ASCAP, BMI, GMR & SESAC expand Songview PRO database
The four major U.S. performing rights organizations (PROs) have announced the expansion of Songview PRO database. This public performance copyright data resource was launched by ASCAP and BMI in 2020.
ASCAP, BMI, GMR & SESAC expand Songview PRO database
Songview will soon include data on the 38 million songs licensed by four major performing rights organizations. ASCAP, BMI, GMR, and SESAC are the largest PROs in the U..S. Over the coming months, the goal is to provide an authoritative view of public performance copyright ownership and administration shares.
U.S. Copyright Office Inquiry
In February, the Copyright Office published a “Notice of Inquiry” to collect information on all U.S. PROs. The inquiry came at the behest of Congress and organizations representing venues, promoters, songwriters and music publishers
Of interest to the Copyright Office is the growing number of PROs. They note the license to play music that each one requires. Furthermore, there is a lack of transparency about what songs are covered by each licensee.
Songview appears designed to address the issue of transparency.
Under the current system promoters, venues and artists pay all US PROs for every show. This occurs even when the songs performed were registered to a single organization. Many artists and live music presenters want more targeted licensing based on the music actually performed. Songview could also be a first step to making that a reality. Thus, it could also compensate artists more transparently for songs perfumed.
“I have long called for greater transparency into music licensing to ensure businesses have the information they need to make informed licensing decisions. This is because music ownership data has for years been fragmented and opaque, compounded by continued growth in the performing rights industry,” said Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05). “With today’s announcement, we take a giant step towards transparency, and towards my goal of a complete and authoritative database.”
“Our copyright system is the backbone of our creative economy. Clarity and transparency are essential to ensuring creators have the compensation they deserve while licensees have the predictability they need,” said House IP Subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa (CA-48), I congratulate ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR on the launch of a new and improved Songview to enhance clarity and transparency in music licensing.”
Bruce Houghton is Founder & Editor of Hypebot. He is also a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, a Berklee College Of Music professor, and founder of Skyline Artists.
ASCAP, BMI, GMR & SESAC expand Songview PRO database first appeared on Hypebot.com
