Music Publishing News Roundup: Friday, April 29, 2016

Max Martin was named Songwriter of the Year for the record-breaking 9th time at ASCAP’s 33rd Annual Pop Music Awards.  The songwriter and producer co-wrote nine ASCAP pop hits this year, including Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” and The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face.”  

CEO Jon Platt of Publisher of the Year winner Warner/Chappell Music told Billboard, “We’re seeing great songwriters from all over the world create huge global songs and culturally significant moments in music.  In the modern music business, especially in the streaming age, the idea that talent has no boundaries is finally true."

Nigeria’s music copyright collection society, COSON, will license sound recording rights exploited by users in commercial and public settings.  COSON has been working with the IFPI for the last few months to enable the society to collect and distribute royalties to record companies and artists.  SVP of Universal Music Group, Adrian Cheesley, says “this is a very important step to benefiting artists, the local recording industry, and the broader African music community.”

ASCAP’s annual report announced that the performing rights society reached a record high domestic revenue. This increase, up $61 million from 2014, resulted in a 6.2% increase in domestic royalties paid out to songwriter and publisher members. The society gained some top writers such as Fetty Wap and Kelsea Ballerini, and existing ASCAP writers penned hits that topped 18 separate Billboard year-end charts, such as The Weeknd’s “Earned It” and Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance.”