CCC Webinar: 'Spotify, Why Do You Keep Hurting Songwriters?'

Join as the CCC discusses the tensions between the music publishing community  and Spotify, in connection with Spotify’s reduction in payment of streaming mechanical royalties  to songwriters and music publishers, due to Spotify claiming it qualifies to pay a discounted “bundle” rate for premium subscriptions it characterizes as “Bundled Subscription Offerings.”

Topics of discussion will include the following:

1. History of the CRB Phonorecords IV settlement proceeding, as well as the Phonorecords IV’s determination of rates and terms;
2. Spotify’s position on reclassifying its premium subscription as a bundled service and why Spotify thinks it’s entitled to a discounted bundle rate, pursuant to Phonorecords IV;
3. The Mechanical Licensing Collective v. Spotify USA Inc. complaint;
4. NMPA’s outreach to Congress to overhaul the compulsory license in the Copyright Act to “permanently fix the power imbalance” to songwriters;
5. NMPA legal complaint against Spotify with the FTC;
6. Letter to the US Register of Copyrights from lawmakers, questioning Spotify’s bundling in light of the Music Modernization Act; and
7. Other DSPs’ position on bundling (e.g., Amazon Music and YouTube Music).