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Gracenote Inks Deal to Offer Lyrics

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

July 14, 2006, 2:50 PM

Gracenote, which provides an index of album and song information to music services and software makers, has signed an agreement with numerous record companies that gives it the license to distribute lyrics for over 1 million songs in North America.

The deal is the first effort by the music industry to offer lyrics legally; currently, hundreds of Web sites on the Internet provide song lyrics, but do so without authorization. The news comes as record labels are planning a crackdown on such sites, mulling lawsuits over copyright infringement.

Gracenote says it has begun to talk with its technology partners about offering lyrics to their customers. For example, Apple's iTunes and Yahoo's Music Unlimited services could bundle lyrics with digital album purchases, much in the same way digital booklets are currently provided.

Bertelsmann AG's BMG Music Publishing, Vivendi's Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Peermusic and numerous other smaller record labels are among those companies that will work with Gracenote's new lyrics service.

No financial terms of the deal were disclosed, and Gracenote did not say how it planned to charge its partners for lyrics. However, Gracenote Senior Vice President Jim Hollingsworth said the music services will be able to choose whether or not to charge their customers for the added feature. The company expects any costs to be low.

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By IndustrialG33k

edited Jul 17, 2006 - 9:39 AM

What record labels fail to recognize is that lyric sites help promote sales anyway. How many times have you heard a song and had no clue who the artist was, so you googled it? The music industry really does have a nack for shooting themselves in the foot.

But hey, this is coming from someone who has purchased well over 500 CDs after previewing downloaded MP3s. I guess we are just on a different sheet of music.

Score: 0

By bouncyboingy

edited Jul 16, 2006 - 8:25 AM

I might as well come clean now,
Once I had this song stuck in my head for like 2 hours, and I didn't own it ...

I'll expect a subpoena in the mail

Score: 0

By kholdstare

posted Jul 15, 2006 - 11:18 AM

whats next they will start sueing people who run the guitar tab websites.

Score: 0

By DJInsomniac

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 2:02 PM

They already are doing that.

Score: 0

By Grazer

posted Jul 14, 2006 - 3:10 PM

Score: 0

By iLLz

posted Jul 14, 2006 - 4:49 PM

I totally agree with you. Why do you need permission to display song lyrics? Its not like people get to hear the songs, and anyone who checks to see what the lyrics are, are those people who own the music but simply are undetermined on what they are saying.

I consider lyric sites, more of a service to people who own the music and would like to know exactly what they are saying. Its funny to hear people sing the totally wrong lyrics to songs.

This brings a whole new meaning to getting raped by the industry.

Score: 0

By Grazer

posted Jul 14, 2006 - 5:00 PM

Why do you need permission to display song lyrics?
You could argue (and technically you'd probably be correct) that lyrics have the same protection as text in a book. However, that is ridiculous whether or not it is legit. ;)

Score: 0

By writie

edited Jul 16, 2006 - 10:09 AM

"Why do you need permission to display song lyrics?"
As Grazer points out, lyrics are covered by a copyright. As there has been no single efficient way to find "approved" lyrics on the web, most lyric sites have been able to display them without too much hassle. But the Association of American Publishers already started making threats at the beginning of the year. Basically, they complain that the sites are making advertising money off their backs - which is true to a degree. But as the industry had been unable to come up with a viable alternative, they could hardly do anything about it. Lyrics are important, and an important part of people's enjoyment. But they have until now been ignored by the industry. What this article fails to point out, for example, is that Gracenote apparently had to transcribe some of the lyrics from recordings, as some publishers didn't have the lyrics to which they own the rights!

Score: 0

By xyzcb1

posted Jul 16, 2006 - 3:36 PM

What they can do is they can publish the lyrics themselves. I remember years ago, all lyrics were included in the cassette or the CD you purchased, nowaday, it's nowhere to be found. I really appreciated those who put lyric available for the mass. Yes, the lyrics might be protected by copyright, and yes, they may be making money out of advertisement, but when you consider, it cost money to host those too.

Score: 0

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