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Erin Osmon’s liner notes for Blondie — Against the Odds: 1974-1982 won an ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award on Tuesday (Oct. 31). The collection, which chronicled Blondie, which went from the underground New York punk scene to the pinnacle of the Billboard Hot 100, received a Grammy nomination for best historical album last year.
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Two studies of jazz legend Louis Armstrong were honored. Director Sacha Jenkins was cited for his Apple TV+ documentary, Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues. Keith Hatschek was honored for his book The Real Ambassadors: Dave and Iola Brubeck and Louis Armstrong Challenge Segregation, published by University Press of Mississippi.
The ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards, now in their 54th year, are presented to outstanding books, articles, liner notes and broadcast programs on the subject of music.
Established in 1967 to honor the memory of composer, critic, commentator and former ASCAP president Deems Taylor, The ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards are made possible by the support of the Virgil Thomson Foundation. Virgil Thomson (1896 – 1989) was a leading American composer and critic, and a former member of the ASCAP board of directors.
The ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards judging panel is comprised of ASCAP members Daniel Felsenfeld, Dom Flemons, Terry Radigan, and Dalit Hadass Warshaw. Jim Steinblatt provided professional guidance and advice.
More information about The ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards is available here.
The 2023 award recipients are as follows:
The Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Broadcast/Media Award in pop music: Director Sacha Jenkins for his Apple TV+ documentary, Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues.
The Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Broadcast/Media Award in concert music: Writer and director Harry Lynch for his documentary, Florence Price and the American Migration, which aired on Now Hear This, a mini-series hosted by Scott Yoo on Great Performances, PBS.
The ASCAP Foundation Paul Williams “Loved the Liner Notes” Award for pop music: Erin Osmon for Blondie – Against the Odds: 1974-1982 by Erin Osmon on Universal Music Enterprises (UMC) and The Numero Group. The “Loved the Liner Notes” Award was established in 2016 and is funded by Paul Williams, president of The ASCAP Foundation.
The Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Book Awards in pop: Dan Charnas for his book, Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm, published by MCD, a division of Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Keith Hatschek for his book The Real Ambassadors: Dave and Iola Brubeck and Louis Armstrong Challenge Segregation, published by University Press of Mississippi.
Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Book Awards in the concert music field:
Amy C. Beal for Terrible Freedom: The Life and Work of Lucia Dlugoszewski, published by University of California Press.
Licia Carlson for Shared Musical Lives: Philosophy, Disability, and the Power of Sonification, published by Oxford University Press.
A Special Recognition Award is given to William Rothstein for The Musical Language of Italian Opera, 1813-1859, published by Oxford University Press.
The ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award recipients for articles published in 2022:
The Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award for an article in the pop music field is presented to Ted Olson for his article “The Life of Blind Alfred Reed,” published on Music of Our Mountains.com.
The Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award for an article in the concert music field goes to Jacek Blaszkiewicz for his article “Verdi, Auber and the Aida-type,” published by Cambridge Opera Journal.
The Virgil Thomson Award for Outstanding Music Criticism in the pop music field recognizes Ashley N. Kahn for his “The New Jazz Émigrés: Insights from noted artists living abroad,” published on WBGO.com.
The Virgil Thomson Award for Outstanding Music Criticism in the concert music field is presented to Nathan Platte for his article, “Mixed Motives: Soviet Symphonies and Propagandistic Duplicity in The Iron Curtain (1948),” published by Music & Politics.
ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews was among those honored on Sunday night, Oct. 29, at the 2023 Songwriters of North America (SONA) Warrior Awards gala in West Hollywood. The event was hosted by Grammy-nominated songwriters Bonnie McKee and Shane Stevens.
The other honorees were songwriter Justin Tranter; country artist and podcast host Rissi Palmer; and the late songwriter Allee Willis, who co-wrote the Friends theme, “I’ll Be There for You.” That song had added resonance on Sunday since Matthew Perry, one of the stars of that long-running sitcom, had died just the day before.
At the event, ASCAP chairman of the board and president Paul Williams and Grammy-winning songwriters and producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis lauded Matthews’ achievements. Hit songwriter MoZella performed the Miley Cyrus smash “Wrecking Ball.” (All are ASCAP members.) There were also video tributes to Matthews from Stephen Schwartz, NE-YO, Marcus Miller, Desmond Child, John Platt and Ashley Gorley, among others.
“To be recognized by SONA means the world to me,” Matthews said in accepting the honor. “I know that songwriters are the true musical warriors – unbelievably brave and remaining strong in the face of uncertainty every day as new technology challenges their livelihoods. Yet, songwriters are still able to remain vulnerable and go deep creatively, opening their hearts to write the music that we all love. I am constantly inspired by songwriters and it has been an honor of a lifetime to work for and alongside music creators.”
“As a friend of Beth’s, I know firsthand how tirelessly she works above and beyond her very very big job of running ASCAP,” said SONA founder and executive director Michelle Lewis. “I want everyone to know what I know and see what I see — that she is the ultimate warrior for creators.”
Tranter, a Grammy nominee for song of the year six years ago for co-writing the Julia Michaels hit “Issues,” has advocated for the LGBTQ+ community and worked with stars such as Selena Gomez, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and many more.
In 2007, Palmer became the first African American woman in 20 years to reach Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. She achieved the feat with her single “Country Girl,” which was followed by two more hits, “Hold on to Me” and “No Air,” a cover of the Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown pop smash.
Willis won a Grammy in 1986 for best album of original score written for a motion picture or a television special for co-writing The Pointer Sisters’ hit “Neutron Dance” on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack. Her most famous works are the Friends theme and Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September.” Willis was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018. She died in 2019 at age 72.
Steve Mac, Pablo Bowman Navarro and Aynzli Jones are the top winners at the ASCAP London Music Awards 2023, which shine a light on British songwriting and composing talent for their U.S. success. This year, the winners will be revealed on @ascap social media Tuesday (Sept. 26), starting at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Navarro takes home three awards including songwriter of the year and top Hot Dance/Electronic song. He shares the latter award with Sarah Baby Blanchard, Claudia Valentina and Lostboy for co-writing “The Motto” by Tiësto and Ava Max. The song reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
Navarro also wins a Hot Dance/Electronic song award for “Numb” by Marshmello and Khalid, which reached No. 3 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. Navarrro co-wrote the song with Richard Boardman, a fellow member of songwriting collective The Six. Navarro has gained a profile as a top hitmaker over the last few years with a catalogue that includes Anne-Marie and Marshmello’s global hit “Friends” as well as tracks for stars such as Bebe Rexha, Jonas Brothers and Alan Walker. His catalogue has accumulated 7 billion streams on Spotify.
Mac takes home both song of the year and top streaming song for Ed Sheeran’s smash, “Shivers.” The song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for a full year. It also topped charts around the world, surpassing 1.35 billion streams on Spotify. Mac and Sheeran previously collaborated on 2017’s “Shape of You.” These two gongs represent Mac’s 19th and 20th ASCAP London Music Awards.
Jones wins his first ASCAP London Music Award with the Hot 100 song award for Doja Cat’s “Woman.” The song from Doja’s third studio album rose to No. 7 on the Hot 100 and, like “Shivers,” logged a full year on the chart. “Woman” also received a Grammy nod for record of the year, marking the third consecutive year Doja was nominated in that marquee category.
Top box office film of the year goes to Daniel Pemberton for his soundtrack for The Bad Guys. He also takes a top box office film award for his work on Amsterdam. Other top box office film awards go to John Lunn for Downton Abbey: A New Era, Dickon Hinchliffe for Father Stu, and Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough for The Northman. Joby Talbot wins for the second year in a row for Sing 2, Patrick Doyle wins for Death on the Nile and Jonny Greenwood wins for Licorice Pizza. The Radiohead multi-instrumentalist and composer was recognized in the same category last year for his soundtrack to Spencer.
In the world of film and TV streaming, Natalie Holt wins two awards — top streaming film for The Princess, and top streaming series for Obi-Wan Kenobi. Other top streaming series awards go to Scottish band Mogwai for the crime drama Black Bird and Anne Nikitin for The Dropout.
The trio of Barrie Cadogan, Virgil Howe and Lewis Wharton are awarded the top cable series award for the soundtrack to Better Call Saul, while Julian Gingell and Barry Stone win top network series again this year for their work on American Idol.
On Wednesday (Sept. 21), members of ASCAP turned out for the organization’s 12th annual We Write the Songs concert at the Coolidge Auditorium in Washington, D.C.As in previous years, the concert was held to celebrate gifts from The ASCAP Foundation to the Library of Congress “of the original manuscripts, lead sheets, lyrics sheets, photos and letters of some of America’s greatest creators of words and music,” according to a press release.
Co-hosted by The Library of Congress, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and The ASCAP Foundation president Paul Williams, the night featured performances by songwriters and producers performing songs they wrote or co-wrote. They included Jermaine Dupri, performing “Confessions/Confessions Part II” (Usher) and “We Belong Together” (Mariah Carey); Madison Love, performing “Kings & Queens” (Ava Max) and “Turbulence” (P!nk)”; Pasek & Paul, performing “Waving Through a Window” (from Dear Evan Hansen) and “This is Me” (The Greatest Showman); Matthew West, performing “My Jesus” (Anne Wilson) and “Truth Be Told”; and closing act Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, performing “Human” (The Human League) and “Miss You Much” (Janet Jackson).
The night’s performers were introduced by members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, including Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), who introduced West; Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), who introduced Dupri; Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), who introduced Pasek & Paul; and Congressional Songwriters Caucus co-chairs Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), who introduced Love, and Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA), who introduced Jam and Lewis.
“To us music creators, the Library is the Fort Knox of our copyrights — thank you for being our allies in protecting creators’ rights,” said Williams, also ASCAP’s president/chairman as well as a songwriter, at the event. “We have ASCAP members from all 50 states, in each and every district of our great nation. Some of our songwriters and composers may not be household names, but their songs are instantly recognizable and beloved by millions, all thanks to the hard work they put in behind the scenes to soundtrack our lives.”
The concert was held ahead of ASCAP’s annual Stand With Songwriters advocacy day in D.C. on Thursday, during which songwriters and composers were slated to meet with members of Congress. This year, a particular focus was on the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI), with ASCAP members on hand to urge lawmakers to adhere to the six key principles for AI adopted by the ASCAP board of directors earlier this year.
In addition to songwriters and producers who performed at the We Write the Songs concert, those slated to participate in the advocacy day included songwriter-producer Cirkut along with ASCAP songwriter, composer and publisher board members Bob Bruderman, Desmond Child, Marti Cuevas, Sharon Farber, Dan Foliart, Ree Guyer, James M. Kendrick, Evan Lamberg, Michelle Lewis, Alex Shapiro, Jonathan Singer and Jimmy Webb.
ASCAP additionally invited its songwriter, composer and music publisher members from all 50 states to join in the lobbying effort via social media all week long.
Check out photos from the We Write the Songs event below.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Elizabeth Matthews, ASCAP CEO (center), with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Nicole George-Middleton, ASCAP SVP of Membership and Executive Director of The ASCAP Foundation (center); with Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Rep. Judy Chu, Jimmy Jam and Elizabeth Matthews, ASCAP CEO, attend ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Jimmy Jam, Sen. Bill Hagerty, Paul Williams, ASCAP President and Matthew West attend ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Paul Williams, ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board speaks at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul perform at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Matthew West performs at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Madison Love performs at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Carla Hayden, 14th Librarian of Congress, speaks onstage at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Rep. Hank Johnson speaks onstage at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Jermaine Dupri performs at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
Image Credit: Mariah Miranda/ASCAP
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis perform at ASCAP Foundations “We Write the Songs” Event in Washington, D.C. on September 20, 2023.
The significance of Washington washed over me as my flight dodged the historic monuments and we descended into DCA. An interesting metaphor for the opportunities and challenges of advocating for music creators’ rights in today’s lightning round race into the future.
I have visited many times over the years to fight for the rights of songwriters on Capitol Hill. This week, songwriter members of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) will once again be with me in Washington for “We Write the Songs,” a performance held at the Library of Congress and co-presented by The ASCAP Foundation. Hit songwriters will play for Members of Congress and others and share the stories behind their beloved songs. As songwriters, we are also here to affirm our rights as artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies seek to use our creations.
ASCAP is a unique entity in the music world — we are the only performance-rights organization (PRO) founded and governed by democratically elected music creators and publishers. As a membership organization, we represent nearly a million songwriters, composers, lyricists and music publishers across every genre. We are also the only U.S. PRO that operates on a not-for-profit basis so, unlike others whose profits may go elsewhere to corporate dividends and private equity investors, we put creators first in everything we do.
As the chairman of ASCAP’s board, I have seen our industry go through immense changes. When music moved from records to tapes to CDs to pirated online listening, our members descended upon Washington to ensure the rights of songwriters were respected across new platforms and listening experiences.
Emerging technologies – whether it be streaming or AI – have always presented our industry both challenges and opportunities. But in every instance, we as songwriters are often the first to feel the effects when technology outpaces the law.
During Songwriter Advocacy Day, held the day after We Write the Songs, ASCAP members – the songwriters, composers and publishers that form the soundtrack to our lives – will meet with Members of Congress and urge them to protect creators in the age of AI.
At ASCAP, we have developed six guiding principles for AI and we need Congress to act to uphold them:
Human Creators First, prioritizing rights and compensation for human creativity
Transparency, in identifying AI vs. human-generated works and retaining metadata
Consent, protecting the right for creators to decide whether their work is included in an AI training license
Compensation, making sure creators are paid fairly when their work is used in ANY way by AI, which is best accomplished in a free market, NOT with government-mandated licensing that essentially eliminates consent
Credit, when creators’ works are used in new AI-generated music
Global Consistency, an even playing field that values intellectual property across the global music and data ecosystem
While most songwriters work behind the scenes, our work has enormous value to an industry that generates $170 billion a year for the U.S. economy. But we have long been over-regulated — we are some of the most heavily controlled small business owners in the country. Roughly three-quarters of the average American songwriter’s income is subject to federal government regulations. All the while, big media and tech companies are consistently looking for ways to pay songwriters less by regulating us even more.
ASCAP has embraced new and emerging advances in technology, and we have the capacity and infrastructure to manage it at scale. But it has remained painfully clear that any new technology needs to respect existing copyright law. Music creators are concerned about the threat to their livelihood and 8 out of 10 believe A.I. companies need better regulation. Our mission at ASCAP is to help music creators navigate the future while protecting their rights and livelihoods, and enabling the type of innovation that will move the entire music industry forward.
Just because AI requires a high volume of inputs, that does not mean it cannot be licensed or deserves an exception under the law. Just as we’ve approached the streaming market, we believe the opportunities presented by AI can be realized in the free market. To do so, we need lawmakers to stand with songwriters and not give big tech and AI companies a free ride with government-mandated licenses for AI.
AI is a new challenge, but we are well positioned to meet this challenge as we always have in the face of new technologies. We are ready to help chart the path, and we look forward to sharing those insights — and breaking it down on the dance floor — with the same lawmakers whose partnership and enthusiasm has helped us to fight for the rights of songwriters as new technologies emerge.
ASCAP president and chairman of the board Paul Williams is an Oscar-, Grammy- and Golden Globe-winning composer and lyricist who has written “The Rainbow Connection,” “We’ve Only Just Begun,” and many other hits.
ASCAP will honor contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Matthew West with the Golden Note Award during ASCAP’s Christian Music Awards celebration on Oct. 2 in Nashville. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The invitation-only event celebrates the writers and publishers of ASCAP’s most-performed songs in Christian music over the […]
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has launched a new social media campaign that appears to be in response to a recent Billboard exclusive that revealed that ASCAP’s main competitor, Broadcast Music Inc (BMI), may sell itself to a private equity firm. Sources say the potential deal has an estimated price tag of $1.7 billion.
Just two days after the Billboard story was published on last Wednesday (Aug 23), ASCAP — which, along with BMI, is one of the largest U.S.-based performing rights organizations — posted a graphic on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) that read: “ASCAP. Creators first. Not for profit. Not for sale.” In the caption of the post, ASCAP continued to point out that it is the “only U.S. PRO that operates as a not-for-profit” and that it is the “only one founded and governed by songwriters, composers and music publishers.”
In the last three days, the organization has posted seven other similar posts on its socials, seemingly highlighting their distinctions from BMI. The posts include quotes like: “Private equity never wrote an iconic love song,” “ASCAP. Growth without greed,” and “ASCAP writers. Who owns us? Who gets paid? You. And you.”
ASCAP CEO, Elizabeth Matthews, provided a statement about the social campaign to Billboard, saying “it’s important for everyone to understand what makes ASCAP different. We are a membership association, founded and run by songwriters, composers and music publishers. We are the only US PRO that operates as a not-for-profit, and our distribution policy is set by a board of writers and publishers, who are elected by our members. ASCAP’s governing articles require us to put creators first, which puts us in a category of one. And we’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response from our members.”
“Our focus is not on how our competitors position themselves,” replied a representative of BMI when asked to comment on ASCAP’s latest social posts. “Relying on the past never sustained a business for the future. Our goal is to stay ahead of the changing industry and invest in our business to grow the value of our affiliates’ music. Any path forward would prioritize the best interests of our songwriters, composers and publishers, including their financial success. Our focus is on delivering for our affiliates.”
BMI first began experimenting with its business model in March 2022 when it hired Goldman Sachs as an outside advisor to explore new strategic opportunities for growth. This was believed to include a possible sale to an outside firm, but by August 2022, Bloomberg announced that BMI had ditched its exploration of such a sale. A few days later, Billboard found that the PRO laid off about 30 staffers from its workforce, citing “uncertain” economic conditions.
By October 2022, BMI announced that it would be switching from its 80-plus year status as a non-profit organization to a for-profit company. In an interview with Billboard at the time, the company’s CEO and president, Mike O’Neill, explained that the company made this switch because “growth requires investment, not just maintenance… This new [commercial] model will grow at a faster rate.”
This summer, reports surfaced that BMI was once again considering a sale. O’Neill explained to his staff in a memo that the company’s new for-profit model and recent investments into improving its operations “has only intensified outside interest” in purchasing the PRO.
Amid growing concern about the future of BMI, songwriter groups — including Songwriters of North America, Black Music Artists Coalition, Music Artists Coalition, Artists Rights Alliance, and SAG-AFTRA — provided Billboard with an open letter to BMI on Aug. 18. Outlining three areas of concern, the songwriter groups question how they will be impacted by BMI’s increased profits; the proceeds from any potential BMI sale; and what may happen operationally at BMI in the event that the organization is sold. “Songwriters have a right to understand these decisions and how it impacts us,” the letter read.
Days after, Billboard reported that multiple sources say BMI is considering an offer to sell to New Mountain Capital, a private equity firm that has been quietly shopping for music assets over the last few years, according to sources. The deal has yet to be signed, as New Mountain Capital has entered an exclusive window to scrutinize the deal. Sources suggest that the deal, if it takes place, will be worth around $1.7 billion.
In response to that exclusive, the same songwriter groups provided Billboard with another open letter to BMI on Aug. 28, expressing that they were “extremely disappointed and upset” to hear the news of a possible sale. The coalition asked for BMI’s chief executive to respond to songwriters with more information “prior to taking any other action” towards the possible sale to New Mountain.
While the Radio Music Licensing Committee awaits an appeals court decision in its so-far unsuccessful attempt to combine rate court proceedings with ASCAP and BMI under a single judge, the trade group has filed federal petitions to begin the processes separately in the Southern District of New York.
Usually, such rate proceedings petitions are initiated after negotiations between the performance rights organizations and the RMLC prove fruitless. Under these petitions, the PROs will each make the case for what rate it thinks their songwriters and publishers are entitled to receive when their songs are played on the radio. This time out, for the period of 2022-2026, the RMLC is seeking to maintain the same rates it had under the prior agreement which covered 2017-2021.
In July 2022, the RMLC tried to get ASCAP and BMI combined into a single rate proceeding, thus showing its hand that it felt rate negotiations had failed. For decades, each PRO had its own separate rate proceeding, but about seven or eight years ago, the RMLC began a new rate court strategy of trying to assign market share to the four U.S. PROs — ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and Global Music Rights — in attempt to keep the rates in parity with market share, irrespective of each PRO’s song catalog. In filing its petition to consolidate the rate proceedings to the Southern District of New York, which oversees both rate proceedings and the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees, the RMLC said the act was justified by the Music Modernization Act of 2018 that changed how the the Southern District assigns the rate court proceeding.
The step to combine the rate proceedings into one was seen by some music industry executives as a further attempt to pursue that rate strategy. Having a single judge, instead of bifurcated rate court proceedings, could benefit the RMLC because it would likely pit BMI and ASCAP against each other, vying for a higher rate than the other with both PROs arguing over market share.
But in May this year, Southern District Court Judge Stanton ruled against the RMLC’s consolidation petition so the radio trade group subsequently appealed that decision. The Second District Appeals Court has yet to issue a ruling on the RMLC motion, but in the meantime, the RMLC is getting the ball rolling with the rate court by filing amended petitions on BMI on Aug. 10 and on ASCAP on Tuesday.
Despite filing petitions for the two rate court proceedings, the RMLC petition for the ASCAP rate court proceeding says that if the Second Circuit Appeals Court ultimately agrees with the RMLC position to combine the two rate court proceedings into one, “it reserves all rights at the appropriate time” to pursue a unitary action against ASCAP and BMI.
The ASCAP rate proceeding covers the current five-year term which began on Jan. 1, 2022. In the prior term (2017-2021), RMLC said it paid a combined 3.51% of net revenue as a royalty pool for the two PROs, with ASCAP getting 1.73% of that based on market share claims it made at the time — which the RMLC now says was “a representation that turned out to be false.” Meanwhile, BMI received 1.78% of radio stations’ net revenue.
Nevertheless, in May 2022, according to the petition, the RMLC asked ASCAP and BMI if they would be willing to roll forward the combined 3.51% of net revenue royalty pool, provided that ASCAP and BMI would agree on a mechanism for assessing each of their market shares.
Although the rate level would be the same, the RMLC implies it is actually an increase because the combined ASCAP and BMI share of total performances on RMLC stations likely has diminished since when the prior agreements began, the RMLC argues in its petition.
Meanwhile, it looks like BMI is requesting a rate increase from 1.78% to 2.95%, according to what the RMLC states in the BMI petition; while the RMLC ASCAP petition doesn’t disclose the rate ASCAP is seeking.
The RMLC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The RMLC would rather continue to waste time and money on expensive litigation than simply paying songwriters a fair royalty for the use of their music,” ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews said in a statement. “It’s not that complicated. Simply treat music creators who support your successful and profitable businesses with dignity and respect and everyone wins.”
While the PROs and the RMLC wait for the rate court proceedings to make a determination, all parties have agreed to an interim rate that allows radio to continue to play music without copyright infringement.
Reps. Ted W. Lieu (D-CA) and Ben Cline (R-VA) have joined together to re-launch and co-chair the bipartisan Congressional Songwriters Caucus to focus on advancing policies that support independent songwriters and strengthen copyright protections.
The new caucus has support from the Recording Academy, Nashville Songwriters Association International, BMI, ASCAP and the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), according to a press release. No specific names of independent songwriters were included in the release, and a representative for Lieu has not responded to Billboard’s requests for more information.
The caucus was originally formed in 2003 by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) when she served as a House representative for Tennessee. According to her website, part of her focus at the time was cracking down on China’s intellectual property theft and how that affected songwriters and other creatives.
The interests of musicians is also represented in Congress with the Recording Arts and Sciences Congressional Caucus, which was established in 2005 and continues today, helmed by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and new Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Hailing from Southern California, Rep. Lieu says he understands first hand how “talented songwriters… contribute to so much of our culture and society. I’m thrilled to join Congressman Cline in co-chairing the new bipartisan Congressional Songwriter’s Caucus, which will work to support America’s brilliant songwriters by ensuring they can protect their work and make a living doing what they love. Music contributes so much to our way of life, and we must ensure those creating it are compensated fairly. I’m grateful to the numerous songwriter advocacy organizations who’ve partnered with us on the creation of this caucus and look forward to working together to support our artists.”
“Making art, specifically music, is a powerful way to leave a mark on the world,” says Rep. Cline. “It’s a part of our everyday lives, from what we listen to on our commutes in the morning, to the music we select for our most important life events, such as birthdays, weddings, and funerals. But today’s modern music landscape can make it more difficult for certain artists, especially independent songwriters, to make a living. That is why I’m proud to co-chair the Congressional Songwriters Caucus, which will play an important role in promoting the songwriting community by working to ensure the creative rights of songwriters are protected.”
“It All Begins With A Song,” says Bart Herbison, executive director of NSAI. “the entire music ecosystem. Since the Songwriters Caucus was initially launched 20 years ago, technology has completely changed the way music is delivered. American songwriters still face challenges in the digital era and we are very grateful to Congressmen Cline and Lieu for their bipartisan support.”
“On behalf of our over one million affiliates, I’d like to thank Representatives Cline and Lieu for co-chairing the Congressional Songwriters Caucus. Both have always been champions for creators, and we are in excellent hands with them leading the charge for songwriters and composers on the Hill. We stand ready to work with them to ensure creators are supported by strong copyright law and that they are fairly compensated for their work,” adds Mike O’Neill, president and CEO of BMI.
“Songwriters are the foundation of America’s vibrant music industry, and we appreciate Representatives Cline and Lieu recognizing the importance of ensuring we have champions in Congress. As technology transforms the music landscape, ASCAP looks forward to engaging with members of the Congressional Songwriters’ Caucus to protect the rights of American music creators and defend the value of their hard work and creativity,” says Paul Williams, president of ASCAP.
“We applaud Representatives Cline and Lieu for leading the Congressional Songwriters Caucus and we are excited about today’s launch. NMPA is the leading advocate for music publishers and their songwriter partners and we greatly look forward to working with the Caucus to advance policy interests that will protect creators and ensure that songwriters thrive,” says NMPA president and CEO David Israelite.
“The Recording Academy is proud to support the re-launch of the Congressional Songwriters Caucus which helps connect songwriters and composers with lawmakers to ensure that their unique interests are heard and understood. We are grateful to the new Caucus Co-Chairs, Representatives Ben Cline and Ted Lieu, for their support and leadership and we look forward to working with stakeholders across the songwriter community to advance the Caucus forward,” says Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.
Dr. Dre, the trailblazing hip-hop hitmaker, will blaze a new trail at the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards, where he will receive the very first ASCAP Hip-Hop Icon Award.
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Announced today (June 20), Dre will be honored at the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards Celebration of 50 Years of Hip-Hop, set to take place in his hometown, Los Angeles on Thursday, June 22.
“Dr. Dre’s groundbreaking early work laid a foundation for hip-hop as we know it today. As a champion for some of today’s biggest artists and a successful entrepreneur, he changed the culture around hip-hop,” comments ASCAP chairman of the board and president Paul Williams.
The award is presented to ASCAP members whose musical contributions have made an indelible impact on the art and culture of hip-hop. Currently, ASCAP’s membership includes 920,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers.
Dre “continues to be a pivotal figure in the music industry,” adds Williams, “and we are thrilled to recognize him with the inaugural ASCAP Hip-Hop Icon Award as we mark 50 years of hip-hop.”
In the electrifying world of hip-hop, which this year celebrates its half-century and is now recognized as the U.S. market share leader, Dre has done it all.
A founding member of Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductees N.W.A, Dre is recognized as one of the genre’s pre-eminent producers, as well as a rapper and songwriter who has worked with some of the most iconic R&B and hip-hop artists of all time, including Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 2Pac, Mary J. Blige, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar.
After changing the game with seminal gangsta rap outfit N.W.A in the 1980s, Dre released his first solo album, The Chronic, in 1992, a classic that’s regarded as one of hip-hop’s finest and a beacon for the West Coast G-Funk movement.
His three studio albums, which include 2001 and Compton, have amassed some 20 million album consumption units.
Dre also established Aftermath Entertainment, his own imprint through Interscope, through which he would sign Eminem, 50 Cent, Lamar and Anderson .Paak, among others.
In 2006, Dre co-founded Beats Electronics alongside Interscope co-founder Jimmy Iovine. Later, in 2014, the business evolved with a streaming service, Beats Audio, and was subsequently acquired by Apple for upwards of $3 billion, turning Dre into hip-hop’s first billionaire.
N.W.A was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2016, a year after the Straight Outta Compton biopic hit theaters around the globe. In February 2022, another career highlight when Dre teamed up with Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent for the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show.
Grammy Award-winner DJ Kid Capri will provide the music on ASCAP’s big night, organizers say. Visit ASCAP for more.