The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), on behalf of music publishers and songwriters, and YouTube have negotiated an agreement to distribute royalties for musical works used in videos on YouTube where ownership was previously unknown.
The agreement addresses the challenges around identifying ownership of musical works, and it will help solve the problem of attribution so that music publishers and songwriters can not only be paid for works viewed on YouTube in the past where ownership was previously unknown, but also be paid for those identified works moving forward.
Music publishers will have the ability to opt into this agreement during the opt-in period, which opens on Dec. 12, 2016 and will remain open through Feb. 28, 2017.
Following the opt-in period, YouTube will provide participating publishers with a list of songs YouTube may have been unable to obtain proper ownership information for. This will allow participating publishers to claim ownership in those songs and receive accrued royalties from the period between August 1, 2012 through December 31, 2015.
The claiming window will be 3 months long. After the claiming window, participating publishers will receive claimed accrued royalties. Any accrued royalties that remain unclaimed will be distributed to participating publishers based on each publisher’s market share and on revenue paid for known usage on YouTube during the initial accrual period. The agreement, however, will not affect the rights of any publisher or songwriter who does not choose to participate.
This process will be repeated for future 12-month usage periods beginning on January 1, 2016 and ending on December 31, 2019.
“We appreciate YouTube’s willingness to work with us on behalf of the industry to help pay out millions of dollars in previously unclaimed royalties to publishers and songwriters,” NMPA President and CEO David Israelite said regarding the agreement. “It is essential that we work with digital services like YouTube – the most popular digital platform for music discovery – to fix the challenge of incomplete ownership information to ensure royalties are no longer unmatched and music owners are paid accurately by the platforms that rely on their work.”
“The revenue earned by the music industry on YouTube continues to grow significantly year over year, and we’re committed to making sure that publishers are paid for the usage of their works on our platform,” said Tamara Hrivnak, Head of Music Partnerships, Americas for YouTube and Google Play. “We are excited to partner with the NMPA to address the industry-wide challenges associated with identifying publishing ownership on digital platforms.”
Warner/Chappell Music and Sea Gayle Sign Kelley Lovelace
/by Sarah Skates(L-R): Ryan Beuschel (Warner/Chappell), Christina Wiltshire (Sea Gayle), Kelley Lovelace, Ben Vaughn (Warner/Chappell) and Sea Gayle’s Jake Gear, Mike Owens, Chris DuBois, and Brad Paisley in Paisley’s home bar, Ye Olde Potion Room Pub.
Warner/Chappell Music and Sea Gayle Music have signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with Grammy-nominated songwriter Kelley Lovelace. Lovelace’s work has been recorded by Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Sheryl Crow, and many others. He has 23 Top 10 hits to his credit, including 16 No. 1s (eight of which were recorded by Paisley). Warner/Chappell and Sea Gayle will also represent a significant part of Lovelace’s back catalog.
“Signing with Warner/Chappell and Sea Gayle is truly the best of both worlds for me—I couldn’t have dreamed up a more perfect partnership,” said Lovelace. “I have had such incredible enthusiasm and motivation from both companies that it’s actually causing me to dig a little deeper and write a little more. I think my best songs are the ones I will be a part of in the future. I haven’t been this optimistic in a long, long time. Feels like I just moved to town.”
“There is a very short list of songwriters that have earned the success that Kelley has achieved,” said Chris DuBois, Co-Owner, Sea Gayle Music. “He has as much talent in the writer room as anyone I have ever known and I speak for everyone at Sea Gayle when I say how proud and honored we are to welcome him to this partnership between Sea Gayle and Warner/Chappell.”
Ben Vaughn, Executive Vice President, Warner/Chappell Nashville, added, “In an ever-evolving industry, one thing that does not change is the importance of a great idea. Kelley Lovelace has proven, time and time again, that his craftsmanship and wordsmithing is among the elites in the songwriting profession. On behalf of the entire WCM team, it is a great pleasure that we enter into this new partnership with our friends Kelley Lovelace and Sea Gayle.”
Lovelace is the recipient of MusicRow magazine’s Song of the Year award for “He Didn’t Have To Be,” which was co-written and recorded by Paisley. Lovelace has been nominated for country song of the year by all of the major awards shows, including the Grammys, CMA Awards and ACM Awards. Lovelace is represented by attorney Chip Petree.
NMPA, YouTube Reach Agreement to Distribute Unclaimed Royalties
/by Jessica NicholsonThe National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), on behalf of music publishers and songwriters, and YouTube have negotiated an agreement to distribute royalties for musical works used in videos on YouTube where ownership was previously unknown.
The agreement addresses the challenges around identifying ownership of musical works, and it will help solve the problem of attribution so that music publishers and songwriters can not only be paid for works viewed on YouTube in the past where ownership was previously unknown, but also be paid for those identified works moving forward.
Music publishers will have the ability to opt into this agreement during the opt-in period, which opens on Dec. 12, 2016 and will remain open through Feb. 28, 2017.
Following the opt-in period, YouTube will provide participating publishers with a list of songs YouTube may have been unable to obtain proper ownership information for. This will allow participating publishers to claim ownership in those songs and receive accrued royalties from the period between August 1, 2012 through December 31, 2015.
The claiming window will be 3 months long. After the claiming window, participating publishers will receive claimed accrued royalties. Any accrued royalties that remain unclaimed will be distributed to participating publishers based on each publisher’s market share and on revenue paid for known usage on YouTube during the initial accrual period. The agreement, however, will not affect the rights of any publisher or songwriter who does not choose to participate.
This process will be repeated for future 12-month usage periods beginning on January 1, 2016 and ending on December 31, 2019.
“We appreciate YouTube’s willingness to work with us on behalf of the industry to help pay out millions of dollars in previously unclaimed royalties to publishers and songwriters,” NMPA President and CEO David Israelite said regarding the agreement. “It is essential that we work with digital services like YouTube – the most popular digital platform for music discovery – to fix the challenge of incomplete ownership information to ensure royalties are no longer unmatched and music owners are paid accurately by the platforms that rely on their work.”
“The revenue earned by the music industry on YouTube continues to grow significantly year over year, and we’re committed to making sure that publishers are paid for the usage of their works on our platform,” said Tamara Hrivnak, Head of Music Partnerships, Americas for YouTube and Google Play. “We are excited to partner with the NMPA to address the industry-wide challenges associated with identifying publishing ownership on digital platforms.”
2017 Alive At The Bluebird Series Includes Michael McDonald, Vince Gill, Jason Isbell
/by Sarah SkatesThe concert series has raised more than $900,000 for Alive Hospice over the years. By the end of the 2017 series, that total is expected to exceed $1 million.
Alive At The Bluebird runs the month of January and includes 32 concerts. Select dates go on sale Friday, Dec. 9 at 8 a.m. CST.
Among the concert highlights:
Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Buddy Miller; Saturday, Jan. 7 at 9:30 p.m.; $65
Jeff Black, Sam Bush, John Oates; Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 9:30 p.m.; $65
Gary Burr, Michael McDonald, Jim Photoglo, Mike Reid; Friday, Jan. 20 at 9:30 p.m.; $75
Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Don Schlitz; Wednesday, Jan 18 at 9:00p.m.; $100
A full calendar of shows, marked A Benefit for Alive Hospice, is available at www.bluebirdcafe.com.
Emmylou Harris, Rufus & Martha Wainwright Present Nashville Noel Nights
/by Sarah SkatesSpecial guests include Alison Krauss, Chris Stills, Jamey Johnson, Venus and the Moon, Kennedy Rose and Karen Elson.
First performed in 2005, the show is part concert and part family reunion, often enlisting friends as guest stars. Brother and sister Martha and Rufus are the children of folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and the late Kate McGarrigle. The Christmas show features three generations of the Wainwright and McGarrigle families: Loudon, Jane McGarrigle, Sloan Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche.
This year Nashville Noel Nights will benefit the Kate McGarrigle Foundation and the Epilepsy Foundation of Tennessee. Tickets and details here.
Randy Travis Tribute Slated For Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena In February
/by Eric T. ParkerRandy Travis. Photo: Robert Tractenberg
On Feb. 8, music stars will gather at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for a tribute to Randy Travis. Tickets for the event go on sale to the general public Friday, Dec. 9 at 11 a.m. CT at all Ticketmaster locations and the Bridgestone Arena Box Office.
Titled 1 Night. 1 Place. 1 Time.: A Heroes & Friends Tribute to Randy Travis, the event will so far feature performances from Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Rodney Atkins, Chris Janson, Jamey Johnson, Montgomery Gentry, Michael Ray, Ricky Skaggs, Michael W. Smith, The Randy Travis Band, Tanya Tucker, Josh Turner. More performers are expected to be announced.
The Country Music Hall of Fame inductee suffered a massive stroke in 2013 and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Randy Travis Foundation; a 501(c)3 non-profit that raises money for stroke research and rehabilitation.
“It’s amazing to see the support that Randy has received from the music industry since his stroke. We’re thrilled to have all of these artists come out and pay tribute to him,” said producer of the event and Travis’ manager, Tony Conway of Conway Entertainment Group.
1 Night. 1 Place. 1 Time.: A Heroes & Friends Tribute to Randy Travis is produced by Mary Travis along with Conway, Mike Smardak of Outback Concerts of Tennessee, Inc. who is also the promoter of the event and Kirt Webster of Webster and Associates.
Magic Mustang Music Signs Radney Foster
/by Jessica Nicholson(From Top Left, Clockwise): Magic Mustang Music’s Juli Newton-Griffith; BBR Music Group’s Jon Loba; BBR Music Group’s Colton McGee; Radney Foster; BBR Music Group’s Benny Brown.
BBR Music Group has signed Radney Foster to its Magic Mustang Music publishing roster.
The Texas singer-songwriter has crafted numerous chart-topping songs, including hits for Sara Evans (“A Real Fine Place To Start”), and Keith Urban (“Raining On Sunday,” and “I’m In”). Foster has also notched his own hits with 1992’s “Just Call Me Lonesome” and 1993’s “Nobody Wins.”
He has also had cuts by Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, The Dixie Chicks, and Darius Rucker.
“I’m so excited to be working with Benny, Juli and Noah and the whole team at Magic Mustang,” says Foster. “Their enthusiasm has sparked a whole new wave of creativity in me.”
Foster is writing a book of short fiction to accompany his upcoming album and is set to make his professional stage debut this winter in Troubadour, premiering at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre on Jan. 18, 2017.
“I am elated to have such a great songwriter and icon on our roster,” says Juli Newton-Griffith, VP of Publishing for Magic Mustang Music. “His talents are limitless and this is going to be a fun ride!”
Reba, Kenny Rogers, Alison Krauss Set For Dolly Parton Gatlinburg Telethon
/by Jessica NicholsonDolly Parton
Dolly Parton will welcome several musical friends, including Reba, Kenny Rogers and Alison Krauss, to perform during Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. (ET). The telethon is set to air on Great American Country (GAC). The telethon will also be simulcast across multiple radio chains, including iHeart Media’s digital and select on-air platforms, Cumulus Media’s NASH Nights LIVE, TuneIn’s Country Roads channel. Additional celebrities joining Smoky Mountains Rise include will be announced soon.
The nationally-broadcast, three-hour telethon seeks to raise money for the Dollywood Foundation My People Fund, established by Parton, The Dollywood Company and Parton’s dinner theaters in the wake of last week’s wildfires in the entertainment icon’s home area of Sevier County, Tennessee.
“My home in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee is some place special,” Parton said. “Wildfires have affected many of the people—my people—who live in those beautiful mountains. We want to provide a hand up to those families who have lost everything in the fires. I know it has been a trying time for my people and this assistance will help get them back on their feet.”
The My People Fund will provide $1,000 each month to Sevier County families whose homes are uninhabitable or were completely destroyed in the recent Smoky Mountain wildfires. Any family who lost their primary residence (renters and homeowners) due to the wildfires in Sevier County will be eligible. A pre-application for those affected is available at dollywoodfoundation.org.
During the telethon, viewers will be asked to call 1-866-CARE MORE to donate to the My People Fund.
Anyone who would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the My People Fund may visit dollywoodfoundation.org. For those wishing to send donations via mail, those contributions should be sent to: My People Fund, c/o Dollywood Foundation, 111 Dollywood Lane, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863.
Sunny Sweeney Preps New Album For 2017
/by Jessica NicholsonSunny Sweeney will release her fourth album, Trophy, on March 10 via Thirty Tigers. Trophy features some of the singer/songwriter’s most serious-minded compositions, and features writing from songwriters including Lori McKenna (who contributes four tracks to the project), Heather Morgan, and Caitlyn Smith.
The project was produced by Dave Brainard, who also produced Brandy Clark’s 12 Stories.
Trophy Track Listing
“Pass The Pain”
Jay Clementi/Monty Holmes/Sunny Sweeney
“Better Bad Idea”
Buddy Owens/Galen Griffin/Sunny Sweeney
“Nothing Wrong With Texas”
Lori McKenna/Sunny Sweeney
“Pills”
Brennen Leigh/Noel McKay
“Bottle By My Bed”
Lori McKenna/Sunny Sweeney
“Why People Change”
Heather Morgan/Sunny Sweeney
“I Feel Like Hank Williams Tonight”
Chris Wall
“Grow Old With Me”
Lori McKenna/Sunny Sweeney
“Trophy”
Lori McKenna/Sunny Sweeney
“Unsaid”
Caitlyn Smith/Sunny Sweeney
Global Music Rights Files Suit Against 10,000 Radio Stations On Behalf Of Songwriters
/by Eric T. ParkerThe suit comes after the RMLC’s Nov. 18 filing against GMR when negotiations broke down between the two parties ahead of a 2017 deadline in which GMR will begin licensing its own repertoire with radio. Stations could face six-figure fines after the new year if they lack a license to play material from GMR-represented writers, which are noted by the RMLC to account for 5-7.5 percent of its total radio airplay.
According to Wednesday (Dec. 7) complaint, GMR alleges the RMLC’s more than 10,000 U.S. radio stations have wrongfully colluded to underpay songwriters to play songs on the radio. Referring to the RMLC as a cartel, the suit alleges those stations control more than 90 percent of radio industry revenue, reaching more than 245 million listeners weekly.
“This is the most important fight of my professional life,” Azoff said. “I will not stop the fight for fairness to artists and songwriters.”
Attorney Daniel Petrocelli of O’Melveny & Myers is representing GMR in its search for antitrust damages, which are tripled under the law, and an injunction forbidding the RMLC from continuing anticompetitive conduct.
“This cartel has been a smashing success,” Petrocelli said. “Music is the lifeblood of terrestrial radio but, because of the conspiracy, owners of terrestrial radio stations pay only about 4 percent of their revenue—a tiny fraction—to the songwriters who create that music. Other media distributors such as streaming music services, which are not part of the terrestrial radio cartel, pay substantially more money to songwriters.
“Business is conducted every single day in this world, and in every single industry, by consensual arrangements. This industry is no different. If they want to play these works they need to pay fair market value,” Petrocelli went on to tell Variety.
GMR formed in 2013 and represents a total of 71 songwriters, including Nashville’s Shane McAnally, Luke Laird, and Paul Overstreet, in addition to Pharrell Williams, Ryan Tedder and the estates of Lennon and Ira Gershwin among many others.
Billy Currington Celebrates 11th Chart-Topper With “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To”
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): (front row) Co-writers Shy Carter (BMI), Mercury Nashville recording artist Billy Currington (ASCAP) and Cary Barlowe (SESAC). (back row): ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, BMI’s Josh Tomlinson, Major Bob Music’s Tina Crawford, BMG’s Chris Oglesby and Mercury Nashville’s Damon Moberly. Photo: Ed Rode.
Several members of the music industry elite turned out on Tuesday, Dec. 6 as ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, BMI’s Josh Tomlinson, and SESAC’s Shannan Hatch hosted a gathering to fete Billy Currington‘s 11th No. 1 single, “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To.” The shindig, held at SOUTH, also marked the final No. 1 party for 2016.
The two-week No. 1 was BMI songwriter Shy Carter‘s second No. 1 in the country format (following his work on Sugarland’s “Stuck Like Glue”), and it was SESAC songwriter Cary Barlowe‘s fourth No. 1 country single.
Among those celebrating were Major Bob Music’s Tina Crawford, who noted that Barlowe and Carter were in the middle of a co-writing session during CMA Music Festival a few years ago when Currington stopped by to say hello. The impromptu meeting became the full-fledged, three-way co-writing session that rendered the hit song.
Also on hand to celebrate “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To” were producer Dann Huff, BMG’s Chris Oglesby, Mercury Nashville VP of Promotion Damon Moberly, UMG Nashville’s Royce Risser, CRB’s Holly Lane, First Tennessee Bank’s Andrew Kintz, and more. It was announced that Pinnacle Bank offered a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, on behalf of the songwriters.
Pictured (L-R): Shy Carter, Billy Currington and Cary Barlowe. Photo: Ed Rode.