UK Labels License Music To Podcasts

Podcasting may prove to be a fad in the long run, but right now it’s the growing media of choice for hipsters and trendsetters. But as is too often the case with new technologies, the music industry is woefully behind the times.  Record labels blame publishers who blame artists who blame record labels.  The net effect is that only music by Indy artists who waive all of their rights and royalties can be featured in this hot new media.  That was until now…

Leave it the Brits, whose music industry is often more adventurous than ours, to find a simple and elegant solution.  The UK’s Association Of Independent Music is offering it’s member labels and podcasters a blanket global license. While some details are still being worked out ;this creative solution attempts to discourage illegal file sharing by requiring podcasters to place a voice over on top of the first 10 seconds of each track. 

Only time will tell if this six month experiment works. But in the meantime UK Indy labels are going to get exposure that others are missing via some of the thousands of podcasts produced regularly worldwide.

Read the full AIM press release here.