Copyright & Media Update – 1/6/17

January 6, 2017

7 Ways Streaming Music Will Change in 2017

BY JOHN PAUL TITLOW: Last year was another eventful one in the history of music. And that was no surprise. In 2016, the music industry saw its first signs of true growth since the internet started ravaging it a decade and a half ago. By mid-year, labels saw revenue grow 8.1% over the same period in 2015, fueled mostly by an explosion in subscribers flocking to services like Spotify (40 million subscribers) and Apple Music (20 million). Indeed, in early 2016, we learned that streaming had officially become the industry’s biggest source of income in 2015. READ MORE…

RIAA Exec: 2017 Will be a “Critical Year” for Music Law (Q&A)

BY ASHLEY CULLINS: “While litigation can be an important tool, it often takes a long time and the results are unclear,” says Steve Marks. “Solutions between business and industry partners can clear a path through thorny legal issues.” From the “Stairway to Heaven” trial to the ongoing litigation surrounding pre-1972 recordings, 2016 was a big year for music law — but 2017 is shaping up to be even bigger. The music industry’s battle against stream-ripping, changes to consent decrees and a potential Supreme Court case involving DMCA exemptions are all on the docket. So The Hollywood Reporter asked Steve Marks, general counsel for the Recording Industry Association of America, what’s at stake in the year ahead and which cases he’ll be watching most closely. READ MORE…

Facebook Developing Copyright ID System (Similar to YouTube)

BY DAN RYS: As Facebook continues to grapple with its role in proliferating “fake news” amidst the heated U.S. election this year, it has another showdown looming on the horizon — this one with the music industry. In the wake of NMPA president/CEO David Israelite‘s op-ed in Billboard in October, in which he called out the social media giant for hosting videos with copyrighted music without securing licensing deals or paying creators, Facebook is working to develop a copyright identification system — similar to YouTube’s Content ID — that would find and remove videos containing copyrighted music, a source tells Billboard. The story was first reported by the Financial Times. READ MORE…

Music ThinkTank: Creating Small Goals for Maximum Success in 2017

BY JANELLE ROGERS: Are you looking towards the end of 2016 and wondering why you didn’t achieve more? Why didn’t your band get signed to a label? Why didn’t you get added to a major music festival? Why didn’t more fans support your music?

When you look at goals from a large-scale point of view and evaluate how you did on your quest to achieve them, it’s easy to get discouraged. It’s easy to say, “What’s the point anyway?” Big-picture goals are fantastic and it’s important to dream big, but sometimes you need to take a step back to look at ways to create forward momentum. READ MORE…

About Christian Copyright Solutions: CCS’s quest is to help churches and Christian ministries “do music right.” CCS is an expert on church music copyrights and our primary focus is providing licensing and clear educational resources to churches, as well as representation, administration, and advocacy for copyright owners. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel.

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