Universal Music Publishing Group has signed a license agreement with Pandora that will allow Pandora to play UMPG’s songs in the BMI catalog, reports Billboard.
“Our deal with Pandora is another step toward reaching our goal of ensuring that there is a vibrant digital marketplace where both music services and the songwriters and composers who make those services possible can thrive,” UMPG chairman and CEO Zach Horowitz said in a statement. “This arrangement will allow music fans to enjoy our music on Pandora while protecting our songwriters and composers.”
In September, a judge ruled that UMPG (as well as other publishers) has the right to withdraw digital licensing from performance rights organizations, though they would have to pull all rights, not just digital. However, the judge also ruled that Pandora had an interim consent-decree license that would expire Dec. 31, 2015. On Dec. 18, 2013, the judge ruled that there was no interim consent-decree license. This ruling translated that if UMG withdrew from BMI after Dec. 31, Pandora’s BMI blanket license would no longer cover UMPG songs.
Afterward, UMPG and Pandora began direct negotiations for a license for the BMI repertoire; an agreement was reached on Dec. 31, 2013. Terms of that agreement were not disclosed. Currently, the license means that UMPG and its songwriters/composers will not be subject to Pandora/BMI rate court proceeding.
“Today, songwriters and composers are too often denied fair compensation for their work because BMI and ASCAP, the two major performance rights organizations that license these services, are regulated by antiquated consent decrees, conceived in a different century for a different world,” said Horowitz. “The decrees make government mandated rate courts the final arbiters of fees especially problematic in the rapidly evolving digital marketplace where an absence of market benchmarks may make that impractical, and where the consent decrees restrict the courts from customizing arrangements to address the full array of issues that may arise.”
Pandora offered a different view of the rulings. “Judge Stanton’s series of rulings [in the BMI rate court] created uncertainty within the music industry and threatened to negatively impact songwriters and performers by having their music removed from the largest U.S. internet radio service,” Pandora said in a statement. “With only days to act before a January 1st deadline, we moved quickly to reach an agreement to keep their music playing on Pandora. This agreement should be viewed as a specific approach to address a short term-issue resulting from a legal decision.”
UMPG’s Howowitz added, “Direct negotiations between a willing buyer and willing seller offer the best approach to empowering services while securing reasonable fees and terms for songwriters and composers. UMPG’s deal with Pandora for our BMI repertoire is a prime example of this.”

Round Hill Music, a full-service creative rights management company with a focus on music publishing, has opened a Nashville office at 1004 18th Ave. S.
Mark Brown has joined the team as VP and General Manager of the Nashville office. Brown previously spent three years as Chief Creative Officer at MPR Entertainment Group’s publishing arm, Root 49 Music. During his career, Brown has spent time as Creative Director for Universal Music Publishing Group, as well as Sr. Director of A&R for Sony Records.
Brown joins Director of A&R, Kari Smith, who joined Round Hill Music in Spring of 2013.
Round Hill Music has acquired the Big Tractor catalog, which includes the titles “Doin’ What She Likes” (Blake Shelton), “All Over The Road” (Easton Corbin), “Everybody’s Got Somebody But Me” (Hunter Hayes), “I Saw God Today” (George Strait), and “Amazed” (Lonestar), among many others.
Also attached to the Big Tractor catalog is writer Wade Kirby, whose songs have been recorded by Kenny Rogers, Rodney Atkins and Faith Hill. Writer Rachel Proctor is also attached to the Big Tractor catalog; Proctor has penned songs for Jessica Simpson and Jesse Lee.
“We are honored to continue the legacy of what Scott Hendricks built with Big Tractor as that catalog is the main basis for our Nashville beginning,” Neil Gillis, President of Round Hill Music, said. “With industry creative vet Mark Brown at the helm being joined by Kari Smith for all creative services and plugging and with the continuing all purpose creative efforts of Clay Myers, the future looks bright.”
Round Hill Music was founded by Josh Gruss in 2010.

Standing (L-R): Sony Music Nashville’s Gary Overton, Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson and manager Greg Hill; Seated: The Swon Brothers

Arista Nashville recording duo The Swon Brothers have signed with Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville. They documented the event in the short clip below.

“We are so excited to join Sony/ATV, it seems like our dreams just continue to come true each day,” said Colton Swon.
“My brother Colton and I wrote our first songs when we were just kids. Joining Sony/ATV opens the door to opportunities to write songs with some of our heroes,” added Zach Swon.
The brothers say they look forward to joining the ranks of the many legendary tunesmiths who have been associated with their new publishing home.
“These guys have a passion for great songs. That’s music to a publisher’s ears,” said Troy Tomlinson, President and CEO, Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville. “We are thrilled to represent them as songwriters.”