Digital Distribution - Getting Paid

With the advent of online music services such as iTunes, eMusic, Rhapsody and Napster, how are publishers getting their fair share for the distributions of music digitally?

This panel will discuss how digital distributors have stepped into the mechanical licensing role ensuring that publishers and songwriters get paid for online music distributions. Typical distributors have not taken on this responsibility in the physical world, but with the digitalization of music the business practice has changed. We will explore how services such as iTunes don’t pay publishers directly and pass-through mechanical royalties to labels and distributors with no accountability back to publishers and songwriters. Panelists will discuss how their companies have the ability to license, account and pay publishers through the services they offer.

Panelists

Erik Gilbert
VP of Content, IODA

Maurice Russell
VP, Licensing, Collection & Business Affairs, HFA

Stanley Schneider, Esq.
Attorney

Patrick F Sullivan
President & CEO, Rightsflow, Inc.

Moderators

Helene Blue
Helene Blue Musique Ltd.