NMPA Signs Agreement with AwesomenessTV to Ensure Songwriters Receive YouTube Channel Royalties
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) today announced a forward-thinking licensing agreement in which music publishers and songwriters will receive royalty payments for use of their musical works in videos on managed channels within the AwesomenessTV Network.
The agreement also establishes a pool to give copyright holders compensation for past use of their musical works on these channels and allows video creators to continue to use the music that inspires them and their fans while ensuring that creators are paid.
The licensing agreement will unlock a new revenue stream for publishers and songwriters by allowing copyright owners to receive royalties from revenue generated by videos in which musical works are used. AwesomenessTV’s managed channels are not covered by existing licensing agreements between YouTube and music publishers and are not scanned by Content ID, which previously made it difficult for music publishers and songwriters to be paid properly for their creative works. The new agreement allows AwesomenessTV creators to perform cover songs in their videos with royalties going to the correct copyright holders.
Along with NMPA’s landmark agreement with Spotify in March, this agreement is another important success that will ensure those who create music are compensated.
National Music Publishers’ Association President and CEO David Israelite praised the agreement: “This agreement encourages cooperation between music’s creators and companies like AwesomenessTV that have emerged during the digital age where streaming and online channels on sites such as YouTube are a huge part of music’s enormous influence on society. It is critical that publishers and songwriters are not only paid when their music is used on YouTube channels, but also that they are paid back for when their music was used in the past. Deals like this are critical to make sure songwriters thrive in the new digital world, and NMPA will continue to champion their rights through agreements that make new models and services profitable for the creators who make them possible."
About the NMPA: Founded in 1917, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) is the trade association representing all American music publishers and their songwriting partners. The NMPA’s mandate is to protect and advance the interests of music publishers and songwriters in matters relating to the domestic and global protection of music copyrights. Learn more at www.nmpa.org.