SoundExchange » Press Releases

SoundExchange Announces New VP of Communications

brainwater — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:13:46 +0000

WASHINGTON – April 26, 2012 – SoundExchange today announced the hire of Marie Knowles as vice president of communications. In this role, she will lead the organization’s strategic communications, including public relations, media relations and internal employee communications strategy.

Marie has more than a decade of communications experience in creating and implementing strategic brand-building programs for both public companies and nonprofit organizations across a number of industries, including entertainment and technology.

“I’m pleased to have Marie Knowles join us as our new vice president of communications. She brings a broad set of public relations skills and extensive corporate reputation-building experience to our team,” said SoundExchange President Michael Huppe. “SoundExchange has grown from a fledgling company to the thriving organization we are today in a very short time. It’s important that we now have dedicated resources in place that enable us to clearly communicate our message as we move into our next chapter.”

Marie’s career includes having served in the corporate communications department at a major media company, where she was responsible for overseeing the implementation of national and local campaigns earning press coverage in top consumer, music, automotive and business press. She was also instrumental in assisting with several successful high-profile public relations initiatives while at the organization.

In the past, Marie has implemented corporate and consumer communications campaigns for global organizations, such as Rosetta Stone and Iridium. While at DBC Public Relations Experts, Marie specialized in media relations for clients including: Blackboard, New Media Strategies and Ruckus Entertainment Network. Marie began her career at Alexander Ogilvy, the Technology Practice of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, where her first project was assisting with the launch of Black Entertainment Television’s website. Marie is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.

About SoundExchange
SoundExchange is the non-profit performance rights organization that represents the entire recorded music industry. The organization collects statutory royalties from satellite radio, internet radio, cable TV music channels and other services that stream sound recordings. The Copyright Royalty Board, created by Congress, has entrusted SoundExchange as the only entity in the United States to collect and distribute these digital performance royalties for featured recording artists and master rights owners. SoundExchange has paid out more than $900 million in royalties since its inception. For more information, visit www.SoundExchange.com or www.facebook.com/soundexchange.

SoundExchange Ends Record-Setting Year with $89.5 Million in Q4 2011 Distributions

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:31:29 +0000

WASHINGTON – January 17, 2012– SoundExchange today announced a fourth quarter 2011 distribution of $89.5 million with more than 18,000 payments, bringing year-end estimated royalty payments to $292 million (up 17 percent from the prior year). SoundExchange’s distributions continue to grow each quarter, with the most recent being it’s largest to date. This brings total royalties distributed since the organization’s inception to more than $900 million.
The royalties are paid by Internet radio, satellite radio and cable TV music-only channels for their use of sound recordings, and are distributed by SoundExchange to recording artists, record labels, and a non-featured artist fund. The organization’s ever increasing royalty payments are proof positive that digital performances continue to grow at a rapid clip.
“Our growth is encouraging news for the industry, and for the performers who put their heart and soul into the music we enjoy every day,” said SoundExchange President Michael Huppe. “This past year, we’ve taken stock of our strengths, and the challenges and opportunities ahead, and have looked for even more ways to improve how we serve the music community. We’re optimistic about the industry’s future, and about the tremendous value SoundExchange promises to deliver in the years to come.”
Also in 2011, SoundExchange has made several significant organizational enhancements, including new appointments to its executive team; key hires to its technical team; and the establishment of new data and claims departments.
Other 2011 accomplishments:
• Conducted more than 80 database matches with a wide variety of partner organizations to reach and register artists and rights owners.
• Registered 15,300 new artists, labels and rights holders in 2011; up from nearly 12,000 in 2010.
• Expanded international reach, concluding several new reciprocal agreements to exchange royalties with foreign counterparts and enhancing the relationship with existing partners.
• Increased capacities for processing royalty data and payments through technical overhaul that will continue throughout 2012.
SoundExchange is the non-profit performance rights organization (PRO) appointed by the Copyright Royalty Board to collect and distribute statutory performance royalties owed to recording artists and sound recording copyright owners. Its 2010 administration rate was just 6.7 percent, and the organization is projecting its 2011 administration rate to be even lower.
Artists, labels and copyright owners are encouraged to learn more and register at www.soundexchange.com

SoundExchange Appoints Scott Day as CTO

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:51:58 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC – December 6, 2011 – SoundExchange announced today the appointment of Scott Day to the role of chief technology officer (CTO). Scott will assume responsibility for identifying and implementing technology innovations that create strategic business value for the organization.

Most recently, Scott served as CTO at financial services and media company The Motley Fool where he led the organization’s technology team. In this role, his leadership enabled the launch of a mutual fund business, creation of new premium services, and expansion of international markets while the company exceeded financial goals and hit highs in customer traffic and retention.

“We are pleased to have Scott onboard as an anchor to our world-class technology team,” said Michael Huppe, president, SoundExchange.

“Naturally, as both the organization and digital music services continue to grow, we will constantly strive to improve our methods for tracking and distributing payments from over a thousand services to even more artists and labels. I’m confident that Scott will be a tremendous asset in this regard.”

Prior to Motley Fool, Scott was vice president of application software and analytics at In-Q-Tel, the strategic investment arm of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Previously, Scott was vice president of information technology at ProFund Advisors, an index-based mutual fund company, and he was also a founding employee and vice president of systems development at the innovative financial-services firm FOLIOfn. Scott spent several years in IT consulting as senior principal at American Management Systems (now CGI) and as senior consultant at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture).

He earned a master’s in management of information technology from the University of Virginia, and a bachelor’s of electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

Additional information on SoundExchange’s management team can be found on the company’s website at www.soundexchange.com.

Music Industry Veteran Joins SoundExchange As COO

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:18:40 +0000

SoundExchange announced today the appointment of Jonathan C. Bender to the role of chief operating officer (COO). Jonathan will assume responsibility for the organization’s operational structure, including oversight of distribution and account services. He will also oversee repertoire management and the organization’s database for tracking, collecting and distributing music royalties on behalf of artists and record labels.

“As we move SoundExchange into its next chapter, we’re fortunate to have Jonathan’s deep level of operational, industry and technical expertise,” said SoundExchange President Michael Huppe. “Jonathan has a solid reputation, most notably for pioneering digital content development for some of the world’s leading record labels, and a track record in growing and transforming organizations.”

“I am pleased to join a group of individuals who are passionate and committed advocates for recording artists and rights owners,” said Jonathan. “Together, we have the potential to truly shape the future of music. I look forward to creating innovative and forward-looking operations that can help do just that.”

Jonathan brings more than 20 years of music industry business and management expertise to his position at SoundExchange. Over the years, Jonathan has served in senior operational roles at Concord Music Group, Universal Music Group, and EMI Music.

Jonathan was senior vice president, operations, IT and digital development at Concord, one of the fastest growing independent label groups in the world. In this role, he designed and managed a consolidated digital infrastructure to host and distribute the artist catalogs of the three combined companies: Concord Records, Fantasy Records and Telarc International. He also led the integration of all physical product operations and revamped all of the group’s online properties. Before joining CMG, Jonathan spent seven years with Universal Music Group, most recently as vice president, digital asset management and logistics. In this role, he served as team leader for building of the music industry’s first e-commerce distribution infrastructure, and converted production operations from physical assets to digital, savings millions annually.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Additional information on SoundExchange’s management team can be found on the company’s website at www.soundexchange.com.

SoundExchange Contributes To Music Industry Growth With Highest-Ever Quarterly Distribution

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:16:29 +0000

“World’s Biggest” Sound Recording Performance Rights Organization Delivers $88 Million in Q3 to 18,300 Artists and Labels

WASHINGTON, DC – October 25, 2011 – SoundExchange announced today that it has distributed nearly $88 million to more than 18,300 payees designated by recording artists and labels during the third quarter of 2011. SoundExchange is the non-profit performance rights organization (PRO) that was appointed by the Copyright Royalty Board to collect and distribute statutory performance royalties owed to recording artists and sound recording copyright owners. The quarterly distribution, SoundExchange’s largest to date, includes royalties paid by Internet radio, satellite radio and cable TV music-only channels.

The announcement comes days after global research publication Music & Copyright reported that SoundExchange is the “global leader” in the collection and distribution of sound recording performance royalties. Total distributions made by SoundExchange in 2010 were $249.2 million, up from $155.5 million in 2009.

“We’ve processed an unprecedented amount of digital performance data this quarter, which is proof positive that consumers are listening, purchasing and enjoying music in more ways than ever,” said SoundExchange President Michael Huppe. “These payments are the result of billions of digital performances by thousands of music services every month. It is our responsibility to ensure that this upsurge of digital performances can be converted into a reliable revenue stream for those who created the music.”

SoundExchange’s continued investment in world-class technical expertise has been critical in ramping up the organization’s ability to ingest and process high volumes of data. In addition to the accomplishments of the SoundExchange staff, the distribution was aided by the help of the very artists and labels who are receiving these payments. SoundExchange’s claims processing program permits copyright owners to claim tracks that have been reported without sufficient data. Through the claims program, artists and labels help SoundExchange as well as themselves by ensuring the organization has accurate metadata for recordings. Fully $15 million of the quarter’s payouts were the result of claims and adjustments.

Artists and copyright owners are encouraged to learn more and register to receive royalties for their work at www.soundexchange.com.

About SoundExchange: SoundExchange is the non-profit performance rights organization that collects statutory royalties from satellite radio, internet radio, cable TV music channels and other services that stream sound recordings. The Copyright Royalty Board, created by Congress, has entrusted SoundExchange as the only entity in the United States to collect and distribute these digital performance royalties for featured recording artists and master rights owners. SoundExchange has paid out more than $800 million in royalties. For more information, visit www.SoundExchange.com.

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SoundExchange and CD Baby to artists, labels: “Come claim your cash.”

admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:32:20 +0000

Orgs. spread news of $1M in back royalties owed to 14,000+ creators

SoundExchange, the non-profit performance rights organization authorized to collect royalties for the digital performance of sound recordings, and CD Baby, the online music store and digital distributor, have announced a reprise of their initiative to notify hundreds of recording artists owed back royalties. The match, which the organizations hope to make an annual event, identified 14,380 CD Baby-affiliated artists and labels are collectively owed more than $1 million.

Federal copyright law allows music services to digitally stream sound recordings under the government’s blanket license, provided they pay royalties and provide playlists to SoundExchange. Unfortunately, many recording artists and record labels do not know about the law that entitles them to royalties, and as a result to do not register to collect the payments from SoundExchange.

To encourage artists and labels to claim these royalties, the groups matched SoundExchange’s list of yet-unregistered artists and labels to CD Baby’s database of members. The exercise identified 12,806 recording artists and 1,574 labels with unclaimed funds at SoundExchange. This week, CD Baby began sending emails to all matched artists and labels, explaining the royalties and encouraging those artists and labels to register with SoundExchange to get paid.

“SoundExchange and CD Baby share a commitment to the long tail of independent artists and labels, and to supporting that community in making a living,” said SoundExchange President Michael Huppe, of the project. “We know that back royalties can sound too good to be true, and it makes a difference to skeptical artists and labels to hear about these funds from an organization as trusted as CD Baby.”

“The reason that CD Baby exists is to make it easy for independent artists to get paid for their hard work,” said Brian Felsen President of CD Baby. “That’s why we’re excited to help our artists claim their royalties through SoundExchange. Nothing makes us happier than to see new revenue streams flowing to independent musicians.”

SoundExchange & AFTRA Tell Artists: Claim Your Digital Royalties

admin — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:46:42 +0000

Orgs. notify 6,126 AFTRA members about money waiting for them at SoundExchange

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, AFL-CIO, a national union of more than 70,000 recording artists, broadcast professionals and other performers, and SoundExchange, the nonprofit tasked by Congress with distributing royalties for the streaming of sound recordings, have teamed up to identify and register 6,126 AFTRA members who haven’t claimed their SoundExchange royalties.

The 6,126 AFTRA member artists are owed a cumulative $3.6 million in back royalties which have been collected on their behalf by SoundExchange for digital streaming of their recordings. But without current contact information, SoundExchange can’t send out the checks. AFTRA and SoundExchange compared databases to identify artists who are AFTRA members, but who haven’t yet claimed their funds from SoundExchange. Those artists will be receiving mailed letters and email messages alerting them to the waiting money and directing them to SoundExchange’s simple (and FREE) registration form.

“With more and more people choosing to experience music and other recordings online and through digital transmissions, SoundExchange royalties have become an increasingly important revenue stream for AFTRA members, including both recording artists and actors whose voiceover recordings are also streamed digitally,” said Kim Roberts Hedgpeth, AFTRA National Executive Director. “We’re pleased to assist SoundExchange in registering AFTRA members who are eligible to receive royalties.”

“SoundExchange is constantly reaching out to notify artists about their unclaimed royalties,” said SoundExchange President Michael Huppe. “When we send out emails, make phone calls, even talk to people one-on-one at conferences, the promise of new royalties can sound too good to be true, and too often, they don’t register. But when an organization artists know and trust, like AFTRA, helps us spread the word to their members who could also be receiving SoundExchange royalties, artists take notice, and are more likely to take action, too. AFTRA and SoundExchange share the goal of protecting artists’ rights to their work, and to compensation when that work is used. Our ongoing partnership is helping to advance both of those goals.”

When sound recordings are played on satellite radio, Internet radio or digital cable services, SoundExchange collects a royalty on behalf of the recording artists and the copyright holder, as directed under U.S. Copyright Law. Since 2001, SoundExchange has collected and processed billions of spins and paid out more than $720 million in digital royalties. Unfortunately, thousands of music professionals are not yet registered, and millions of dollars in royalties are currently unclaimed. AFTRA and SoundExchange have partnered to locate unregistered AFTRA members and ensure the distribution of these payments.

Any artist whose recordings are played can earn and claim royalties through SoundExchange for free, regardless of union status.

AFTRA is represented by Hedgpeth on the SoundExchange Board of Directors which consists of equal representation between artists’ representatives and label representatives. Legendary recording artist and AFTRA member Martha Reeves also serves as a SoundExchange Board member.

Artists and owners of master recordings may register with SoundExchange, free of charge, to receive royalties when their tracks are streamed on digital services, including online. For more information on registration, please visit www.soundexchange.com or call SoundExchange’s team at 202.524.7839.

About AFTRA
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, AFL-CIO, are the people who entertain and inform America. In 32 Locals across the country, AFTRA members work as actors, broadcasters, singers, dancers, announcers, hosts, comedians, disc jockeys and other performers across the media industries including television, radio, cable, sound recordings, music videos, commercials, audio books, non-broadcast industrials, interactive games, the Internet and other digital media. The 70,000 professional performers, broadcasters and recording artists of AFTRA are working together to protect and improve their jobs, lives and communities in the 21st century. From new art forms to new technology, AFTRA members embrace change in their work and craft to enhance American culture and society. Visit AFTRA online at www.aftra.com.

About SoundExchange
SoundExchange is the non-profit performance rights organization that collects statutory royalties from satellite radio, internet radio, cable TV music channels and other services that stream sound recordings. The Copyright Royalty Board, which was created Congress, has entrusted SoundExchange as the only entity in the United States to collect and distribute these digital performance royalties for featured recording artists and master rights owners (often record labels). SoundExchange has paid out more than $720 million in royalties since its creation in 2003. Performers and copyright holders can get their share for free by registering at www.soundexchange.com

SoundExchange Announces New General Counsel

admin — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 20:23:25 +0000

SoundExchange announced today that long-time Senior Counsel Colin Rushing will step up to be the nonprofit’s new General Counsel. Rushing will fill the position vacated by Michael Huppe, who took the organizational helm as President earlier this year.

“When considering who should oversee the legal interests of our members, we knew we’d need a great legal mind, as well as someone passionate about the rights of artists and copyright holders,” Huppe said of the appointment. “Colin is the perfect fit. His help has been indispensable to SoundExchange over the past several years, and we’re excited to have him taking on a leadership role as we move the organization forward.”

Rushing was instrumental to the negotiations surrounding the 2009 Webcaster Settlement Act, a series of agreements between SoundExchange and online music services aimed at securing the emerging Internet radio model while protecting the interests of performers and record labels. Rushing’s leadership helped strengthen relationships between Internet radio and content creators by balancing compensation for artists and labels with the business needs of innovative services.

In his role as Senior Counsel of Licensing and Enforcement, Rushing oversaw legal proceedings, royalty rate settings, and the regulatory and legal issues necessary for SoundExchange’s daily operations. Since 2009, he has been developing an enforcement program for the 1,400 music services who rely on the statutory license for sound recordings.

“We want to make compliance as painless as possible for music services,” Rushing said today, “so that they can continue to provide enjoyment for consumers and revenue for music creators.” Reaching a balance between positive business relationships and enforcing the law has been Rushing’s focus at SoundExchange. “Our mission is to protect the rights of the performers and copyright owners who bring sound recordings to life,” he continued, “and that means working with the services that use recordings to ensure they’re playing by the rules.”

Rushing is a graduate of James Madison University and the University of Virginia School of Law, and served as a law clerk for the Hon. T.S. Ellis III in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Before joining SoundExchange, he was an attorney at WilmerHale in Washington, D.C., where he focused on intellectual property and media law. He lives in Virginia with his wife and their young daughter.

RootMusic & SoundExchange team up to pay artists $5.3M

admin — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:13:13 +0000

Partnership will notify musicians that unclaimed royalties are waiting

May 11, 2011 — RootMusic, the company behind Facebook’s #1 music and entertainment app BandPage, is all about helping recording artists and performers connect with their fans. Now, through a partnership with performance rights nonprofit SoundExchange, RootMusic is connecting 7,462 artists to $5.3 Million in unclaimed royalties. See the list.

Earlier this year, RootMusic teamed up with SoundExchange, the nonprofit organization tasked by Congress to distribute digital performance royalties: those earned by artists and copyright holders when their music is played by digital streaming outlets. The results? Thousands of recording artists of all sizes and genres got emails and account notices alerting them to unclaimed royalties they didn’t even know existed.

Here’s how it works: When sound recordings are streamed on the Internet, played on digital satellite radio or used on cable music channels, the performers on that recording accrue a small royalty. Those digital performance royalties are collected by SoundExchange, who processes logs from services and distributes the payments to artists. Unlike other royalty societies, who collect and distribute only to their members, SoundExchange is required to collect royalties for all performers, then has to locate and register artists so they can be paid. But if artists and labels don’t know about those royalties, they don’t sign up to get their checks.

That’s where partners like RootMusic come in. RootMusic provided a list of artists who’ve created BandPages, giving RootMusic a way to contact them. SoundExchange matched that list against its log of artists who have royalties waiting to be claimed. Armed with that list, RootMusic sent out notifications to let those artists know that SoundExchange has money for them.

“When we first spoke with RootMusic last year, two hundred artists had a BandPage on Facebook” said Bryan Calhoun, SoundExchange’s VP of External Affairs. “Now, over 150,000 artists are signed up. RootMusic shares our commitment to emerging artists, and that’s what makes them such a valueable partner. If SoundExchange tells an artist we have money for them, and it’s free to claim, they’re understandably skeptical. Through partnerships with artists’ allies, we can assure them the money’s for real, or remind them if they just haven’t filled out the paperwork. When we connect an artist to his earnings, and make sure he gets paid for his creative work, everybody wins.”

“The whole reason we started RootMusic was simply to help musicians in a variety of ways.” Agrees J Sider, CEO of RootMusic “It’s amazing to have the opportunity to partner with SoundExchange to pay out more than 7,000 artists using BandPage. We look forward to building more opportunities like this that really support musicians at every level.”

Recording artists or sound recording copyright owners should register with SoundExchange to claim digital performance royalties. More information and registration materials can be found at www.soundexchange.com.

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SoundExchange is the non-profit performance rights organization that collects statutory royalties from satellite radio, internet radio, cable TV music channels and other services that stream sound recordings. The Copyright Royalty Board, which was created Congress, has entrusted SoundExchange as the only entity in the United States to collect and distribute these digital performance royalties for featured recording artists and master rights owners. SoundExchange has paid out more than $500 million in royalties since its creation in 2003.

RootMusic helps musicians “Make the Move” to BandPage on Facebook, creating the first overall solution for musicians on Facebook. BandPage is a platform where musicians can share music, videos, photos, tour dates and Twitter feed with their fans on Facebook on a clean, easy to use page. RootMusic is adding thousands of bands per day and millions of new users every month with more than 50% of the top 100 artists on Facebook using BandPage as their tool of choice. Artists include international artists like Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Usher and Avril Lavigne, as well as legendary acts such as The Doors, AC/DC, Elvis and Miles Davis.

RootMusic & SoundExchange team up to pay artists $5.3M

admin — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:13:13 +0000

Partnership will notify musicians that unclaimed royalties are waiting

May 11, 2011 — RootMusic, the company behind Facebook’s #1 music and entertainment app BandPage, is all about helping recording artists and performers connect with their fans. Now, through a partnership with performance rights nonprofit SoundExchange, RootMusic is connecting 7,462 artists to $5.3 Million in unclaimed royalties. See the list.

Earlier this year, RootMusic teamed up with SoundExchange, the nonprofit organization tasked by Congress to distribute digital performance royalties: those earned by artists and copyright holders when their music is played by digital streaming outlets. The results? Thousands of recording artists of all sizes and genres got emails and account notices alerting them to unclaimed royalties they didn’t even know existed.

Here’s how it works: When sound recordings are streamed on the Internet, played on digital satellite radio or used on cable music channels, the performers on that recording accrue a small royalty. Those digital performance royalties are collected by SoundExchange, who processes logs from services and distributes the payments to artists. Unlike other royalty societies, who collect and distribute only to their members, SoundExchange is required to collect royalties for all performers, then has to locate and register artists so they can be paid. But if artists and labels don’t know about those royalties, they don’t sign up to get their checks.

That’s where partners like RootMusic come in. RootMusic provided a list of artists who’ve created BandPages, giving RootMusic a way to contact them. SoundExchange matched that list against its log of artists who have royalties waiting to be claimed. Armed with that list, RootMusic sent out notifications to let those artists know that SoundExchange has money for them.

“When we first spoke with RootMusic last year, two hundred artists had a BandPage on Facebook” said Bryan Calhoun, SoundExchange’s VP of External Affairs. “Now, over 150,000 artists are signed up. RootMusic shares our commitment to emerging artists, and that’s what makes them such a valueable partner. If SoundExchange tells an artist we have money for them, and it’s free to claim, they’re understandably skeptical. Through partnerships with artists’ allies, we can assure them the money’s for real, or remind them if they just haven’t filled out the paperwork. When we connect an artist to his earnings, and make sure he gets paid for his creative work, everybody wins.”

“The whole reason we started RootMusic was simply to help musicians in a variety of ways.” Agrees J Sider, CEO of RootMusic “It’s amazing to have the opportunity to partner with SoundExchange to pay out more than 7,000 artists using BandPage. We look forward to building more opportunities like this that really support musicians at every level.”

Recording artists or sound recording copyright owners should register with SoundExchange to claim digital performance royalties. More information and registration materials can be found at www.soundexchange.com.

###

SoundExchange is the non-profit performance rights organization that collects statutory royalties from satellite radio, internet radio, cable TV music channels and other services that stream sound recordings. The Copyright Royalty Board, which was created Congress, has entrusted SoundExchange as the only entity in the United States to collect and distribute these digital performance royalties for featured recording artists and master rights owners. SoundExchange has paid out more than $500 million in royalties since its creation in 2003.

RootMusic helps musicians “Make the Move” to BandPage on Facebook, creating the first overall solution for musicians on Facebook. BandPage is a platform where musicians can share music, videos, photos, tour dates and Twitter feed with their fans on Facebook on a clean, easy to use page. RootMusic is adding thousands of bands per day and millions of new users every month with more than 50% of the top 100 artists on Facebook using BandPage as their tool of choice. Artists include international artists like Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Usher and Avril Lavigne, as well as legendary acts such as The Doors, AC/DC, Elvis and Miles Davis.