New CPB-SoundExchange Agreement Review
November 16th, 2010 by Stephanie MillerFor those we don’t realize it, the current agreement between the CPB and SoundExchange expires at the end of 2010. Those of you who like having the CPB pay your streaming royalties fear not, though, because a new agreement that takes effect on January 1, 2011 is already in place.
From a station’s perspective, the main aspects of the new deal, which runs through the end of 2015, are the same as the old one: the CPB pays all royalties for music streaming by covered stations and the vast majority of stations still only have to report on 14 days (of their choosing) per calendar quarter, etc.
However, there are some important things to keep in mind about the new deal:
All stations that are eligible for coverage under the agreement will have to opt-in for coverage under the new deal – even those of you who have already opted-in for coverage under the existing agreement!
Opting-in for coverage under the new deal will be a similar process to opting-in under the current deal (i.e., via a CPB web site). The exact process has not yet been determined. More information on how that will work, and when you’ll be able to opt-in, will be forthcoming via this blog and emails.
As a reminder, in order to be eligible for coverage under the CPB-SoundExchange agreement, your organization must be one of the following:
- An NPR member
- An NFCB member
- A CPB Community Service Grant recipient
If your station used to fall into one of these categories but no longer does, you will not be eligible for coverage under the new agreement. Public Interactive and the CPB are currently compiling the complete list of eligible stations based on the latest NPR/NFCB member lists and CPB grantees.
Covered stations will continue to report quarterly to SoundExchange via Pubic Interactive.
Finally, all stations streaming music still need to adhere to the restrictions imposed by the DMCA’s Performance Complement. Just a friendly reminder.
As always, contact me with any questions – or good turkey brining recipes. I’m on the lookout for one…
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
