wine.”

“Anytime you sing with Ms. Yearwood, it’s going to be powerful,” Brooks says. “You’re always scared of how someone’s going to accept this new music, especially the older you get, so I felt very lucky at the reception we got.

“I love ‘Whiskey To Wine’,” Brooks continued. “Very much like the promise that I told people that I would keep, that’s the most Garth piece ever.” Brooks co-wrote the song with Wynn Varble and Bryan Kennedy. “It’s got a tribute to a George Jones/Tammy Wynette kind of approach on it. I was scared that it was too country, but they sure acted like they were fine with it.”

He says the new music is in response to fan feedback he’s received during current The Garth Brooks World Tour with Trisha Yearwood. The tour launched with 11 sold-out shows at Chicago’s Allstate Arena, and is approaching five million tickets sold. The fan attendance over the past nearly two years matches the attendance of his previous tour, which ran from 1996-1998, before Brooks temporarily retired in 2001.

“I’m enjoying the talent Nashville has in my generation and the next generation,” he says. “I hope fans know that I heard them when during the whole first year of the tour they said, ‘Where’s your pen? Where’s Garth stuff?’ To tell the truth I was scared to death that hustle was gone. I hadn’t used it in 14 or 15 years, so you force yourself to hole up, probably since November, and just start writing. It’s been a wonderful process. Whether it’s any good or not, the people will be the deciding factor on that.”

BMI Songwriters Sing In South Dakota

Pictured (L-R): Wendell Mobley, Lee Thomas Miller

BMI songwriters Lee Thomas Miller and Wendell Mobley helped cap off the South Dakota Retailers Association (SDRA) Annual Golf Tournament with a performance on Monday (Sept. 12) in Rapid City. The Nashville songwriters told the stories behind their songs and sang hits they have written for the likes of Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw and Joe Nichols. The SDRA represents the interests of a variety of businesses in South Dakota including the retail, restaurant and hotel industries.

Nashville Songwriter Wins Unsigned Only Grand Prize

Ingrid Andress

Ingrid Andress, a Colorado native who now lives in Nashville, picked up the grand prize in the 2016 Unsigned Only Music Competition. She won for her song “Footprints,” which was selected from a panel of industry judges among nearly 6,000 submissions.

In addition to winning $20,000 in cash, Andress also receives one-on-one mentoring from executives from Atlantic, Warner Bros., RCA, Epic, Razor & Tie, Disney Music Group/Hollywood Records, Nettwerk Music Group, Black River Entertainment, and others.

Andress said, “You always hear about this happening to other people, but I never thought it would happen to me. It’s such an amazing and rare opportunity to have people care about you and your music. It’s very inspiring to feel supported by an organization who just want you to do well because of your music ability and your love for your art.”

Williams and Ree Earn Native American Music Award

Williams and Ree. Photo: Rock Tweten

Comedy/music duo Williams and Ree have been named Entertainer of the Year Award at the 16th annual Native American Music Awards (NAMA). The ceremony will take place on Saturday (Sept. 17) at the Seneca Allegany Resort and Casino Center in Salamanca, New York.

The duo is composed of Terry Ree, who has origins in the Sioux Tribe and is dubbed “The Indian,” and Bruce Williams, known as “The White Guy.” They will be highlighted for their comedic banter that uses the pair’s musical background to infuse their slapstick humor with catchy melodies to poke fun at stereotypes. Regulars on The Nashville Network in the 1980s and 1990s, they also host a number of country music festivals.

Hunter Hayes Samples New Tracks With iHeart, SoundCloud

Pictured (L-R): Justin Cole, Zack Massey, Hunter, Jackie Tigue, Gator Harrison, Rod Phillips

Hunter Hayes recently played new music for iHeart in his personal studio. The singer also sampled three new titles on his SoundCloud for fans.

Chris Young Previews Life On The Road With SiriusXM

Pictured (L-R): Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Storme Warren, Chris Young, Cassadee Pope, and Dustin Lynch. Photo: Courtesy Sony Music Nashville

Chris Young gave listeners a sneak peek of new music during an exclusive one-hour special on SiriusXM’s The Highway on Tuesday (Sept. 13). In addition to Young, the live event also featured solo acoustic performances and collaborations by the headliner’s tour mates Dan + Shay, Dustin Lynch and Cassadee Pope. The second leg of Young’s headlining I’m Comin’ Over Tour kicks off Sept. 29 in Bakersfield, California.

Webster Public Relations Signs Gary Morris

Pictured (L-R): Kirt Webster, President/CEO; Gary Morris

Webster Public Relations has signed Gary Morris to its publicity roster. The versatile performer enjoyed numerous hit records on country radio as well as the stage – where he became one of the first major country music performers to conquer Broadway in the 1980s, in the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. He also contributed to the production’s million-selling soundtrack. Morris also paired with Linda Ronstadt for a run of the Puccini opera La Boheme.

Morris signed a recording deal with Warner Brothers in 1980, and hit No. 8 with “Headed For A Heartache.” The success led to more hits, such as the 1984 CMA Song of the Year  “The Wind Beneath My Wings.” Morris stayed at the top of the charts with “Baby Bye Bye,” “I’ll Never Stop Lovin’ You,” “100% Chance Of Rain” and “Leave Me Lonely.” His single “Lasso The Moon” was featured in the motion picture Rustler’s Rhapsody, and his 1986 duet with Crystal Gayle, “Makin’ Up For Lost Time,” was included in the soundtrack to the 80s hit TV series Dallas. Morris’ acting career also included a stint in the ’80s with the Dynasty spinoff The Colbys.

Morris has spent the past few years touring.