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Recently-launched music company By Design, co-founded and led by music execs Josh Bailey, Jeremy Holley, Rod Riley and Josh Thompson, has partnered with BMG. The new partnership is set to include global distribution, label services, joint label signings and a co-investment strategy that will reach across catalog acquisitions through Archetype Music (a music rights holding company acquiring faith-based music rights).
By Design’s roster currently includes country singer-songwriter Frankie Ballard, as well as pop-folk singer-songwriter Zoe Levert and singer-songwriter Alex Jude. The label is also part of a larger company ecosystem, which includes Archetype Music, and nonprofit organization Blueprint, which aims to equip and empower faith-based creators.
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“Faith-driven music has long been of particular interest to many members of the BMG team,” Jon Loba, President of Frontline Recordings, BMG Americas, said in a statement. “Even though we have not specifically engaged in that line of business, there has always been the desire and intention to do so. The opportunity to partner with By Design offered the perfect, complimentary alliance with exceptional, proven industry executives, who have the same heart and artist-first approach to music as BMG. We are so incredibly excited to join forces with Rod, Jeremy, both Josh’s and the entire By Design team, to enter a global genre that is one of the most powerful cultural forces rising today.” “We partnered with BMG to scale purpose-driven music without compromising values,” Thompson said. “Their global reach empowers us to honor each artist’s original design – and share it on a global stage.” “We believe the next global movement in music will be rooted in faith and community, not algorithms and trends,” Bailey added. “With BMG’s international infrastructure and our shared commitment to empowering artists, we’re building a new kind of platform, one that’s both spiritually grounded and globally scaled.”
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“By Design exists to champion the creators behind this movement, artists who carry purpose in their message and originality into a culture hungry for meaning,” Holley added.
By Design’s launch comes as the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) genre has seen a surge. Earlier this year, two CCM songs made simultaneous appearances on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100, marking the first time two CCM songs have reached that mark simultaneously in 11 years. Those songs were Forrest Frank’s “Your Way’s Better” and the Brandon Lake-Jelly Roll collaboration “Hard Fought Hallelujah.” Earlier this month, Phil Wickham also made his Hot 100 chart debut with the song “What An Awesome God.”
Jeff Pardo was named BMI Christian songwriter of the year for the second time in three years at the BMI Christian Awards, which were held at its Nashville office on Tuesday (June 17). The private event was hosted by Leslie Roberts, BMI’s avp, creative.
Pardo, 43, wrote or co-wrote five of BMI’s 25 most-performed Christian songs: “Don’t Stop Praying,” “Heaven Changes Everything,” “Praise the Lord” with Jake Henry and Micah Tyler, “Running Home” and “Strong” with Anne Wilson. Pardo received a Grammy nomination in 2013 for co-writing “My Jesus” with Wilson and won two GMA Dove Awards in 2022. He has successfully crossed genres as well, working with artists such as Lady A, Ben Rector and Tauren Wells.
BMI’s Christian song of the year went to “Praise,” written by Chris Brown, Cody Carnes, Stephen Furtick and Chandler Moore. The hit by Elevation Worship featuring Brandon Lake, Chris Brown & Chandler Moore spent 31 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart and nine weeks at No. 1 on the Christian Airplay chart.
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Leading up to song of the year, BMI named the 25 most-performed Christian songs of the previous year. The roster included 18 first-time award winners.
Capitol CMG Publishing brought home publisher of the year for representing 17 of the 25 most-performed songs of the year including “Praise” as well as “Don’t Stop Praying,” “I Believe,” “Jesus Does” and “Take It All Back.”
In addition, Jackie Patillo, president of the Gospel Music Association and the GMA Foundation, was honored with the BMI Spotlight Award. As a surprise tribute, five-time GMA Dove Awards female vocalist of the year (and nine-time Grammy nominee) Natalie Grant, performed her first recording, “I Am Not Alone.” She was accompanied by Bernie Herms.
“This is more than just a business,” Patillo said in accepting the award. “We are all making a difference and impacting culture, and that’s what we get up for every day.” Previous recipients of the BMI Spotlight Award include Dottie Leonard Miller, Randy Edelman and Frank Gari.
Special moments at the event include Roberts calling BMI’s 2019 Compass Award winner Elwyn Raymer to the stage to start the celebration with a prayer; country songwriter Jordan Rowe giving the audience a preview of his unreleased song, “Way Back;” and first-time BMI award-winner Seph Schlueter sharing his hit “Counting My Blessings.”
For a complete list of winners, go here.
After 15 years, singer Michael Tait is exiting his role as lead singer of contemporary Christian band Newsboys.
Tait made the announcement in an Instagram post on Jan. 16, calling his time leading Newsboys “some of the most fulfilling, faith-based and rewarding years of my life. I have been on an amazing journey all over the globe, performing and ministering to people of all ages, races and backgrounds.”
He added, “I have made for me what is a monumental and heartfelt decision that it is time to step down from Newsboys. This decision does not come lightly and has been a shock to even myself, but amidst prayer and fasting, I have clarity that this is the right decision.”
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Tait went on to thank his Newsboys bandmates for their time together, saying, “You are family, and always will be. I know Newsboys will carry on doing incredible things for God’s kingdom with strength and purpose and I can’t wait to cheer you on while you do.”
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The announcement comes just days before the group continues the 2025 leg of their Worldwide Revival Nights Tour on Jan. 18 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. A social media statement from Newsboys noted that Tait’s exit will not impact their upcoming tour, which is slated to run through August.
“We are grateful for the extended season Michael has had with Newsboys….as he said in his announcement, the memories we share are deeply cherished. As he walks into the next season of life, we are stepping into the next season of Newsboys,” the group’s Duncan Phillips, Jeff Frankenstein, Jody Davis and Adam Agee said in the social media post.
“We are kicking off our Worldwide Revival Nights tour as planned this weekend, and we hope to see you at a show soon … as we navigate this season of change, we know that worshipping together is the way we want to move forward. We know there will be questions about what the future holds, and in due time we’ll have answers for those questions. For now, we want you to know that Newsboys isn’t going anywhere; we’re going everywhere!” the group’s statement continued.
Newsboys released their most recent album, Worldwide Revival (Part One), on July 19, 2024. Tait joined Newsboys in 2009, following the departure of former Newsboys member Peter Furler. Since forming in 1989, the band has earned two No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart, including “You Are My King (Amazing Love),” and “We Believe.” The group has also earned 13 top 10 Christian Airplay hits, and has been nominated for four Grammy Awards.
Tait was previously part of the groundbreaking CCM rap-rock group, DC Talk, from 1988-2001, alongside TobyMac and Kevin Smith. The four-time Grammy-winning DC Talk was known for songs including “Jesus Freak” and “Between You and Me.” He also led his own band, Tait, prior to joining Newsboys.
Check out both statements from Tait and Newsboys below:
Dorothy “Dottie” Leonard Miller, an entrepreneurial executive who founded several influential gospel and Christian music companies during a career spanning decades, died Friday (Oct. 11) at age 79.
After launching her own distribution company, New Day Christian Distributors, in 1981, Miller went on to create a veritable empire in the faith-based music business, with subsequent ventures including DayWind Soundtracks, DayWind Records, DayWind Music Publishing, two recording studios, and a cassette and CD manufacturing facility. More recently, she expanded her businesses to encompass DayWind Worship (choral music), Spiritus Distribution (Catholic products), Billy Blue Records (bluegrass), Billy Jam Records (country and Americana), Billy Blue Publishing and the DayWind Music Foundation, which provides an internet radio station focused on Southern Gospel.
“Dottie was a visionary, a pioneer, she was determined, humble, and generous,” said Rick Shelton, vp of DayWind Publishing, in a statement. “Serving her vision, her artists, her songwriters and the industry she loved has been a tremendous honor. What she did with her life touched the lives of so many.”
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Across her various music ventures, Miller worked with a laundry list of gospel and Christian artists including the Cumberland Boys, Greater Vision, the Crabb Family, Karen Peck and New River, Brian Free and Assurance, The Isaacs, Triumphant Quartet, Down East Boys, the Perrys, the Hoppers, Jonathan Wilburn, the Steeles, the Nelons, Lefevre Quartet, Michael English, Appalachian Road Show, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Tennessee Bluegrass Band, Carolina Blue, Kristy Cox and Grasstime, Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers, and Bob Minner.
Miller’s success garnered her a slew of awards over the years, including lifetime achievement awards from the Gospel Music Association, BMI and the Southern Gospel Music Guild. She was also inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
“Dottie Leonard’s story is a woman with vision, faith, and courage to make a difference,” said Jackie Patillo, president of the Gospel Music Association, in a statement. “Her work and tenacity will be forever remembered as will her legacy as a single mother, founder of Daywind Records, and New Day Distribution, and member of the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame. On behalf of the GMA Board of Directors and the entire gospel music community, we say farewell to Dottie and offer our deepest condolences to her family as she has now received her greatest reward.”
Born Aug. 10, 1945, in Wilmington, Del., Miller’s early jobs included clerical work at an accounting firm and a law firm, selling Jhirmack hair products, and working for the Democratic Party of Tennessee on campaigns for Senator Jim Sasser, President Jimmy Carter and more. As a single mother raising two children in Hendersonville, Tenn., she made ends meet throughout this early period by working a second job in ER admissions at a local hospital.
Miller’s first music industry job came when she was hired as a receptionist at Calvary Records in Nashville. She went on to work with radio stations and Christian bookstores promoting artists including the Hinsons and the Telestials. She later took a job at Windchime Records, where she worked with artists including the Paynes and Heavenbound before founding New Day with funding from her father, brother Bill Golt and family friend Ray Lorrig.
In addition to her family, co-workers, friends and artists, Miller enjoyed spending time in Florida and at her cabin in Lafayette, Tenn., where she had alpacas, donkeys and goats. Her travels took her throughout the U.S., Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.
Miller is survived by her daughter, Susan Leonard Sovine, and grandchildren Taylor McKellar and Kennedy Sovine; her son, Ed Leonard, his wife Kathleen, and their children Eddie Leonard, Mary Leonard, Evan Leonard, Aidan Leonard (Caroline Leonard), Rachael Zuckett (Joey Zuckett), Caroline Leonard, Ian Leonard, Liam Leonard, and Emily Leonard; her great-grandchildren Leo Zuckett and Eloise Joyce; her sister, Cynthia Paranczak; and her longtime companion, Jere Miller. She was preceded in death by her brother, Bill Golt, and her parents, William and Dorothy Golt.
A celebration of Miller’s life will be held at a later date.
You can read more tributes to Miller below.
“For the more than forty years of our friendship, Dottie was a champion for our genre’s Music. She was a pioneer in her field, and she was passionate about her mission to get The Gospel to as many people as possible. I will miss her enthusiasm and our conversations, which always included lots of laughter. My friend is with The Lord, but we WILL meet again, soon!” – Gerald Wolfe, Greater Vision
“Dottie was one of my greatest heroes and influences. She blazed the trail for many of us in Southern Gospel Music. I love that she always trusted the Lord in fulfilling her dreams of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ into all the world. Those dreams became realities. Now she is reaping the harvest of the many souls she touched for the cause of Christ. I love and appreciate Dottie more than words can express. She will be greatly missed. Her legacy will live on forever.” – Karen Peck-Gooch, Karen Peck & New River
“Almost 30 years ago I met a wonderful, smart, classy lady named Dottie. She had the ability to make you smile even when you didn’t necessarily feel like it. She lit up a room the moment she walked in no matter who else was there. She also showed the world she was a savvy businesswoman by starting the best record company in the world. I’ll miss you Dottie and so will many other people but I’m glad you’re not in pain anymore. I’ll never forget your smile.” – Brian Free, Brian Free & Assurance
“I’ve been with Daywind Records for over 20 years. I’ll never forget Dottie taking a chance on signing me after I got out of rehab and I was only six months clean and sober. She will be truly be missed” – Joseph Habedank
“She was a front runner in a world where businesses were run by men. She was an incredibly strong woman. She gave a lot of families hope and jobs. Nothing got in the way of her vision. On a personal side, our family has been a part of Daywind for over 25 years. We love Dottie. When Shellye and I first got married, we were doing everything we could to make ends meet. Dottie would give us her condo to have a vacation. Dottie was special to all of us. She is forever going to be miss. BUT can you imagine what she’s doing right now? She’s having a time. We wouldn’t bring her back for nothing. Dottie, enjoy it. You told everybody about. You helped everybody tell others about it. Welcome into the kingdom.” – Jason Crabb
“We can only imagine the reunion our beloved friend Dottie is having with so many artists she helped and loved along the way. She is home and at perfect peace with her Savior who is no doubt smiling with her because of the incredible heavenly choir she helped ensure with her earthly faithfulness. We will join them one day and we will all finally feel complete. Dottie, you are so loved and will be missed so much.” – The Isaacs
“Our beautiful Dottie Leonard has taken her flight like a mighty eagle. What an exceptional woman of faith, wisdom, foresight, courage and excellence; she paved the way for so many of us! She was a true fan of Gospel Music and believed it was her lifelong calling to ensure that great gifts in us are to be celebrated & given worldwide platforms. On a personal note…. she was/is a dear friend whose legacy will live forever. She was the treasure of encouragement. We didn’t ‘lose’ her… we know exactly where she is! Please give Mama Dottie Rambo a hug from me. Love you so much… see you at The House.” – Reba Rambo
“Dottie was one of the most respected and admired people in Southern Gospel music and beyond! Her work ethic was what one should strive to emulate. Awarded here, rewarded on Heaven’s shore!” – Doyle Lawson
“We will always remember Dottie as a sweet, dedicated, woman of God, who changed the world with her love of gospel music, and we will be forever grateful for the gift of her encouragement in our lives.” – Jim and Melissa Brady
“I met Dottie over 30 years ago, and I knew then I had met a “life friend”. She was a friend, business partner, and great counselor. Life was made sweeter because of her love for me. I will meet her again because of our belief in the savior, Jesus Christ.” – Jonathan Wilburn
“Had it not been for Dottie Leonard Miller, you would have never heard a song I’d written, a track I’d produced, or an orchestration I’d created. She believed in me when others didn’t. She believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. She gave us the truest example of how faith in motion works. And now her faith has become sight. I am heartbroken, but I know I will find her again.” – Wayne Haun
“Dottie Leonard Miller wasn’t just a pioneer; she was a trailblazer with a heart full of faith and a vision that reshaped the landscape of Southern Gospel music and the Christian bookstore industry. Through Daywind Records and New Day Christian Distribution, she brought light, and hope to so many, empowering artists, songwriters, bookstores, publishers, record labels and touching countless lives. Her legacy is one of unwavering dedication and belief in the power of the gospel to change hearts. We have lost a true giant and a treasured friend, but her spirit will continue to inspire us every day.” — Dusty Wells, Director of A&R and Label Relations, Daywind Music Group
“Dottie Leonard Miller was a true inspiration and encourager to many across this country and around the world. Her love for others and leadership through Gospel Music will continue to impact lives for decades to come.” – Gary Casto, Tribute Quartet
“Dottie was a visionary and a pioneer. People with that gift and calling are a breed apart, often questioned and sometimes misunderstood, but fiercely dedicated to allowing the dream inside them to manifest itself in the physical realm. Dottie’s dedication to that dream and its’ subsequent value will only fully be recognized in eternity. The music she championed reverberates not only on earth but in heaven as well, and countless lives have been changed, hearts have been encouraged, and burdens lightened by the message of the resources provided by New Day Distribution and Daywind Records. Thank you, Dottie, for being true to the call God had on your life. We are all blessed by the fruit you bore and your faithfulness to never give up.” – Billy Blackwood, Blackwood Brothers Quartet
“Dottie Leonard Miller’s passion for music was unmatched. And, her vision and God-given ability to use the power of that music to reach people in a positive way through the companies she has built, has literally impacted millions of lives over her long and illustrious career. She was easily one of the strongest women and most faithful servants of God I have ever known. She was so proud of our Daywind, New Day, and Billy Blue family, and she loved and appreciated each and every artist and member of our family. She will be greatly missed, but her legacy will be honored by continuing to spread the Gospel and love of Jesus Christ through the music and products we create.” – Jerry Salley, A&R/Creative Director, Billy Blue Records
Rimas Publishing, known for its influence in urban music and its management of stars like Bad Bunny, Arcángel and Eladio Carrión, is launching Faith Sounds, a platform dedicated to supporting and elevating Christian music artists, Billboard Español can announce today (Sep. 16) exclusively. The project seeks to offer a formal structure and advanced resources to Christian artists, providing collaboration opportunities, songwriting camps and a support network to boost their careers.
Faith Sounds is not a recent idea, but rather the evolution of a commitment that Rimas Publishing has maintained since its beginnings: supporting music with a positive message, Emilio Morales, managing director of Rimas Publishing, and Christopher Hernández, who will lead the marketing division, tell Billboard Español. “This was born from a need to be able to give even more visibility to these significant artists within our roster,” says Hernández. “The goal is to elevate them, create new collaborations and take them to different areas that perhaps they could not have reached on their own.”
The platform currently has a roster of 12 artists, covering a wide range of genres within Christian music. Among the most notable names are Lizzy Parra, a Christian trap singer from the Dominican Republic; as well as producer Barajas; Christian reggaeton artist Gabriel EMC; and gospel crooner Shamaai, all three hailing from Puerto Rico.
Additionally, they have established key alliances with companies such as Adarga Entertainment, and the Gospel Music Association (GMA), which has allowed them to access new opportunities in the niche and give greater visibility to their artists at important events such as the Dove Awards. According to Morales, the support of influential Christian companies has allowed Faith Sounds to gain credibility and establish itself in the sector.
Faith Sounds also seeks to foster collaboration between Christian and secular music artists. Camps have already been held in conjunction with Capitol Christian Music Group, with talents from both sides participating. “We invest in ensuring that our A&Rs, who are exposed to the biggest artists and producers in the world — the same person who may be serving Cris MJ, Lyanno, or Eladio [Carrión] one day — are the same persons who will be providing service to the client who is participating in the camp,” Morales adds.
With Faith Sounds, Rimas Publishing seeks to continue breaking patterns and offer Christian artists a broader and more diverse audience by breaking down barriers between Christian and secular music.
Talent, entertainment, sports and advisory company UTA has launched a new Christian Music Division, led by Jonathan Roberts, who joined UTA in May. Additionally, four-time Billboard Christian Airplay chart-topper Phil Wickham recently signed with UTA and will be represented by Roberts. UTA’s Christian music division serves as an extension of UTA’s Heartland initiative, which UTA […]
On Tuesday (March 26), the Gospel Music Association (GMA) announced a new category dedicated to Spanish representation in Christian music for their annual Dove Awards. The award for Spanish language worship recorded song of the year will debut at the 55th GMA Dove Awards, set to take place on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at the Allen Arena in Nashville. Nominations will be announced on July 24.
The new award, which will recognize the talent of performers and songwriters of worship songs, joins two other pre-existing Latin music categories: Spanish language album of the year, established in 1998, and Spanish language recorded song of the year, created in 2017. (Bands Generación 12 and Miel San Marcos were the winners of these awards, respectively, last year).
The initiative responds to a 30% increase in Spanish-language music entries submitted to the awards show in the last five years, as well as the constant growth of Spanish language music in genres ranging including worship, urban, pop, and rock.
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“We have witnessed this genre boom internationally, without precedent or barriers,” Justin Fratt, executive vice president of the Gospel Music Association, said in a press release. “For us, it has been an honor to support our colleagues from various Latin American and Spanish-speaking countries, celebrating the greatness of their music.”
The effort was backed by other companies in the Latin Christian industry such as CanZion, Capitol CMG/Universal, Creation Music, Curb Records, Heaven and Sony/Provident, according to the release.
Henry Alonzo, CCO of Christian music publishing and distribution company Adarga Entertainment Group, tells Billboard Español that its audio and video streaming numbers have quadrupled recently, and that its artists — who have included Miel San Marcos, Alex Campos and Jesús Adrian — have reached the same stages as those in other genres of Latin music. “All this is thanks to the work done by the same industry that supports artists of this genre,” he said.
Since its foundation in 1964, GMA has served a highly diverse community of creatives and professionals within the Christian and gospel music industry. Its mission is to expose, promote and celebrate gospel music. Through the GMA Foundation and the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the association seeks to preserve the legacy of the genre’s pioneers, while celebrating the work of contemporary artists with events such as the Dove Awards.
Holiday music has exploded in popularity over the last decade as listeners hit play, again and again, on their favorite Christmastime songs on their favorite streaming services. The top 100 holiday tracks — track sales and on-demand audio streams in November and December — rose more than ten-fold from 2014 to 2022 compared to all-genre growth of 165% over those years.
But one group of songs has been left out of the holiday gold rush: religious songs.
Back in 2014, the top holiday song was Pentatonix’s version of “Mary, Did You Know?,” a song penned by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene in 1991 and originally recorded by Christian recording artist Michael English the same year. In the November to December holiday listening period, that recording of “Mary, Did You Know?” had 276,000 track equivalent units, according to Luminate — with 92% coming from download purchases.
In 2022, the top song was a secular one: Mariah Carey’s omnipresent “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which amassed 1.6 million track equivalent units in November and December. In 2023, both Carey and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” are on pace to do even better thanks to constantly growing streaming numbers and the artists’ heavy media presences. Universal Music Group Nashville’s campaign for Lee, which included making an official video and an appearance on NBC’s Christmas at the Opry television special, pushed “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” to No. 1 on the Hot 100 for the weeks ended Dec. 9 and 16.
In contrast, this year’s top religious holiday song, Pentatonix’s “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” ranks just No. 47. That lower ranking means fewer royalties from tracks and streams than the 46 secular songs in front of it. From Nov. 3 to Dec. 14, “God Rest” has only 19% of the track equivalent units of the No. 1 recording, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
The shift to secular holiday music has been abrupt. Pentatonix took the No. 1 spot in 2014 and the No. 2 spot in 2015, but by 2017, the top 10 holiday tracks were filled entirely with secular songs. Since 2018, no religious track has pierced the top 40. One of the top religious songs in recent years, Nat King Cole’s “O Come All Ye Faithful,” was No. 50 in 2022 and No. 46 in 2021.
Secular music’s command of the top 100 holiday recordings has widened over the last decade. In 2014 and 2015, 14 and 13 religious songs were among the top 100 holiday tracks, respectively. In each of the last three years, however, religious songs have accounted for only seven or eight of the top 100.
This change means religious songs have missed out on the recent financial bonanza. As secular songs dominate holiday listening, religious songs have won a smaller share of royalties. In 2014, 14 religious songs accounted for 83% of the top 100 holiday tracks’ royalties, according to Billboard’s estimate based on Luminate data. By 2022, seven religious songs accounted for just 4% of the top 100’s royalties. This year will have a similar disparity as only eight religious songs are currently in the top 100 holiday tracks.
Demographic shifts and the nature of popular holiday music suggest religious music will have a tough time making a comeback. As Billboard has reported, once a track becomes a holiday favorite, it gains a competitive advantage over other holiday tracks. That’s not to say a religious song can’t climb up the ranks in the coming years. But it takes multiple years for a new holiday recording to stick with listeners, and the young recordings with the most success — such as “Merry Christmas” by Elton John & Ed Sheeran and “Like It’s Christmas” by Jonas Brothers — are all secular. And with a declining Christian population in the United States to boot, it seems consumer sentiment is likely to match that trend, favoring songs about a special feeling this time of year over biblical themes.
A songwriter recently posed a distressing question with me: Do the songs he writes for the church that are classified as “Christian Music” get treated differently by the performing rights societies (PROs)?
The inference that a song is penalized in some way by an organization collecting royalties is not correct, but the songwriter was onto something. Songwriters who write music categorized as Christian often do feel they earn less than their secular counterparts. There needs to be an explanation as to why the perception exists and what can be done to change it.
The explanation goes back to how performance royalties are collected. They flow from three key segments of the market:
Digital service providers (DSPs), such as Spotify and Apple Music
General licensing from bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and live venues
Broadcast media including terrestrial radio and television stations
All genres are treated equally on digital services, in terms of tracking, but Christian music is not your typical soundtrack at most bars, nightclubs and restaurants. And venues for Christian music concerts tend to be small community locations, such as churches. Promoters at these venues are unaware (either genuinely or deliberately) that licensing is required, even though they are holding a commercial concert with ticket sales.
That leaves television and terrestrial radio, and this is where I believe the system is fundamentally broken. The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) allows “educational” radio stations, typically small nonprofit community stations, to operate with a significantly lower rate structure that is not set on a percentage of revenue such as commercial stations, but rather a fixed fee structure based on the population of the community where the station is located.
For example, here in New York City the station WPLJ 95.5FM broadcasts Christian music to more than 8 million people, and in 2023 will pay a capped amount of performance licensing fees to ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, a total of $15,029, combined. These fees will not vary, no matter how much revenue is generated by the station.
WPLJ is part of the Educational Media Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that runs a network of almost 500 terrestrial radio stations that broadcast Christian music. They claim the lower non-commercial rate under Section 118 of the Copyright Act and the related CRB rules because it is a nonprofit. When you look at the network’s publicly available information and the CRB rate sheet, you can see that they are paying an estimated combined total of around $1 million dollars in performance license fees.
It may seem reasonable for a non-profit to pay such limited amounts to perform music. But here is where the current regulatory regime is broken. The publicly available 2022 financials show the nonprofit collected $238 million in revenue, primarily through donations and sponsorships to the Christian content focused broadcast network. The network now has over $1 billion in assets, adding $50 million to those assets in 2022. Additionally, the salaries of the executive team for 2022 totaled $5.4 million. This is a far cry from the small volunteer-run community stations the CRB rates are meant to protect. How can it be that executives earn more than five times the total amount the network pays the entire song writer and music publisher community that create the songs upon which its network depends?
It must be said very clearly this network and others like it have done nothing wrong and they are a great resource to the wider community. However, just because it’s not wrong doesn’t make it right. I believe that it’s inherently unfair for these networks to exploit the CRB rate structure that’s available to educational radio stations given their financial profiles and the significant amount of money they raise using music to build a large audience. No matter how much money large non-commercial networks collect, and in this case primarily using Christian music to generate those revenues, the CRB license fee structure is capped. Commercial radio pays rates that are generally set as a percentage of revenue and not capped. Many high-earning Christian stations are paying as low as 10% of what commercial stations earning the same revenue would pay.
So back to the songwriter who felt his work was penalized. The answer is yes, he’s partially right; he is indeed paid less, but not due to prejudice on the part of PROs. The lower earnings are due to the lower royalty fees collected across the broader market that uses Christian music.
If we and the Christian songwriter and publisher communities believe that Christian songwriters should be paid on par with other writers, then the PROs as well as the Church Music Publishers Association (CMPA), should work together to create a dialogue with these high- earning broadcasters and ask that they opt out of the CRB rate structure and negotiate fair license fees for the Christian songwriter community. Or alternately, advocate for a revision of section 118 of the Copyright Act that would exclude wealthy “educational” broadcasters. This, along with financial transparency regarding the revenue collected and music licensing fees paid by anyone who gets a US Government-approved discount, should help level the playing field for all songwriters, regardless of what kind of songs they compose.
Malcolm Hawker serves as chief operating officer for SESAC Music Group, where he is charged with overseeing the operations of all the organization’s portfolio companies. Prior to joining SESAC, Hawker served as the president and CEO of CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International), a global rights licensing and resource company.
From Farruko to Kim Richards and Indiomar, here is a list of the 15 best Christian songs in Spanish this year.
