Songwriters are fighting back against streaming and tech companies who’ve made millions off their work. The National Music Publisher’s Association (NMPA) has gathered over 4,000 signatures in hopes that the Copyright Royalty Board will increase the royalties paid to songwriters. According to Billboard, the NMPA wrote a letter to songwriters outlining what will happen at trial and how the outcome will effect them. “This week the most important trial most people have never heard of will begin in Washington, D.C. … On one side, giant technology companies Google, Apple, Amazon, Spotify and Pandora will argue to reduce the already low mechanical royalty rates they pay to play your songs. On the other side will be your music publisher, through the National Music Publishers’ Association, fighting alongside the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) for a much needed increase in the royalties you are paid.” In its letter, the NMPA acknowledged that the huge tech companies are creating new ways to distribute music, but “they are also fighting in this trial to pay as little as possible to songwriters for the songs that drive their businesses. Not only is interactive streaming becoming the most important method for consumers access to music, but it is being used to sell other product and services, such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home devices, iPhones, Beats headphones and Amazon Prime subscriptions, the NMPA noted in its letter. “If Amazon is using your music to sell Echos or Amazon Prime subscriptions, it should be required to share with you the benefits received,” the NMPA argues. The NMPA also states that it is “working on your behalf to achieve better, fairer royalty rates for all songwriters and music publishers.” “Our proposal asks the CRB to adopt a structure that recognizes the inherent value of a song, the value of a subscriber’s payment to access those songs, and all of the revenue that digital services generate from offering your music.” Photo credit: WiseGeek.com
