The latest in royalties, music tech & blockchain — January 16 2017 Edition

Distributed Ledgers: Shared control, not shared data
In the context of distributed ledgers, I have noticed that many commentators and consultants confuse shared control of data with the sharing of data itself. The difference is crucial, and this common simplification misses the most important aspect of distributed ledgers. Read more

Blockchain For Music: The Promise and Problems
Know who owns rights to what is one of the greatest challenges currently faced by the music industry as well as those involved in it. Many believe Blockchain technology could be the answer to this issue by making royalty payments faster and more efficient whenever a song is consumed. Read more

Introduction of the Light Client for DApp developers
The first version of the Light Ethereum Subprotocol (LES/1) and its implementation in Geth are still in an experimental stage, but they are expected to reach a more mature state in a few months where the basic functions will perform reliably. Read more

Bulgaria’s Media Watchdog Sides with Public Radio on Music Royalties
The Council on Electronic Media (CEM) of Bulgaria has expressed concern with the news that no contemporary music will be airead by the BNR, the country’s the public radio broadcaster. The audience’s rights will be infringed by the move, which follows the unilateral suspension of a contract between the radio and one of the biggest composers’ and labels’ unions, Musicautor, according to the CEM. Read more

Streaming is officially crowned king of the music business. Shame it doesn’t make much money
Nielsen Music reports that streaming has now officially surpassed digital music sales for the first time in history; it grew 76% in the US in 2016, with Americans listening to a total of 431 billion songs on streaming platforms. Read more

Paid Music Streaming Was Worth £418.5M in the UK in 2016
Paid music-streaming revenues in the UK grew by 65.1% to £418.5m last year, according to the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) in its latest annual figures. That helped music revenues overall grow faster than games and video in the UK in 2016, even if music still lags behind those categories in value terms. Read more

Audio Streaming Overtook YouTube Music in the US Last Year
In the US, the RIAA has yet to release its numbers for last year, but research firm BuzzAngle has jumped in with its estimates and comparisons. The company claims that on-demand music audio streams grew by 82.6% year-on-year to 250.7bn in 2016, while video music streams grew by just 7.5% to 181.3bn that year. Read more

SoundExchange Could See Collected Revenue Shrink by $200 Million in 2017
A recent shift to direct licensing will likely lead to slower growth in 2016 and a precipitous drop next year as collections could decrease by about $200 million, according to Billboard estimates. Read more

2017 Will be a “Critical Year” for Music Law
“While litigation can be an important tool, it often takes a long time and the results are unclear,” says Steve Marks. “Solutions between business and industry partners can clear a path through thorny legal issues.” Read more

Originally published at blog.paperchain.io on January 16, 2017.