ASCAP Licenses Turntable.fm. Will Others?

(( (UPDATE) BMI also licensed Turntable.fm this week.

Turntable.fm is a big hit, and offer many opportunities for fan engagement. But many wondered if it was legal.  Since launch turntable.fm has been operating in a grey area of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. A new deal with ASCAP moves the site a long way towards full legitimacy. 

With the explosion of digital music services that do not fit easily into previous licensing patterns, performing rights organizations and some rightsholders are finally starting to respond with new more flexible blanket licensing.

ASCAP says that its own blanket license available online provides "an easy and efficient means for new music services to respect copyrights and compensate the songwriters and composers whose music draws their customers." Depending on a site's business model, mechanical, master recording and/or sync licenses may also be needed.