Independent publisher and songwriter members of the National Music Publishers’ Association can now sign up to be paid royalties each time their compositions are used in mix content that’s distributed to digital music services by Dubset.
The new deal is the result of a rights agreement between Dubset Media Holdings and the NMPA.
None such agreement has been signed so far, however, with any of the three major labels, as well as independent label representative Merlin.
NMPA members who opt-in to the agreement will have access to Dubset’s MixBANK platform where they can set terms and rules around how and where their catalogue may be used in mix content.
Each time a new mix or remix is delivered to MixBANK, clearance rules set by rights-holders to determine whether the content is cleared for distribution are applied.
Cleared mix and remix content is then made available to legal music services under an approved royalty structure.
MixBANK is primarily used by DJs who upload content, which is then scanned to find evidence of sampling.
Each time the use of copyright protected works is identified, MixBANK pre-clears approved use amongst publishing rights-holders that sit under NMPA.
Once a mix or remix has been fully cleared, it’s delivered to music streaming services, with royalties returning to the rights-holder as per that platform’s standard terms.
“We are excited to see that Dubset has made great advances in identifying and licensing compositions contained within mix content.”
“We are excited to see that Dubset has made great advances in identifying and licensing compositions contained within mix content,” said National Music Publishers’ Association EVP and General Counsel, Danielle Aguirre (pictured).
“It is a massive category that can now be unlocked and offered by the world’s largest music services and I’m thrilled that our publishers and songwriters will be the beneficiaries of a new and important royalty stream.”
In March, Dubset announced that it had struck a deal with Apple Music to bring ‘unofficial’ remix content to the platform.
The firm said it could ensure that the correct rights-holders would get paid for plays of these tracks.
But it’s only a relatively small amount of rights-holders that will see any cash, with a large portion of the recorded music community currently left in the dark.
According to Dubset CEO Stephen White, the service is confident it will put pen to paper with Universal, Sony, Warner and Merlin soon enough, following deals with 14,000 independent labels to date (predominantly worldwide agreements, including direct contracts with members of Merlin).
Bob Barbiere, Chief Operating Officer of Dubset, said: “The amount of new mix content distributed daily is estimated to be fifteen times as large as that of traditional music.
“Due to complexities associated with identification, and cross-clearance of copyright protected works used within mixes, music services were not able to offer it to consumers.
“Dubset’s technology solves that problem and enables us to clear and deliver this enormous high-demand category of content to music services globally generating new royalties to publishers and other rights holders.”
Music Business Worldwide
