NAB Reaches Music Licensing Agreements With Sony and Warner Music
NAB's agreements with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group don't alter station royalty payments, said Fletcher Heald copyright attorney Kevin Goldberg in a blog post. The deals, announced in an NAB release, relieve radio stations from “certain compliance conditions…
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associated with the sound recording streaming statutory license that are inconsistent with traditional broadcasting practices,” Goldberg said Thursday. “These waivers are NOT what some radio stations think (or hope) they are,” Goldberg said. “They do NOT affect the obligation of a station that is engaged in webcasting to pay royalties and make certain filings to SoundExchange.” The waivers affect the limits on the frequency with which webcasters can play songs or hold onto copies of recordings, Goldberg said: They “have a big [good] impact on a radio broadcaster’s ability to maintain compliance with the statutory webcasting license.” Stations will need to opt-in on the NAB website to take advantage of the Warner side of the deal, said Pillsbury Winthrop Attorney David Burns in another blog post. Sony, Warner and NAB didn't comment.