Ed Christman

Retail Track Rides Again: Thanks to a wider selection of titles, including from artists like David Byrne, Paramore and Chappell Roan, some retailers said business was even better than last year.

The performance rights organization had accused the Vermont Broadcast Association of playing 66 songs from its catalog without a license starting in 2017.

The payout leaves recipients happy but confused as they try to figure out how the bonuses were determined.

The performance royalties included in that headline-grabbing number may have already been paid out.

Luminate changed the way it tracks physical sales, and some stores stopped reporting them. Here’s the story behind the numbers.

“Without songwriters, there is no art in artificial intelligence,” says ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews.

The performance rights organization reported a 14.7% increase in songwriter and publisher payouts to $1.592 billion in 2023.

The group’s credits include songs by Backstreet Boys, Rihanna, UTFO and NSYNC.

Warner Chappell finishes fourth quarter at No. 2 on both Top Radio Airplay and Hot 100 Songs rankings.

The new program “helps writers unlock value and generate liquidity from their performing rights royalties,” says Catch Point co-founder Richard Conlon.

The deal, which is likely worth at least $600 million, includes half of the late star’s publishing and recorded masters catalog.

President and CEO Mike O’Neill will continue to lead the PRO.

Though the late country star receded from the spotlight somewhat over the last decade, his hit-filled catalog kept his earnings strong to the present day.

The iconic band is seeking a record $1.2 billion payday, according to sources.

GMR claims that stations owned by Vermont Broadcast Associates have been playing 66 songs in the GMR catalog without a license.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee has co-written such instantly recognizable hits as “Tears In Heaven,” “Looks Like We Made It” and “Up Where We Belong.”

The data and analytics company’s note to independent retailers cites a “consensus” for changing how it counts sales across the sector.

The newly-crowned Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 rings in some serious holiday cheer for its rightsholders every year.

Talks of the performance rights organization’s possible sale to New Mountain Capital were first reported in August.

The deal covers “select” assets from the country star.