2 is the loneliest number – Why are songwriters still punished for 1909?
Chris Castle digs into why U.S. songwriters are still legally and financially tethered to an antiquated 2¢ mechanical royalty rate established in 1909, and how the situation might be rectified.. Continue reading
“Electric Avenue” derails Trump train
Musician Eddy Grants lawsuit against the Trump campaign following its use of his hit ‘Electric Avenue’ appears to be steaming on through the courts, despite the Trump Campaign’s efforts to. Continue reading
Re-recording old songs: How Taylor Swift is ‘shaking off’ her old label
A recent re-release of Taylor Swift’s 2014 hit “Wildest Dream” is just the latest in the artist’s volley of re-recordings, and she shows no signs of slowing down. The motivation. Continue reading
6 types of record label contracts
The legal aspects of the music industry can often be difficult to fully understand, particularly where contracts are concerned. Here, we explain what the six main types of record label. Continue reading
Warhol v. Goldsmith: Court ‘rolls back tide’ on Transformative Use ‘high water mark’
In the latest battle over intellectual property ownership and use, The Second Circuit Court Court of Appeals has started whistling a different tune on what constitutes ‘transformative use’ in art. Continue reading
UMG has copyrighted the moon (or was it Facebook?)
Citizens of the earth have historically enjoyed unfettered access to the moon, albeit from afar, but a new copyright claim by Universal Music Group of a video (notably devoid of. Continue reading
Keeping your work safe with Cosynd
As an artist and creator, making sure your work is protected is essential. Fortunately, select services like Cosynd makes it easy to put legal safeguards on your music. Guest post. Continue reading
US legislation has Apple, Google Play app stores in crosshairs with ‘fair, clear, and enforceable rules’
Several US senators have introduced a bill, known as the Open App Markets Act, aimed at loosening Apple and Google’s current stranglehold on the app economy. Guest post by Emmanuel. Continue reading
Why do companies continue to fold under copyright pressure, even if they shouldn’t?
In this piece, Katharine Trendacosta breaks down some of the systemic issues in the music industry which are causing companies to buckle under copyright pressure and pay out money they. Continue reading
How to earn more money off your studio recordings
In this series on making money from songwriting and recording, Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan outline some of the key ways in which artists can make additional money off of. Continue reading
