Downtown Music Publishing, whose catalogue includes songs by The Beatles, John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen, has expanded its licensing agreement with YouTube to include performance rights for tracks streamed on the platform in the US.
The new deal expands the breadth of rights licensed to YouTube by Downtown, which the publisher says will ‘facilitate more streamlined payments from Downtown to its songwriter clients’.
Downtown and YouTube have have been partners for the past three years, working together to license reproduction rights for Downtown‘s songwriter clients.
The new licensing agreement adds a grant for public performance royalties, which will be formerly paid through US performing rights organizations.
Andrew Sparkler, Downtown‘s VP of Business Affairs and Operation, noted, “Certain methods of royalty collection have been in place for over one hundred years and may need to be reconsidered.
“YouTube is invested in rights management, transparency, accuracy and precision in licensing.”
Andrew Sparkler, Downtown
“This broader licensing arrangement, which includes performance income, provides our songwriters with reduced administrative fees, expedited payments and more robust usage and royalty data.
“We are excited to collaborate with a platform like YouTube, who is also invested in rights management, transparency, accuracy and precision in licensing. ”
Anjali Southward, YouTube’s head of US music publishing said: “Downtown Music Publishing has been a trusted, forward-looking partner for many years.
“Downtown‘s ability to provide YouTube with up-to-date accurate repertoire ownership information is a key component of our partnership. We look forward to continuing our work together and supporting innovative ways to connect songwriters and content providers.”
Founded in 2007, Downtown Music Publishing runss offices in New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, London, and Amsterdam.
The company’s catalog spans over seven decades of popular music, encompassing some of the world’s most beloved songwriters and artists including The Beatles, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, The Kinks, Randy Newman, Hans Zimmer, Bruce Springsteen, Mötley Crüe, One Direction, Hardwell, Santigold and Carla Bruni.Music Business Worldwide
