Weekly Copyright Update

January 29, 2016

Four Key Digital Challenges for the Music Industry in 2016

BY BRUCE MORGAN: This past year has been very eventful one for the music industry. The major debates centered on royalties, the freemium model and the place of YouTube in the industry. This piece takes a look at the main digital challenges for the industry over the course of 2016. READ MORE.

Predictable Politicians: Robots Can Literally Write Their SpeechesBY BRIAN FUNG: Spend enough time watching politicians talk, and pretty soon you’ll have a good idea of how to address the public like a seasoned elected official. No matter the topic, our nation’s leaders invariably find a way to tie things back to members of the hard-working middle-class who just want a fair shot at the American dream, perhaps with a side of help for small business. Lawmakers today might be able to give this kind of political speech in their sleep. But with the way technology is going, they might as well have a robot write it for them. READ MORE.

Spotify Finally Launches Video Shows on iPhone and Android

BY CHARLOTTE HASSAN: On Monday, DMN reported that Spotify was going to launch new video content. True to Monday’s report, Spotify has now launched its video channel with content from ESPN, Comedy Central, MTV, BBC, Vice News, Slate, and others.

+MAGNIFI – Listening. Listings. Live. All in one place.

By tapping on the ‘Browse’ section and choosing ‘Shows,’ users can access Spotify’s videos on both Android and iOS. There are two choices just below the featured row on the app: video shows and audio shows. Once a user chooses a show, there is the option to follow which adds content to the users library. READ MORE.

SoundExchange Audits Digital Music Companies

BY WILKINSON BARKER KNAUER LLP: In the last week, copyright audits have been in the news. Several broadcasting publications noted the recent announcements by the Copyright Royalty Board that SoundExchange has decided to audit several companies that pay it royalties, including webcasters (including Pandora and a number of broadcasters in connection with their webcast operations), business establishments services (those who provide music for stores and other businesses – DMX and Muzak) and music services provided by cable and satellite video providers (e.g. DMX and MusicChoice). READ MORE.