RSSYouTube Signs Music Royalty Deal for UK
By Ed Oswald | Published August 30, 2007, 3:14 PM
YouTube said Thursday that it had agreed with the MCPS-PRS Alliance, the UK organization that distributes royalties to the record industry, on a system to compensate artists for music using on the UK version of the site.
About 10 million pieces of music would be licensed for an undisclosed sum, which analysts say is likely in the tens of millions of pounds. The deal would also shelter the social video site from any possible legal actions as a result of music used on its site.
Additionally, officials said that it would also cover content that is available through the site, such as music videos.
"Whether it is music videos, user uploads or other audio visual content, our agreement will allow our 50,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members to be paid when their creative talents are being enjoyed on YouTube's service across the UK," MCPS-PRS CEO Steve Porter said.
The agreement on music royalties is the first permanent one for YouTube anywhere in the world. While the company has reached similar deals here in the US, they are primarily a stop-gap measure aimed at keeping both sides happy while a full agreement is ironed out.
MCPS-PRS said it will figure out how to distribute royalties based on estimates of how many times a particular artist's content is viewed, although it admitted it may be difficult to monitor YouTube's vast library.
http://www.youtube.com/
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Yay First!
Okay, so it appears that it'll be okay for us to watch stuff on YouTube here in Blighty.
It still makes me sick though. The thought that MCPS-PRS Alliance (who I've never even heard of) will earn 'tens of millions of pounds' from this deal.
EDIT: Actually, I have heard of the PRS. I just remembered they are the lot attempting to force pub-DJ's and the like to cough up ridiculous license fee's for entertaining the locals while they have a beer - quite often, more than they actually earn.
It's pretty obvious a TINY proportion of that amount (if any) will filter it's way down to the artists from the viewings - and thats what REALLY gets my goat about all this rubbish. It's not about starving artists deprived of income. It's about greedy b@stard organisations supposedly representing the artists againt US, the individuals, promoting our fave sounds to others in order that the record companies, their agents and this body (the MCPS-PRS Alliance) can make money out of the artists.
For gawds sake what do that lot want? (I know, I know - more money). It appears that they are attempting (through their own stupidity) to kill off music altogether. Without radio (online or otherwise), YouTube (and it's clones) etc, there would be NO promotion - and, as a result, sales.
I'm not talking about that lot pirating CD's here. I'm talking about music video's on YouTube which are generally of pretty crap quality. Watch the video, enjoy the sound and the visuals and then go out and buy it.
There seem to be, these days, way too many people making money out of music, to the detriment of both the artists/composers and the music listeners themselves.
We (well, some of us) support the artists. For gawds sake at least let us watch the bloody videos - which are often better than the songs themselves - without penalty.
I'm sort of pleased that YouTube appear to be giving some help to ensure the content remains online, but SHOULD this really be the way things work? I'd say not!
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