Page 29 - ARUBA TODAY

A29
PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 30 January 2018

This Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, photo shows music streaming apps
clockwise from top left, Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Pandora and
Google on an iPhone in New York.
Associated Press
Copyright board boosts

songwriters’ music

streaming fees

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE has soared in the past few
AP Technology Writer years as more consumers President of The Recording Academy Neil Portnow poses in the press room at the 60th annual
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) have embraced paying Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, in New York.
— A federal copyright a monthly or annual sub- Associated Press
board has raised the mu- scription fee for unlimited
sic streaming royalties for access to tens of millions of Recording Academy head criticized
songwriters and music pub- songs instead of incremen-
lishers by more than 40 per- tally buying a more limited after comments about women
cent to narrow the finan- amount of music on CDs or
cial divide separating them in a digital download. By The Associated Press who want to be part of the The Recording Academy
from recording labels. Those changing habits Recording Academy Presi- industry on an executive did not immediately return
The decision announced have pushed artists, song- dent Neil Portnow is fac- level, to step up,” Portnow an email seeking comment
earlier this weekend by the writers and publishers to ing criticism for his com- said backstage after the Monday.
National Music Publishers step up their efforts to get ments after the 60th annual show. There were no women
Association stems from a a larger cut of the royal- Grammy Awards ended “Because I think they nominated in the record
dispute pitting songwriters ties generated from mu- with only two female win- would be welcome. I don’t of the year category and
against steadily growing sic streaming — a format ners on stage and lingering have personal experience the only male to be nomi-
music streaming services that didn’t even exist when questions about the choice of those kind of brick walls nated in the best pop solo
sold by Spotify, Apple, some performers signed of performers. that you face. It’s us as an performance, Ed Sheeran,
Google, Amazon and Pan- their last record deals years Following the awards show industry making a welcome won. Alessia Cara won best
dora. The Copyright Roy- ago. The Copyright Royalty Sunday, many music fans mat very obvious — creat- new artist and Rihanna also
alty Board’s decision will re- Board drew up the new and critics questioned ing mentorships, creating got to take the stage when
quire those services to pay rates for songwriters and whether the Time’s Up opportunities for all people she and Kendrick Lamar
15.1 percent of their reve- publishers after hearing movement was just given who want to be creative, won best rap/sung perfor-
nue to the songwriters and evidence during a trial last lip service when the only and, really, paying it for- mance for “LOYALTY.”
publishers, up from 10.5 year. woman nominated for al- ward, and creating that As for why Lorde didn’t get
percent. The music pub- “Songwriters desperately bum of the year, Lorde, next generation of artists to perform solo, Portnow
lishers association hailed need and deserve the rate didn’t perform. Instead, who feel like they can do said, “We have a wealth
the ruling, even though increases,” said Bart Herbi- multiple minutes on the anything, say anything.” of riches every year and it’s
the trade group estimates son, executive director for telecast was given to male Criticism for Portnow’s com- hard to have a balanced
recording labels will still be the Nashville Songwriters artists who weren’t nomi- ments was swift. Grammy- show and have everybody
receiving $3.82 for every Association International, nated, such as Sting and winning singer Sheryl Crow involved. Every year’s dif-
$1 paid to songwriters and another trade group. the band U2. tweeted Monday: “I wish ferent.
publishers. Even so, that The new royalties seem While the red carpet was the #Grammys would re- We can’t have a perfor-
still represents “the most unlikely to faze Apple, filled with artists sporting turn to female/male cate- mance from every nomi-
favorable balance in the Google and Amazon — all white roses to symbolize gories. Who will young girls nee. We have over 80 cat-
history of the industry,” said of whom rank among the support of gender equality, be inspired by to pick up a egories. And so we have to
David Israelite, president world’s richest companies backstage after the show guitar and rock when most realize that we’ve got to
of the music publishers as- and operate their music wrapped Portnow was every category is filled create something that has
sociation. None of the ma- streaming services as com- questioned about Lorde’s with men? I’m not sure it is balance and so on and so
jor companies affected by plements to other prod- absence from the stage, about women needing to forth, and what you saw
the new music streaming ucts that generate most as well as the fact that only “step up”, (as said by the was our best judgment on
royalties responded to re- of their revenue. The new two women were shown on male in charge). #Gram- how to do that.”
quests by The Associated royalty systems could leave TV accepting awards. mysSoMale” As for Lorde, she seemed
Press for comment, leav- a bigger financial dent in “It has to begin with women Actress Debra Messing to address the controversy
ing it unclear whether the smaller and less diversified who have the creativity in joined in the criticism, writ- when she tweeted Mon-
shift will prod any of them companies such as Spotify their hearts and their souls, ing on Twitter: “This is in- day morning, “If you’re de-
to raise the prices paid by and Pandora, even though who want to be musicians, credibly dismaying to say bating whether or not I can
consumers. The popularity both are music streaming who want to be engineers, the least” in regards to Port- murder a stage... come
of music streaming services pioneers.q who want to be producers, now’s comments. see it for urself.”q