SoundExchange Ends Record-Setting Year with More Than $800 Million in Total Distributions to Recording Artists and Record Labels

SoundExchange Ends Record-Setting Year with More Than $800 Million in Total Distributions to Recording Artists and Record Labels

Largest Fourth Quarter Distribution to Date Increases 16% from Q4 2014

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SoundExchange today announced a new record with total year-end royalty payments reaching $802.6 million (up 4 percent from $773.4 million the prior year). The fourth quarter 2015 distribution also increased, totaling $211.4 million (up 16 percent from $182.8 million the prior year).

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"As we close the books on a historic year in distributions for SoundExchange, we are looking forward to 2016. In the year ahead we will continue to develop products and services that help the music industry run more efficiently, increase the velocity of payments and reduce friction," SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe said. "We believe 2016 will be our best year yet, and we are eager to share this ride together."

More than 2,500 non-interactive Internet radio, satellite radio and cable radio services pay royalties to recording artists and rights holders through SoundExchange.

In addition to surpassing $800 million in royalties paid for the first time, SoundExchange reached many important milestones in 2015 that moved the recorded music industry forward. SoundExchange's 2015 achievements include:


-- Paying more than $3 billion cumulatively in digital royalties to
recording artists and labels since 2003.
-- Helping introduce the Fair Play Fair Pay Act, sponsored by
Representatives Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in
April.
-- Participating in the Copyright Royalty Board's (CRB) Webcasting IV case,
which set royalty rates and terms for webcasters using the statutory
license for 2016-2020.
-- Hosting the SoundExchange Influencers Series at the Bluebird Café in
Nashville featuring BeBe Winans, Jonathan McReynolds and Alexa Cruse.
-- Appointing music legend David Byrne to the SoundExchange Board of
Directors.
-- Reaching a settlement agreement with National Public Radio (NPR) and the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) on royalty rates through 2020
for webcasting by public radio stations.
About SoundExchange
SoundExchange is the independent non-profit collective management organization representing the entire recorded music industry. The organization collects statutory royalties on behalf of over 110,000 recording artists and master rights owners accounts for the use of their content on satellite radio, Internet radio, cable TV music channels and other services that stream sound recordings. The Copyright Royalty Board, created by Congress, has entrusted SoundExchange as the sole entity in the United States to collect and distribute statutory digital performance royalties from more than 2,500 services. Since 2003, SoundExchange has paid out more than $3 billion in royalties. For more information visit www.SoundExchange.com or www.facebook.com/soundexchange.

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SOURCE SoundExchange

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Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140423/77825
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SoundExchange

CONTACT: Sophia Majlessi 202-696-1832, smajlessi@soundexchange.com; Josh Goldman 202-559-0558, jgoldman@soundexchange.com

Web Site: www.soundexchange.com


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