Byrne Balks At Web Royalty Ruling
Rocker David Byrne has come out against a recent Copyright Royalty Board ruling that would increase fees that Internet radio stations pay to music labels. The legendary Talking Heads frontman said on his blog last week that the decision would impact his own streaming audio service, making this "an issue of personal interest."
Byrne's music channel logs about 40,000 listener hours per month and he pays small mechanical royalty fees to ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Performance royalties get dispersed via SoundExchange and he pays a nominal fee to Live365 for hosting and paperwork.
If the CRB ruling is upheld, it is likely that Byrne's costs would climb by about 20 percent, which he said "is not crippling… but one can see where this road leads." "The door will have been wedged open" and per-play royalty rates will put many webcasters out of business, Byrne argued.
A SoundExchange press release cited several musicians that back the CRB decision. Jody Stephens of Big Star and Golden Smog said: "If music adds commercial value to someone's site, then there is a monetary value due the writers and recording artists." The CRB ruling "helps us afford to continue to add this value."
"Internet radio is nothing without the music provided by the songwriters and performers, so why shouldn't they, who are providing the music that generates the income, be compensated for their efforts and talents?" added dance track diva Kristine W.
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