Both sides get more vocal in European safe harbour debate
Songwriters and composers called on European lawmakers to do more to close the bloody value gap at an event in Brussels yesterday, just as a coalition of organisations representing tech firms and libraries urged the same lawmakers to stop meddling with the copyright safe harbour. So that's all good fun, isn't it?

As you may remember, because I know you always pay full attention to these things, a proposed new European Copyright Directive is currently going through the motions in Brussels. It includes an article that aims to restrict the safe harbour rule that says that internet companies whose customers use their servers or networks to infringe copyright cannot be held liable for that infringement, providing said companies removing infringing material when made aware of it by a copyright owner.

Under pressure from the copyright industries – and especially the music business – the European Commission has proposed adding into law an obligation on larger safe harbour dwelling user-upload platforms to do more to monitor the content being distributed over their networks, and to proactively remove or licence copyright material.

It's all come about, of course, because of YouTube. The music industry argues that the Google-owned video site – which is the largest streaming music platform in the world – is able to force record companies and music publishers into signing licensing deals that provide relatively poor remuneration for rights owners by exploiting the copyright safe harbour. It means that YouTube, while having the most users and streams, pays much less into the music industry overall than other streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.

The aim of article thirteen of the draft Copyright Directive is to increase the obligations of platforms like YouTube. The music companies hope that that increased obligation will pressure YouTube into agreeing to deals that are more preferential to the labels and publishers. Though as it's currently written, there is arguably enough wriggle room in article thirteen for YouTube to argue it is already compliant with the new obligations.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of critics of the safe harbour article in the tech sector, who argue that the new obligation will have a negative impact on innovation and free speech, and all that gubbins they say about every new copyright rule. Meanwhile in the music community, campaigners want article thirteen as it is currently written to remain unaltered, or if possible tightened up a little to remove the aforementioned room for wriggling.

At an event called Meet The Authors staged yesterday by GESAC, which brings together many of the European collecting societies that represent song rights, creators told the assortment of European politicians in the room that "unless clear and strong legislation is adopted at an EU level, free-riding platforms will continue to have carte blanche for siphoning value from creative and cultural works for their own profit, depriving Europe of one of its main economic assets: the creative sector".

Among those speaking at the event was Oscar-winning composer Jan AP Kaczmarek, who stated that: "As creators, we need to know that there is a sound framework to ensure that those who commercially benefit from the use of our works have our consent and remunerate us appropriately. Without this very basic principle, living as a professional author with full dedication to our work is simply not possible".

Political types also gave their support to safe harbour reform, with Pierre Sellal, France's ambassador to the EU, declaring that: "The transfer of value, which is the massive distortion in the sharing of the value between creators of cultural content and the platforms that make them available, is today a threat both for cultural diversity and to the development of the digital single market. This is why a better sharing of the value should be a key objective for the European Union".

Meanwhile, on the other side of the debate, an organisation calling itself Copyright For Creativity, which brings together an assortment of groups representing tech firms, libraries and digital rights campaigners, published an open letter calling for article thirteen to be scrapped altogether. The open letter was also signed by a plethora of other trade bodies.

The letter says: "The provision on the so-called 'value gap' is designed to provoke such legal uncertainty that online services will have no other option than to monitor, filter and block EU citizens' communications if they want to have any chance of staying in business. The Commission's proposal misrepresents some European Court rulings and seeks to impose contradictory obligations on Member States. This is simply bad regulation".

It goes on: "Article thirteen should be removed from the copyright negotiations and dealt with in appropriate contexts. We strenuously oppose such ill thought through experimentation with intermediary liability, which will hinder innovation and competition and will reduce the opportunities available to all European businesses and citizens".

So, make of that what you will. Meanwhile CMU will moderate a discussion on all things safe harbour at MIDEM next week.

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Big Life allies with Reservoir
New York-based music rights firm Reservoir has announced another deal to expand its UK interests, this time with artist management firm Big Life and its music publishing wing Big Life Music.

Under the deal, Reservoir will acquire a stake in Big Life's music publishing catalogue, and "will expand its business operations to include participation in artist management activities". Big Life will still be led by Tim Parry, who co-founded the firm with the late Jazz Summers, but the company will now be allied to Reverb, the UK music publisher run by Annette Barrett,which Reservoir acquired in 2012.

Says Parry: "I've known Reservoir/Reverb Music Managing Director Annette Barrett and Reservoir SVP Of Creative & A&R Spek for many years, and what they and the Reservoir team have achieved globally over the last decade is remarkable. They are one of most creatively focused and innovative independent music publishers and always put the songwriter right at the middle of their decision making".

He adds: "Our approaches to working with creative talent are aligned and this new agreement will see us both benefit from the experience and expertise of our respective teams. When the opportunity came up to work with Spek and Annette it seemed like the perfect fit for Big Life".

Speaking for Reservoir, the firm's COO Rell Lafargue added: "We have a longstanding relationship with Big Life and have been discussing ways of working together for some time. Helping the company build on the success of its publishing activity and working closely with them to develop interesting new opportunities in the artist management sector is a natural fit for us and we are excited to be working with Tim and his team".

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Huw Stephens partners on new music supervision agency
Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens is involved in a new music supervision agency called Land Of Sound, which is a joint venture with LA-based music supervisor Aminé Ramer, who has previously worked on sync projects for a plethora of producers and brands.

The new business will have bases in LA and London, and is supported by London-based music company Manners McDade. Ramer and Stephens say the new business will specialise in music searches, sync licensing and bespoke commissions, working for ad agencies and film and TV producers. It will also seek to facilitate artist/brand partnerships.

Ramer: "We decided to launch Land Of Sound after talking about how important the art of discovery is for both of us. Over the years we have turned each other onto new and important acts. To put both of our areas of expertise together to form a fresh take on supervision is a dream. My passion for finding the right music in film, TV and ads, as well as the licensing processes this involves, is matched by Huw's years of being the consummate tastemaker and proven abilities as one".

Stephens: "We are excited to launch Land Of Sound at this great time for music supervision. With Aminé in LA and myself in London, we swap music tips and ideas constantly, and are excited to launch this project. Aminé's track record in supervision speaks for itself, and together we are excited to take on interesting and diverse projects".

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Propaganda club brand launches label
Indie club brand Propaganda is launching a new label in partnership with artist and label services business Autonomy Music Group. It'll be called Propaganda Records, obviously, though don't go confusing that with the Finnish label of the same name. I know I won't.

Richard Engler, who co-founded the Autonomy Music Group with David Rowell, confirmed the tie up with Propaganda yesterday, remarking that: "Propaganda have a loyal fanbase and between us we're finding great new talent and exposing it to a ready audience. Just like Factory Records had the Hacienda – what could possibly go wrong?"

Meanwhile Propaganda founder Dan Ickowitz-Seidler added: "I have known Richard and David for a number of years. We have been discussing Propaganda Records for a long time and I could not have wished for better partners in this really exciting project. I'm THRILLED to be working together on it".

The first signing is London band MOSES, who will tour each of the Propaganda nights around the UK alongside their new single release.

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BMG appoints new European legal chief
The BMGs have appointed media lawyer Ama Walton to be the firm's SVP Business & Legal Affairs and in house general counsel for Europe. She joins from German film producer Constantin, where she was co-MD of the movie maker's music interests, and will be based out of BMG's Berlin HQ reporting to big cheese Hartwig Masuch.

It's not Walton's first role at a music company, she having previously worked for EMI Music Germany, and she advised the then all-new BMG on some of its earliest acquisitions back in 2008.

I'm telling you that so this quote from Walton herself makes sense. "Having been there at the beginning, I have been deeply impressed by the scale and breadth of what the new BMG has achieved". See, that wouldn't have made sense had I not provided the background information, would it? Well done me.

"I have the deepest respect for people who create music", Walton continues, "and look forward to playing my part in BMG's mission to be a better kind of music business".

And here's boss man Masuch with the customary quote. I bet he's delighted. "I am delighted to welcome Ama Walton to our team" says he. "She is both an exceptional commercial lawyer and someone who aligns with our values and strategic objectives".

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Radio industry chief will tell digital platforms to get better at regulating their output
Digital media platforms – whether they call themselves 'media' or not – should expect a little bit of regulation and live with it. Not my words people, but the words of Siobhan Kenny, boss of UK commercial radio industry trade group Radiocentre. Well, they were my words actually. But I was paraphrasing her sentiment. Sort of.

According to Radio Today, Kenny will tell a radio industry event in Brussels that she agrees with the Conservative Party manifesto when it says that there should be consistency in the way online and traditional media are regulated, adding that regulation – whether statutory or stemming from industry-led initiatives – is something you have to accept when you are talking to large audiences.

Kenny will say: "We are at a critical turning point in our digital development. Technology has changed consumers' lives beyond recognition in the past ten years and we have all rightly celebrated the innovation of the companies who have driven this transformation".

"But it is time for digital companies to fully grasp the ramifications of that rapid change" she will add, "and for governments to act in the interests of their citizens, in line with longstanding practice in broadcasting. The current Conservative Party manifesto notes the need for consistency in regulation for both online and offline media, and there is so much more that can be done, especially in terms of self-regulation".

Noting how commercial radio in the UK is regulated by OfCom, she will go on to argue that: "Digital media owners have been slow to move to effective self-regulation. Therefore we do now need to ask whether national and international agreements on sanctions for those who continue to broadcast or publish inappropriate or, worse, extremist material on their platforms is the next step. Digital media owners should understand their responsibility as broadcasters, whether they choose to term themselves as such or not".

The radio industry recently capitalised on criticism thrown at Google for allowing – via automated systems - big brand advertising to appear next to extremist content, telling companies that radio is a safer medium on which to advertise.

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Ariana Grande announces benefit concert for Manchester
Coldplay, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry are all set to join Ariana Grande at a benefit concert in Manchester this weekend.

The concert, at the 50,000 capacity Old Trafford Cricket Ground, will raise money to support those directly affected by the bomb attack that occurred during Grande's show at the Manchester Arena last week and which left 22 people dead. Anyone who attended that show has been offered free tickets to this weekend's concert.

Take That, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell, Niall Horan and Usher are all also set to appear at the charity show, most playing with Grande's tour band. The tribute event will also be broadcast on BBC One, and on BBC and Capital radio stations.

Proceeds will go to the We Love Manchester emergency fund set up by Manchester City Council and the British Red Cross in the wake of last week's bombing.

Commenting on the benefit concert, Greater Manchester Police chief constable Ian Hopkins told the BBC: "When the idea of the concert came up, my first reaction was, we need to speak to the families of the victims and see what they feel. It's fair to say that the majority of them are very much in favour, [though] there are some that clearly aren't and that is absolutely understandable".

Tickets for the concert go on sale tomorrow here.

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Acts announced for Earache's Glastonbury stage
You know how Glastonbury is working with Earache Records on a punk and metal stage for this year's festival?

Well, some initial bands have been confirmed for the new stage, which is being built in a recycled London Underground tube carriage. And the line up includes Grindcore trio Wormrot, former Crass frontman Steve Ignorant and one-time KLF collaborators Extreme Noise Terror.

The new stage is located in the Shangri La zone of the festival, and some heavier sounding acts will be playing on the Truth Stage there too, most notably good old Napalm Death.

Says that band's Shane Embury: "I haven't been to Glastonbury since 1989! A wild weekend I recall where I was a baby sitter for a Japanese punk band all on acid! All I can say is myself and the rest of the Napalm Death boys are very happy to finally play this prestigious event, lets hope it's a fucking mad one!"

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APRA/AMCOS, SoundCloud, Pitchfork, more

Other notable announcements and developments today...

• The CEO of Australian collecting society APRA/AMCOS, Brett Cottle, will leave the organisation in June 2018 after a long career there, initially as in-house counsel, and as CEO since 1990.

• SoundCloud's Chief Content Officer, ex-Warner Music exec Stephen Bryan - who played a key role in securing the music licences that enabled the digital platform to shift its business model, in a bid to generate revenue from ads and user subscriptions, rather than just charging hosting fees to content creators - is leaving the company.

• The President of online music magazine Pitchfork, Chris Kaskie, is departing the company after fourteen years. He will leave the now Conde Naste-owned title in July.

• OK Go's recent TED talk was posted online at the weekend. The talk is called 'How To Find A Wonderful Idea'. The band also played acoustic versions of two of their songs, because they write songs too, did you know that? Don't worry, they had the video for each song playing in the background too. See the talk here.

• Kitty, Daisy & Lewis will return with a new album on Sunday Best on 29 Sep. The new LP is called 'Superscope'. The first track from it is called 'Down On My Knees'. You can listen to that here. I just did.

• Alt-J have announced a five date sea-side tour for September, a bit like the old Radio 1 Roadshow but without the fun. They'll play Brighton, Margate, Bournemouth, Weston Super Mare and Blackpool.

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Theresa May the 'Liar Liar' set to chart
So, it looks like the Theresa May themed record 'Liar Liar' – from London-based band Captain Ska – is set to be the highest new entry in the singles chart this Friday. You remember the singles chart, right? Yes? Good.

Captain Ska originally released their political song in 2010 about the then coalition government, but with the General Election looming they put out a new version last week including soundbites from speeches and interviews given by May. "She's a liar liar, you can't trust her, no, no, no", the song's lyrics then add.

The release is backed by The People's Assembly Against Austerity, and proceeds from the track will be given to that organisation and various UK food banks. According to the Official Charts Company, the single is at number seven in the latest Official Chart Update.

Say the band: "The success of this song shows people are fed up with this government of the rich, for the rich. We're overwhelmed with the support and our message is that people do have the power to change society if we act together".

Listen to the track on YouTube here. Though that won't help its chart position. You'll have to buy it or stream it on Spotify for that.

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