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Music Nation Launches in UAE to Collect Royalties with BMI Partnership
Music

Music Nation Launches in UAE to Collect Royalties with BMI Partnership

by jummy84
written by jummy84

For years, the Middle East has been regarded as the next hot music market – for talent, streaming and even the live business. But few countries there have modern collective management organizations that can take in and pay out royalties for performing rights or mechanical rights on the publishing side, or neighboring rights when recordings are used on radio or television or in bars or restaurants. On Oct. 23, the start-up Music Nation, which has a partnership with BMI, will begin collecting for those rights in the United Arab Emirates, which includes Dubai and Abu Dhabi – and it will not be the only player in the market.  

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The UAE’s 2021 update of copyright law established public performance and neighboring rights in the country. Since then, the UAE has given permits to two collection organizations: Music Nation and the Emirates Music Rights Association (EMRA), which has the backing of some foreign societies, including SACEM, and plans to operate as a nonprofit. (A third company has been collecting royalties for several years.) Music Nation, which is technically a Rights Management Entity (RME), is a private company. It has a partnership with BMI, which gives it access to important U.S. repertoire, and it has a deal with SoundExchange to provide neighboring rights administration, so it can license both publishing and neighboring rights for the use of recordings.  

“With Music Nation’s technology and a leadership team that understands both the UAE’s cultural fabric and global music operations, we’re delivering a simple, transparent and modern licensing solution that easily licenses businesses and quickly pays creators,” said Music Nation founder and chairwoman Rasha Khalifa Al Mubarak.

The executive team includes CEO Amer M. Samhoun, COO James K. Petrie and chief creative officer Ali Dee.

Rasha Khalifa Al Mubarak

The launch of Music Nation is the first international partnership of its kind for BMI, after that organization shifted to operating as a for-profit company backed by private equity.

It also represents the opening of a potentially important new market, since the UAE has said it is making the music business and the creative industries an economic priority, and Saudi Arabia is moving in the same direction. The markets are different, however. Foreigners make up about 88% of the population in the UAE, with significant numbers coming from elsewhere in the Middle East, the U.S. and Europe, India and the Philippines. Anglo-American songs and recordings are said to be popular, which means that the country could generate significant royalties for ASCAP, BMI and the UK CMO PRS for Music.

There will be competition, however. As a nonprofit in the traditional European model, EMRA has been championed by SACEM. Since 2020, the UAE has also had another RME, ESMAA, a subsidiary of PopArabia, which is majority-owned by Reservoir Media and run by Hussain Yoosuf, who goes by the nickname “Spek.” Although ESMAA does not have a permit to operate as a collective management organization under the UAE copyright law, it has an Abu Dhabi business license for rights management that allows it to collect and distribute royalties. Right now, it also has more reciprocal agreements in place than its competitors, including with PRS, GEMA (the German CMO) and STIM (Sweden).

Both Music Nation and EMRA will presumably pursue deals with those entities, as well as others, and the market could get very competitive.


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Zubeen Garg’s Manager Breaks Silence On Music Rights And Royalties After Singer’s Death
Bollywood

Zubeen Garg’s Manager Breaks Silence On Music Rights And Royalties After Singer’s Death

by jummy84
written by jummy84

Days after the sudden and tragic passing of renowned singer Zubeen Garg, his longtime manager and close associate, Siddharth Sarma, has issued a heartfelt and detailed statement on Facebook. In an open letter, Siddharth addressed the growing public speculation surrounding the ownership of Zubeen’s vast music catalogue and the revenue generated from his artistic work.

Siddharth began by clarifying widespread misconceptions, particularly regarding who owns the rights to Zubeen’s music. He stated that the majority of Zubeen’s body of work — an estimated 38,000 songs — is owned by various music labels and production companies, not by Zubeen himself.

“Almost all of Zubeen da’s songs, even the biggest blockbusters, were done before I entered his life,” Siddharth wrote. “He often lamented how he was shortchanged — producers and labels earned crores, while he received only modest payments. This can be verified with those companies directly.”

In an effort to reclaim control over his creative output, Zubeen took significant steps in 2021 by launching his own music label, Zubeen Garg Music LLP . Siddharth Sarma was also a partner in the venture, with Zubeen holding a majority 60% stake.

However, Siddharth admitted that the LLP had not yet become a major source of income. “The LLP has generated only a few thousand rupees monthly so far. The entire amount remains untouched in the company account,” he wrote, adding, “I consider it my duty to ensure his family inherits his rightful share.”

Siddharth also addressed concerns about royalties. He clarified that any royalties Zubeen earned in his role as a composer or lyricist were deposited directly into Zubeen’s personal account. He further stated that these funds will now be transferred to Zubeen’s widow, Garima Garg, ensuring that the singer’s earnings remain within his family.

Zubeen Garg’s Untimely Death

Zubeen Garg, a beloved figure in Assamese and Indian music, passed away on September 19 while visiting Singapore for the North East Festival. He was found in critical condition in the sea by local authorities and was immediately taken to a hospital, where he was admitted to the ICU. Despite receiving intensive medical care, he later succumbed to his injuries.

Zubeen’s death has sent shockwaves across the country, particularly in Assam and the Northeastern region, where he was considered a cultural icon. Known for his genre-defying music, multilingual prowess, and relentless passion, Zubeen recorded more than 38,000 songs across various Indian languages during his illustrious career.

 

As the investigation into his death continues, tributes from fans, artists, politicians, and cultural figures have poured in, honouring his immense contribution to Indian music and culture. Many remember him not only as a prolific artist but as a voice that amplified the identity and issues of the Northeast.

Siddharth’s statement offers a glimpse into the lesser-known aspects of Zubeen’s professional journey, shedding light on the legal and financial complexities surrounding his work. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of artists having control over their creative rights, even in industries where such control is often elusive.

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SoundExchange Appeals SiriusXM Royalties Lawsuit Dismissal
Music

SoundExchange Appeals SiriusXM Royalties Lawsuit Dismissal

by jummy84
written by jummy84

A major court ruling last month found that SoundExchange doesn’t have the power to collect royalties through litigation. Now, the organization has launched an appeal in hopes of preserving this enforcement strategy.

SoundExchange’s notice of appeal on Friday (Sept. 5) challenges an August federal court ruling that dismissed its $400 million lawsuit against SiriusXM. Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald held in her decision that SoundExchange, a nonprofit designated by the Copyright Royalty Board to collect performance royalties for artists, does not actually have the right to sue anybody under federal law.

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This ruling was the first to weigh in on SoundExchange’s standing to collect recorded royalties via lawsuits, and the implications are big. For more than a decade, the organization has regularly used litigation to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties from radio broadcasters like SiriusXM and music streamers such as Slacker and Napster.

Already, music companies are trying to use Judge Buchwald’s ruling in their favor. Just weeks after the decision came down, Sonos told a court that it will file a motion to dismiss its own pending SoundExchange royalties lawsuit based on the rationale in the SiriusXM case.  

Faced with the possibility of losing a key enforcement strategy, SoundExchange is standing firm and using an appeal to go on the offensive. The group wants the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse Judge Buchwald, calling the decision an “erroneous ruling and flawed interpretation” of the Copyright Act in a statement on Friday.

“As Congress surely realized in creating the statutory license, some licensees will seek any available means to avoid paying artists for the full value of their work to maximize profitability,” said SoundExchange in the statement. “For the statutory license to function properly, SoundExchange fully believes Congress intended that the ‘enforcement’ power clearly granted in the statute must necessarily include the ability of its administrator to bring litigation claims when digital music services fail to meet their obligations under the law.”

“In the meantime,” continues the statement, “SoundExchange will continue in its mission of securing fair compensation for artists and rights owners and looks forward to arguing its case in court.”

A rep for SiriusXM did not immediately return a request for comment on the appeal.

The SoundExchange lawsuit against SiriusXM, brought in 2023, accused the satellite radio giant of “gaming the system” with manipulative bundling to withhold more than $150 million in performance royalties up to that point.

SoundExchange says SiriusXM has continued to apply this “faulty methodology” in the years since and now owes more than $400 million to artists and labels. SiriusXM denies all of SoundExchange’s claims.

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