The emergence of streaming has revolutionized the music industry, leading to an increase in revenue and the proliferation of Performing Rights Organizations (PROs). Businesses now face rising licensing costs due to multiple PROs demanding fees for music use. This complexity has caused many small businesses to reconsider playing music altogether, as evidenced by a joint letter sent to the Copyright Office expressing concerns about the fairness and transparency of the licensing system. Violations of licensing can impose significant financial penalties on venues for playing music publicly.
The growing proliferation of PROs and their lack of transparency have made it increasingly difficult to offer music in our establishments. Small businesses can be left feeling like PROs have them over the proverbial barrel.
Businesses say the rising licensing costs have become overwhelming, and some question whether it's even worth playing music at all.
The issue is not that small businesses are unwilling to pay for music; the current system is unfair and untenable.
Creating a welcoming ambiance in a restaurant or yoga studio isn't as simple as putting on a Spotify playlist. Every song must be licensed and royalties paid whenever played in public.
#music-licensing #performing-rights-organizations #small-businesses #streaming-services #copyright-issues
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