Songwriter’s Corner
Songwriter’s Corner is a collection of articles from the archives of both the original newsletter version of Law on the Row and from its online sibling. These articles will be of particular interest to songwriters.
More Revenue for Songwriters? Copyright Royalty Tribunal increases the Mechanical Royalty Rates GalleryMore Revenue for Songwriters? Copyright Royalty Tribunal increases the Mechanical Royalty Rates
Creative, Digital Downloads, Entertainment Industry News, Entertainment Law, Licensing, Life on the Row, Music Industry, Music Law, Music Publishing, Music Row Nashville, Music Row News, Nashville, Songwriting, Streaming
More Revenue for Songwriters? Copyright Royalty Tribunal increases the Mechanical Royalty Rates
Recently, on December 12, 2023, the Copyright Royalty Judges announced a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase in the mechanical royalty rates for the 17 U.S.C. §115 statutory license for making and distributing phonorecords of nondramatic [...]
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Reunion
Last week, I was so honored to see many of the members of the NaSHOF at our Hall of Fame Reunion Lunch, held at Ray Stevens’ Cabaray Showroom on December 7. The annual event [...]
Spotify recognizes the songwriter
Written by Maddie Westrup Amidst the rise of “streaming” the music industry has faced immense innovation in recent years, not the least of which is the total rebuild of Section 115 and the mechanical [...]
NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES 2018 INDUCTEES
Yesterday I had the honor of attending the announcement of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame's 2018 inductees, Ronnie Dunn, K.T. Oslin, Byron Hill, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Joe Melson. I am so honored to serve [...]
Barry Neil Shrum named general counsel for Nashville Songwriters’ Hall of Fame
Shrum & Associates’ very own namesake, Barry Neil Shrum, Esquire, was recently appointed to serve as general counsel for the Nashville Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, and to serve as a non-voting member of its [...]
Sorting out the DOJ Ruling and its impact on performance rights GallerySorting out the DOJ Ruling and its impact on performance rights
Client Activity, Copyright Issues, Entertainment Industry News, Entertainment Law, Life on the Row, Music Industry, Music Law, Music Publishing, Music Row Nashville, Music Row News, Nashville, Songwriting
Sorting out the DOJ Ruling and its impact on performance rights
The first of the month (August 2016), the Department of Justice issued a summary of findings with regard to two court orders that govern the operation of two of the U.S. performing rights organizations (the [...]
Recent Legislative Efforts Bode Well for Songwriters
Since taking over Mary Beth Peters as Register of Copyrights in 2011, Maria Pallante has been listening and responding to the concerns of a number of her constituents, particularly those in the music industry, and [...]
In the Thicke of things
Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams spent 2013 on the top of the charts with their hit Blurred Lines, but due to allegations of copyright infringement suit leveled by the children of legendary singer Marvin Gaye [...]
The Creative Spark
You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. As it does every year, this new year marks a new beginning. I plan to continue my Twitter series [...]
The Importance of Music in Film Licensing
By guest author Mallory Trice In 1926, the Warner Bros. studio in Hollywood introduced sound to film for the very first time causing a wave throughout Hollywood and around the globe as other major [...]
The Magical Ring of Gyges: Why Illegal Downloading is So Rampant in the Age of Cyberspace
NBC Universal recently hired a company called Envisional to study counterfeiting activity over the Internet. The results of this study – despite the fact that it is industry funded – are literally astonishing: 24% of [...]
Origins of an Idea–Nothing New Under the Sun?
It was allegedly King Solomon who declared “there is nothing new under the sun!” Now a recent strain of thought seeks to recast King Solomon’s casual observation in order to challenge the basis of U.S. [...]
“Not Accepting Unsolicited Material”
What songwriters can do to protect their ideas when submitting demo tapes to publishers Every songwriter has heard the words "sorry, we’re not accepting unsolicited material" from at least a dozen publishers. In fact, in [...]
All that glitters is not gold – tips on analyzing a songwriting/band contest
When is the last time you heard of someone getting a really "big break" in the music industry through any contest, other than perhaps American Idol? That's because most artists and songwriters are not discovered [...]
Fair is not always “Fair Use”
The concept of “fair use” is a very misunderstood concept. The first common misunderstanding that people espouse is that the concept of “fair use” is a right or privilege granted by copyright law. It is [...]