1. A Brief History of the Ownership of the Beatles Catalog

    January 20, 2017 2:14 PM EST This week, Paul McCartney filed a lawsuit in a New York court against publisher Sony/ATV in an effort to regain his ownership stake in the Beatles publishing catalog in what could become one of the biggest legal struggles in recent music history. ...

  2. How the NMPA Fights For Music Publishers -- With Help From Sting, Steven Tyler, Bon Jovi and More

    January 20, 2017 1:41 PM EST In 2005, when David Israelite was recruited to leave a key post at the U.S. Department of Justice to run the National Music Publishers’ Association, he was reluctant for a good reason: He had never heard of the industry organization. “When the hea ...

  3. Keith Urban, Partners Join Forces With Kobalt for New Publishing Company

    January 18, 2017 11:26 AM EST Keith Urban is joining forces with two key members of Nashville's creative community and Kobalt music services to launch a new publishing company, Billboard has learned. The venture, Boom, unites Urban with songwriter-producer Ross Copperman ...

  4. Prince Estate Taps Azoff's Global Music Rights to Oversee Artist's Entire Catalog

    January 11, 2017 10:43 AM EST Global Music Rights has won the sweepstakes to represent the Prince catalog for performance licensing, signing a deal with Bremer Trust which has been overseeing the estate of the innovative artist. The deal is backdated to Oct. 1, 2016, for the e ...

  5. Downtown Signs Deal With Big Yellow Dog; Meghan Trainor, Maren Morris Among Clients

    January 10, 2017 12:00 PM EST Downtown Music Publishing has signed an administration deal with Big Yellow Dog Music, a Nashville-based music publishing and artist development company whose roster includes Grammy winners Meghan Trainor and Josh Kear and CMA-winner Maren Morris ...

  6. Irving Azoff's Global Music Rights Offers Temporary License to Radio Stations

    December 24, 2016 7:15 PM EST While the Radio Music Licensing Committee and Global Music Rights continue to pursue anti-trust litigation against each other, the boutique performance rights organization started by Irving Azoff is offering temporary licenses that will allow radi ...

  7. ASCAP Partners With Nielsen to Share Strategic Data

    December 19, 2016 4:30 PM EST Performing rights organization ASCAP today announced a new partnership with Nielsen that would allow the company to offer additional and clearer data to its members, which include 600,000 songwriters, composers and publishers such as Beyoncé , Kat ...

  8. Exclusive: Universal Music Publishing and Roc Nation Latin Partner for Latin Market

    December 05, 2016 12:14 PM EST Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) will administer the publishing catalog of the newly created Roc Nation Latin, Billboard has learned.  The deal, expected to be announced later today, gives a new dimension to Roc Nation Latin’s 360 artist de ...

  9. Duran Duran Honored at 2016 ASCAP London Music Awards

    November 12, 2016 1:04 PM EST Iconic British group Duran Duran was honored with the prestigious Golden Note Award at the 2016 ASCAP Awards London. The event, held Nov. 10 at London’s One Embankment, also recognized artists Jess Glynne and MNEK with the Vanguard Award. Other aw ...

  10. Prince's Estate Signs With Universal Music Publishing

    November 02, 2016 5:05 PM EDT Universal Music Publishing Group announced Wednesday (Nov. 2) that it is the exclusive worldwide publishing administrator for Prince ’s entire song catalog -- released and unreleased -- effective immediately. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, ...

  11. Sony Music, Accused of Meddling, Strikes a Deal on Publishing Royalties

    November 01, 2016 5:30 PM EDT Following what many perceived as meddling in the Copyright Royalty Board's rate-setting process by Sony Music Entertainment, the major has now agreed to the same terms that Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group acceded to, negotiated b ...

  12. Romeo Santos Signs Global Publishing Deal With UMPG: Exclusive

    October 31, 2016 3:08 PM EDT Romeo Santos , whose “Propuesta Indecente” made history last week as the all-time top song in the history of Billboard ’s Hot Latin Songs chart, has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, Billboard has learned. S ...

  13. Music Publishers in 2016 Q3: Who's Soaring & Who's Slipping?

    October 28, 2016 11:10 AM EDT After spending the first half of the year fighting off a market-share surge from Warner/Chappell, Sony/ATV re-­established a 10-plus percentage point lead as the top music publisher in the third quarter of 2016. The ­company, whose 27.9 percent sh ...

  14. It's Time for Facebook to Accept Songwriters' Friend Request: Op-Ed

    October 27, 2016 12:17 PM EDT Facebook was built on sharing. One of the most commonly shared things on Facebook is music. Specifically, covers of songs. Fan versions of hits have produced some of today's biggest stars, but -- there's one problem, Facebook hasn't ...

  15. Carlos Vives Inks Global Deal With Kobalt: Exclusive

    October 18, 2016 9:00 AM EDT Kobalt’s Latin operation has scored its biggest coup to date with the signing of Colombian star Carlos Vives to a global deal with both Kobalt Music Publishing and Kobalt Neighbouring Rights, Billboard has learned.  The deal, effective immediately ...

  16. Draco Rosa, Los Temerarios, Julieta Venegas and More Honored at La Musa Awards

    October 15, 2016 5:46 PM EDT There were many very moving moments at the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame 2016 La Musa Awards. But Draco Rosa ’s induction into the Hall of Fame on Thursday night was especially poignant, following a hard-won remission from cancer that now finds h ...

  17. Sony Finalizes Acquisition of Michael Jackson Estate's Stake in Sony/ATV Publishing

    September 30, 2016 3:11 PM EDT The Sony Corp. has completed its acquisition of the Michael Jackson 's estate share of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, giving it sole ownership of the music publishing powerhouse. The deal was first announced in March , but it took a while to cl ...

  18. Leading Indie Publisher Ole Scoops Up London-Based Compact

    September 29, 2016 4:55 PM EDT Just two weeks after announcing it had secured a credit facility of half-a-billion dollars, the Toronto-based independent publishing and rights management company ole has used it to make its first major acquisition -- another rights management com ...

  19. Primary Wave's CEO Explains a New $300 Million BlackRock Partnership, Getting Smokey Robinson a Sneaker Deal

    September 28, 2016 8:16 PM EDT You can practically hear Primary Wave founder and CEO Larry Mestel beaming over the phone. Earlier in the day (Sept. 27) his company announced a new partnership with BlackRock Alternative Investors, a division of blue chip financial company BlackR ...

  20. SpinMedia Sells Idolator, Buzznet & PureVolume to Hive Media

    September 21, 2016 6:55 PM EDT Blog network SpinMedia has sold Idolator , Buzznet and PureVolume to Hive Media, a company launched just last year that has offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, New York and Tel Aviv and advertises itself as an online media organization. The sale wa ...

  21. Publishing Industry Praises BMI Consent-Decree Decision -- But Outcome Remains Unclear

    September 19, 2016 4:25 PM EDT While the music publishing industry is effusively praising Judge Louis Stanton’s ruling Friday -- which overturned the Department of Justice’s mandate that ASCAP and BMI must enter into full-works licensing -- the decision still leaves many matter ...

  22. SESAC Latina Promotes Eliezer Ponce to Associate Director

    September 14, 2016 3:37 PM EDT SESAC’s Latina division now has a new associated director. Eliezer Ponce, who's been with SESAC since 2009, has been promoted to the post and will represent pop, urban and tropical artists. He will report directly to Celeste Zendejas, directo ...

  23. Travis Scott Inks Worldwide Deal With Universal Music Publishing Group

    September 12, 2016 7:00 AM EDT Travis Scott has signed a worldwide deal with Grand Hustle Publishing/Universal Music Publishing Group, UMPG chairman and CEO Jody Gerson has announced. Scott’s entire catalogue will be represented, including Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight , whic ...

  24. BMI Again Tops $1 Billion in Collections, Breaks Record for Royalty Distributions

    September 08, 2016 10:01 AM EDT Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), of the two leading performance rights organizations in the U.S., collected $1.06 billion during the year ended June 30, a 4.64 percent increase over the $1.013 billion collected the prior year. Of that, BMI distributed ...

  25. The Chainsmokers' Chart-Topping 'Closer' Now Credits 2 Members of the Fray as Writers

    September 02, 2016 7:51 PM EDT Two members of the rock band The Fray are now credited as co-writers on The Chainsmokers ' No. 1 smash, "Closer." When it was released this summer, "Closer" drew comparisons to The Fray's 2005 hit, "Over My Head ...

  26. Toni Braxton Accepts President's Award From BMI

    September 02, 2016 12:35 PM EDT Toni Braxton received the President’s Award, BMI’s highest honor, during the performing rights organization’s annual R&B/Hip-Hop Awards last evening Thursday (Sept. 1). As the 2016 honoree, Braxton joined fellow previous recipients Ludacris an ...

  27. Publishers' Group Fetes Top Songwriters Ed Sheeran and DJ Mustard

    September 02, 2016 10:24 AM EDT Ed Sheeran and DJ Mustard were the top songwriters and Universal Music Publishing Group won the most company awards in the latest round of the National Music Publishers Association's (NMPA) certification program, in which the trade associatio ...

  28. Publishing Exec Martin Bandier on the Coming Day of Reckoning for Songwriters

    August 26, 2016 1:41 PM EDT On Aug. 4, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it had decided against changing the consent decrees that regulate ASCAP and BMI, and that within a year, both collecting societies will need to break with decades of industry practice and li ...

  29. Sterling Simms Joins Universal Music Publishing as Director of Creative

    August 23, 2016 10:49 AM EDT Sterling Simms has been appointed director of creative at Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). The Los Angeles-based Simms will work with the company’s worldwide A&R team to sign and develop talent and create global opportunities for songw ...

  30. Warner/Chappell Inks Jacob Forever and J Balvin Hitmakers Sky and Bull Nene: Exclusive

    August 22, 2016 12:30 PM EDT Warner/Chappell Music has signed an impressive group of Latin urban artists/songwriters to its roster.  They include Cuban urban star Jacob Forever , known for his hit “Hasta que se seque el malecón” (‘Til the Boardwalk Dries Up) and Alejandro Ram ...

  31. Publishing Bodies Submit Rate Proposals and Call for Sony Music to Excuse Itself

    August 12, 2016 1:30 PM EDT Following a settlement between the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) and two major labels, Universal Music Group (UMG) and Warner Music Group (WMG), the NMPA and the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) have written a ...

  32. Dept. of Justice Mandate: Despite Outcry from Publishers, Digital Music Services Don't See What the Big Deal Is

    August 03, 2016 7:39 PM EDT As publishers and songwriters continue to sharply criticize the U.S. Dept. of Justice's mandate, expected to be officially released soon, that performance licenses for music follow a rule of 100 percent licensing, which allows any songwriter ...

  33. Publishers Quarterly: Sony/ATV Rules Again But Warner/Chappell Gets a Big Boost From Lukas Graham

    July 28, 2016 11:26 AM EDT Though Warner/Chappell Music continues to assert itself, Sony/ATV claimed the title of top U.S. publisher for the 16th straight quarter, widening its lead as it grew its market share to 26.58 percent in 2016's second quarter, which ended June ...

  34. NMPA, Nashville Songwriters Move to Exclude Sony Music From Royalty Rate Proceeding

    July 27, 2016 2:40 PM EDT The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) and the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) have submitted a joint motion to exclude Sony Music Entertainment from participating in the Copyright Royalty Board proceeding ...

  35. Publishing Briefs: Tinie Tempah Sticks With Sony/ATV; Kobalt Promotes CFO to COO

    July 20, 2016 4:12 PM EDT Tinie Tempah has re-signed a worldwide publishing agreement with long-term partner Sony/ATV Music Publishing , which covers his back catalog as well as recent songwriting credits, like "Not Letting Go" with Jess Glynne and "Girls L ...

  36. Vast Majority Join Royalties Settlement Between Spotify and Publishing Group

    July 11, 2016 1:21 PM EDT The $30 million settlement negotiated between Spotify and the National Music Publishers’ Assn. (NMPA) over unpaid publishing royalties, a dispute which instigated two class action lawsuits against the company (since combined ) has landed participa ...

  37. Warner/Chappell Seeks $800K in Fees From Losing Party in 'Stairway' Trial

    July 08, 2016 11:45 AM EDT The "Stairway to Heaven" trial is making a strong push to go down in the annals of copyright history. Not because of the June 23 jury verdict that determined that Led Zeppelin was not liable for infringing Spirit 's instrumental &qu; ...

  38. The Only Certainty Is Uncertainty: What the Dept. of Justice's Decision Means for Music Publishing

    July 08, 2016 11:17 AM EDT Almost everyone in the music-publishing business -- from executives to songwriters to collecting society lawyers -- has expressed frustration with the Department of Justice’s recent decision not to amend the antitrust consent decree that essential ...

  39. America's Songwriters Deserve Better Than This: Op-Ed

    July 07, 2016 10:59 AM EDT The Department of Justice (DoJ) has dealt a massive blow to America's songwriters. After a two year review of the consent decrees that govern ASCAP and BMI, career lawyers who were never elected nor confirmed to their positions, led by a lawy ...

  40. 'Disappointing': Publishing Industry Expresses Confusion, Concern Over Sweeping Dept. of Justice Decision

    July 05, 2016 4:34 PM EDT For over two years, music publishers and songwriters have petitioned the Dept. of Justice for changes to the 75-year-old rules they were governed by, requesting amendments in order to stave off dwindling royalty rates caused, in their view, by ant ...

  41. Publishing Briefs: Atlas Music Acquires Al Jackson Trust, Low Country Sound Teams with Nashville Songwriters

    July 01, 2016 11:36 AM EDT Billboard's Ed Christman rounds-up all the big news in the music publishing world. Atlas Music Publishing has acquired the music interests of the  Al Jackson, Jr. Family Trust , which includes his publishing rights and recorded music revenue ...

  42. Publishing Briefs: Zayn Malik Signs to Kobalt, BMI Re-Signs Mike O'Neill, Platt to NMPA Board

    June 28, 2016 1:47 PM EDT -- Kobalt has signed a global publishing administration deal with Zayn Malik , in an agreement that also will see Kobalt Neighboring Rights division also represent the artist in collecting for radio performances of his recordings around the globe. ...

  43. EU Regulators Near Decision on Sony/ATV's Jackson Buyout

    June 27, 2016 2:39 PM EDT Sony/ATV Music’s rivals have aired concerns with European regulators about the publishing giant’s move to acquire the Michael Jackson estate’s portion of the joint venture. EU antitrust officials have a provisional deadline of Aug. 1 to decide whe ...

  44. Publishing Briefs: Round Hill Music Pacts with Neil Sedaka, Raleigh Music Group Strikes A Gershwin Catalog Deal

    June 23, 2016 11:34 AM EDT Billboard's Ed Christman rounds-up all the big news in the music publishing world. -- Round Hill Music have signed on as administrator for the catalog of Neil Sedaka , who began his career in the Brill Building. The catalog includes such song ...

  45. Beatles Branding: Sony/ATV Taps Epic Rights to License Lennon/McCartney Lyrics

    June 16, 2016 12:04 PM EDT Sony/ATV Music Publishing -- long the market leader -- has enlisted global branding, licensing and rights management firm Epic Rights to help put the lyrics of some of the most classic Beatles songs on everyday products. The arrangement, announced ...

  46. Nicky Jam, Intocable, Luciano Luna and Sony/ATV Win at SESAC Latina Music Awards

    June 16, 2016 3:17 AM EDT Reggaetón met regional Mexican at the SESAC Latina Music Awards June 15, with regional Mexican songwriter Luciano Luna taking home composer of the year for the third consecutive time and Nicky Jam’s “El perdón” (recorded with Enirque Iglesias ) wi ...

  47. The Rare Use of 'Strange Fruit' in 'The Birth of  a Nation' Previews and 11 More Vital Synchs Driving Music Publishing Revenue

    June 13, 2016 3:00 PM EDT The song is one of the most haunting in American history. "Strange Fruit," recorded in 1939 by Billie Holiday , was written by New York poet-activist Abel Meeropol after seeing a ­photograph of a 1930 lynching -- "black body swingi ...

  48. Warner/Chappell CEO Jon Platt Joins ASCAP Board of Directors

    June 13, 2016 10:43 AM EDT Warner/Chappell Music chairman and CEO Jon Platt has been elected to the ASCAP board of directors, ASCAP chairman and president Paul Williams announced on Monday. "Jon is a tremendous talent in the publishing industry, and we are thrilled to ...

  49. At Annual Meeting, Music Publishers Lament 'Criminal' Returns From Digital Services, Call for Industry to 'Expand the Pie'

    June 09, 2016 3:45 PM EDT At the National Music Publishers' Association's annual meeting, Irving Azoff and other speakers urged the industry to pull together to fight for fair compensation from digital music service providers. Music publishers and songwriters wer ...

  50. Irving Azoff Calls on Music Industry to 'Work Together' in National Music Publishers' Assn. Keynote

    June 08, 2016 9:26 PM EDT In a keynote address at the National Music Publishers' Assn. legendary music industry executive Irving Azoff called upon the music industry to work together. "The music industry has never been more powerful and popular and we as an indus ...

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