SoundExchange said it reached agreement with 24 small Webcasters to continue operating through 2010 with “essentially the same terms” they’ve had since 1988.
The agreements are retroactive to Jan. 1, 2006, the beginning of the current rate period.
SoundExchange represents artists and recording labels; at its behest, in March, a three judge panel of the Copyright Royalty Board raised the royalties Webcasters pay to SoundExchange.
As part of the agreement, small Webcasters would pay 10 to 12% of revenue. Congress wanted the group to extend the length of time small Webcasters paid “below-market” rates to give them time to build their business.
We reported recently that noncommercial Webcasters also reached an agreement on streaming royalties; there’s still no agreement for commercial radio Webcasters.
