In December, a US federal judge ruled that the direct performance license deals created between DMX, a large provider of background to thousands of businesses, and major music publishers such as Warner/Chapel and EMI Publishing, did not constitute a breach in contract with BMI, the performing rights society that represents many of the songwriters who’s music is performed in these venues.
Why? Because a publishers job, by definition, is to “exploit a musical composition” and share proceeds equally with the writer of said composition. DMX offered these publishers something that Performing Rights Organizations could not: Great service and accurate reporting.
I’ll talk more this week about what this means to the royalty-free production music world. Stay tuned.
Cheers!
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Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace where media producers and business owners can license high-quality, affordable music from a online community of musicians.
