Music Publishing News Roundup 5.13.16L: iTunes • SOCAN Buys MediaNet • ASCAP Pays $1.75M
Earlier this week, it was reported that Apple is preparing to terminate music download offerings on the iTunes store in the next two years. Apple, who typically does not respond to media inquiries, responded by saying that the news was not true.
One source noted that Apple is likely receiving inquiries from labels and artists who are unhappy with the prospect of losing paid download sales in such a short time period.
Canada’s performing rights organization, SOCAN, has purchased music data company, MediaNet. MediaNet’s business-to-business music technology will allow SOCAN to offer 360-degree music rights administration to its four-million music creator and publisher members. The acquisition’s immediate benefit for SOCAN members is the increased matching on radio, TV, and other digital performances, with a level of data accuracy and transparency that few other music rights organizations can provide.
ASCAP has agreed to pay $1.75 million in response to an investigation by the Department of Justice regarding whether the performance rights organization was violating the old consent decree. One of the DOJ’s concerns was in regards to ASCAP giving advance payments to publishers in exchange for exclusive rights to license works. ASCAP says it had never enforced exclusivity and agreed to continue not to, in addition to agreeing to perform licensing negotiations without consultation with its board members which include big publishers like Universal Music.
