Sound Exchange update: fees and possible increases

[davideduardo]

Attorney David Oxenford has interesting facts and update information on streaming music fees for radio at:

A Look at Developments in SoundExchange Webcasting Royalties (Including for Broadcast Simulcasts) From the End of 2021

As 2021 wound down, there were significant developments on SoundExchange royalties for webcasters – including broadcasters who simulcast their on-air

www.broadcastlawblog.com

Oxenford also has a recent update on the negotiations with GMR, the fourth and newest music licensing organization that joined ASCAP, BMI and SESAC in collecting composer and author fees from radio as well as TV, streams and commercial locations.

Another GMR Extension Offered for Commercial Radio Music Licenses – And a Possibility of a Settlement of the Litigation with the RMLC?

According to a joint letter posted on the Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) website, GMR and the RMLC are discussing a settlement of their

www.broadcastlawblog.com

 

[Kelly A]

And to think some LPFM folks are planning on streaming their music stations. That's a huge burden for even full class stations.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

And to think some LPFM folks are planning on streaming their music stations. That's a huge burden for even full class stations.

The fee structure favors big corporations and effectively shuts many, if not most small players out of webcasting.

Is that by design? Well both big music and big broadcasting are controlled by wealthy and powerful conglomerates who would undoubtedly like to see it stay that way.

 

[TheBigA]

Well both big music and big broadcasting are controlled by wealthy and powerful conglomerates who would undoubtedly like to see it stay that way.

Just because they're wealthy doesn't mean they like each other. The music industry continues to pound broadcasters every year with their new royalty. They act as though big broadcasters don't already pay millions to SoundExchange.

 

[davideduardo]

The fee structure favors big corporations and effectively shuts many, if not most small players out of webcasting.

How does the fee structure favor large corporations? The fee is based on a formula of each song being compensate with a "per listener" fee. Few listeners, low fee.

And very small streams have a flat fee. Only if they exceed a cap do they get into the per song/per listener fees and the extensive paperwork obligations.

Is that by design? Well both big music and big broadcasting are controlled by wealthy and powerful conglomerates who would undoubtedly like to see it stay that way.

The issue here is not specific to broadcasting. It has to do with streaming, and while many radio stations stream, the larger consumers of music are pure play streamers, some of which are large and many are very small operations-.

 

[Harvey_Dogg]

An educational station run by a school pays a flat fee and doesn't have to file the reports. An LPFM can join Live365. You pay them a flat fee and they file the reports and pay the music unions.

I don't think Tunein will let you stream on their service unless you are licensed by the FCC and you pay the streaming fees.

You need to be on Tunein if you want Alexa to find your station.

ALL STREAMED MUSIC MUST HAVE TAGS. This all seems complicated but it's not really.