New Music Business Briefing: SESAC Settles With MySpace, Net Radio Talks Continue, WMA Hacked & Much More

>>> Performance royalty society SESAC has announced a licensing agreement with MySpace that provides full access to SESAC’s repertory via a retroactive licensing agreement dating back to the founding of the website.

>>> WMG stock sunk to new lows as the Thursday EMI bid deadline nears. (FT via Daily Swarm)

>>> Ann Sweeney has been upped to Executive VP at Warner Chappell Music publishing. Part of her duties include heading digital expansion. (press release)

>>> EMI Music Publishing has signed global agreements to represent Jack Splash, Scouting For Girls and Stephen McGregor and extended its worldwide agreement with StarGate songwriter/producer Tor Erik Hermansen.

>>> Kurt Hanson’s RAIN has a strong overview of the current state of negotiations between net broadcasters and SoundExchange over higher royalty rates.  Its a complex issue involving several classes of broadcasters; so its somewhat tough though worthwhile reading. The Cliff Notes:  it looks as if most of your favorite webcasters will survive but SoundExchange (aka the major labels) are working to eliminate all mp3 streams because it enables stream ripping...a practice we believe is not very wide spread.

>>> Our biggest prediction for 2007 was the death of DRM. In the latest blow against the restictive software, Micorosoft’s WMA DRM has been hacked again and this time the program FairUse4WM has a very simple simple drop and drag interface that strips DRM from purchased tracks as well as those "rented" from subscription services like Napster To Go and Rhapsody. (AP, Engadget)

>>> What does it say about music, money and advertising when the publisher of Rolling Stone Magazine resigns to become the director of ad sales for Google? (PaidContent)