Music Publishing News Roundup 9.4.15: Sony/ATV Sampling Amnesty • EU Music Survey • UMG
Sony/ATV, one of the world’s largest music publishers, has announced a new form of amnesty within their company – sampling. One of the most subjective and controversial music practices is sampling.
With this said, “From Tuesday 1 September, any artist who has used a sample from the company’s EMI Production Music division…will have a six-month window in which they can step forward and hold their hands up.” This will not extend for the rest of Sony/ATV’s publishing catalog.
Based on a report by the European Commission, 60 percent of surveyed consumers in Europe obtain their daily musical intake via streaming or downloads. This medium has a higher percentage than other mediums such as video content, games, sports and e-books. In comparison, nearly 50 percent of all e-book consumers pay for their respective product when obtaining it online. Of the mentioned media products, music was the second lowest in regards to paying customer percentage. So while the music industry still has a long battle with finding the best solutions to entice listeners to pay for their music, for the time being it appears consumers’ willingness to purchase the product is often consistent or better than its media counterpoints (games, e-books, sports, etc.).
Universal Music Group has had a seven percent increase in earnings in the first half of the year due to many leading factors – one of them being streaming services. “Driven by gains in streaming and subscription revenues, Universal's music publishing revenues grew 2.7 percent at constant currency and perimeter.” Read more about details within this article!
