More US politicians back American record industry's bid for radio royalties
Two more members of Congress in the US have formally backed the legislation that is attempting to force American radio stations to pay royalties to record labels and artists as well as music publishers and songwriters. Democrats Jim Cooper and Brad Sherman have now signed on as co-sponsors of the proposed Fair Play Fair Pay Act.

As much previously reported, US copyright law is unusual in that it doesn't provide a general 'performing right' for sound recordings, meaning third parties do not need to secure a licence or pay any royalties to artists and labels when they play a track on the radio or in public. There is, however, a digital performing right, meaning online and satellite broadcasters do need a licence.

This peculiarity of American law means artists and labels do not earn any royalties when their music is played by traditional radio stations, unlike their counterparts in most other countries, and the songwriters and publishers in the US itself. Meanwhile online and satellite broadcasters in America are at a disadvantage to AM/FM broadcasters.

There have been various efforts over the years to introduce a general performing right for sound recordings in the US, the bipartisan Fair Play Fair Pay Act being the latest. The proposed legislation was reintroduced into Congress back in March.

Welcoming the new support of Cooper and Sherman for the radio royalty proposals, Chris Israel from lobbying group musicFIRST said yesterday: "We are so pleased to have Congressmen Jim Cooper and Brad Sherman join our effort to ensure music creators are compensated fairly for their work".

He went on: "Congress has a historic opportunity to modernise the US copyright system by enacting the 'Fair Play Fair Pay Act' and their support shows growing bipartisan momentum behind reform. This bill establishes market-based compensation for music creators across all platforms, and creates fair, technology-neutral rules for music services".

"With digital and streaming services on the rise in popularity", Israel continued, "the radio industry needs to adapt to the new market realities and continue to grow alongside them. By clinging on to an antiquated and unfair model - and failing to pay for the music that powers its frequencies - the radio industry is bound to be left behind".

Fair Play Fair Pay isn't the only proposed legislation looking to reform musical elements of American copyright law, though not all the proposals have the support of the music community. As previously reported, in July four members of Congress proposed the Transparency In Music Licensing & Ownership Act, which would oblige the US Copyright Office to build a publicly accessible database of music rights ownership information.

The lack of a publicly accessible one-stop database of music rights data has been a big talking point within the music community in recent years of course, poor data adding to the complexities of the streaming business, especially when it comes to paying publishers and songwriters. To that end, various initiatives are underway within the music community attempting to address the music rights data problem.

One of the issues with copyright data is that in most countries there is no copyright registration - copyright is automatic - meaning there is not government agency where copyrights are logged. Actually, in the US there is some copyright registration, overseen by the aforementioned Copyright Office. But that hasn't helped when it comes to getting publishers and songwriters paid, hence the proposal the Copyright Office set up and run a more sophisticated and substantial database of music rights information.

Which might sound like the sort of thing the music community could get behind. Except the Transparency In Music Licensing & Ownership Act is mainly the result of lobbying by music users rather than music creators - so digital firms and broadcasters - and the US music community reckons that the proposals are impractical, and the sanctions that would be put in place to force creators to input their data unfair.

Or at least, that was the viewpoint expressed by the Content Creators' Coalition - another lobbying organisation for music people - in a letter sent to the House Committee On The Judiciary last week. While conceding that the music licensing process is currently too complex, and admitting that artists and songwriters more than anyone would like more transparency, the Coalition declared that the TIMLO Act "represents a one-sided approach that would fail to simplify music licensing".

On the impracticalities of the proposed new database, the Coalition's letter says "the record keeping mandates in the bill are voluminous and incredibly vague", noting the use of terms like 'catalogue number' which, it says, "are undefined and could mean a number of things". It also criticises proposals that basically make songwriters and publishers responsible for logging cover versions of their songs. Asks the letter: "How is an artist supposed to register every album on which one of her songs has been recorded, including recordings by other artists they may not even know about?"

The TIMLO Act also proposes some sticks to force music makers to input their data into the proposed new database. In particular, if a non-data-inputting music maker successfully sued for copyright infringement, they might be deprived access to statutory damages and legal costs. "The law should help creators understand and protect their rights", states the Coalition. "Not create obstacles courses for them to navigate on pain of losing control over their creative work".

The letter then argues that the TIMLO proposals "actually incentivise the appropriation of creators' work based on technical or other often innocent shortcomings, removing key deterrents that should discourage music services from doing so". After name-checking the proposed copyright reforms the Coalition likes - including Fair Play Fair Pay - the letter concludes: "We urge the Committee to reject [these proposals] and to press ahead at full speed with more genuine music licensing reform".

Although, as mentioned, various industry initiatives are underway to tackle the music rights data problem - after the TIMLO Act was proposed US collecting societies BMI and ASCAP announced their own combined database venture - some reckon that, ultimately, external pressure is required to force the music industry to get its copyright data in order. Though, it has to be said, a government-run database of this kind - even if launched with good motives - would probably be God awful.

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Imagem signs Lyra
Now that indie music publisher Imagem has got itself both a Concord and a Bicycle (I think I got that right) it can get around town - and the globe - much more quickly and therefore check out all the cool dude new songwriters. So that's good. Though they could have just read about the joys of Lyra in the CMU Approved column back in April last year.

So, yes, Imagem has signed a worldwide deal with Irish electro-pop maker Lyra. Having just jumped off his bicycle, Imagem UK Senior A&R Ed Poston chatted thus: "We are delighted to be working with Lyra. She is an incredible songwriter who creates powerful and engaging songs that move people. Partnering this great music with her incredible voice and stagecraft make Lyra very exciting. We are looking forward to a bright future with her".

Hiding the fact that they only really did the deal in the hope of getting a ride on that Concord, Lyra's manager Victoria Becks of Tileyard Music said of the new arrangement: "We are extremely excited that Lyra has joined the wonderful Imagem family. Lyra is an incredible talent; both as an artist and as a writer and I've no doubt that partnering with them can only result in something very special".

But don't worry, Lyra knows that all Concords have been grounded since 2003. She even knows you spell it Concorde. She's really signed with Imagem because "they're so passionate and proactive and they really understand what I'm setting out to achieve". Plus they really do have some very fine bicycles.

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Warner/Chappell signs Rationale
Warner/Chappell - of Warner/Chappell fame - has only gone and signed London-based singer-songwriter and producer Rationale to a worldwide publishing deal. And just before Warner Bros Records - of Warner Bros Records fame - releases his debut album!

Says Paul Smith, Senior International Creative Manager at Warner/Chappell UK: "Rationale is an incredible all-round artist. I've been lucky enough to have worked with him previously, so I know what an amazing talent he is. I'm really looking forward to seeing him develop as a songwriter here at Chappell".

Meanwhile Rationale himself added: "I know a lot of writers and artists signed to Warner/Chappell. If you ask any one of them, they'll tell you that their team is nothing short of brilliant. They work incredibly hard and there's a real family atmosphere that I love. So, when the opportunity arose to sign and work with Paul Smith again, it was a real no-brainer for me!"

Those of you wondering what this previous project involving both Paul Smith and Rationale was all about should learn to mind your own business. Is nothing secret anymore?

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BMG acquires Immediate Music
BMG Production Music has announced the acquisition of Immediate Music with immediate effect. IMMEDIATE EFFECT. God, I'm funny. Did you see what I did? I crack myself up. Immediate effect. Where else would you get a combination of information and jokes that sharp? Nowhere, that's where.

Formally launched in February, BMG Production Music is currently in acquisition mode to build its market share - as per the strategy employed by other BMG divisions. Just the other week the production music unit acquired French company AXS Music.

Immediate specialises in providing 'epic' music for film trailers, and to date has created and licensed music for and to over 4000 movie promo campaigns. Recent placements include 'Blade Runner 2049', 'Wonder Woman', 'Star Wars: Rogue One' and 'Monkeys With Guns 3'. It has also provided tracks for brands such as Coca-Cola and McDonald's, plus TV shows like Netflix's 'Stranger Things' and 'Narcos'.

BMGPM MD Geert-Willem Koolhof says of the deal: "Production music is one of the fastest growing segments in the industry and BMGPM continues to strengthen and develop the most competitive team in the marketplace. I'm pleased to welcome Jeff [Fayman], Yo [Goren] and the Immediate team to BMG".

Yo - or Yoav Goren to give the Immediate Music co-founder his full name - adds: "We are extremely excited to join the BMG family. We've always shared the same goals and sensibilities - to produce a unique brand of quality music while emphasising the highest level of service to our clients"

He went on: "With this new synergistic collaboration, our teams will usher in a new chapter of creativity, opportunity and expansion into a market hungry for the uncompromising levels of quality BMG Production Music is set to deliver. I can't wait to get started!"

Yeah? Well I can't wait to get finished, so I'm going to stop writing now.

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CAA sells stake to investment firm Temasek
Singapore-based investment firm Temasek - last seen pumping money into that ominous looking SoundCloud - has taken a stake in talent agency CAA, it has been announced. Neither the size of the stake nor the amount of money that has changed hands has been disclosed, so don't even ask.

CAA President Richard Lovett said: "As one the most successful and sophisticated investors in the world, Temasek provides an extraordinary level of insight and resources as we continue to provide the best opportunities for the company and our clients".

He added: "Today's announcement speaks to the incredible growth and relentless innovation across all areas of the agency. We have a combination of partners that provide global firepower for our continued success".

Who wouldn't want a stake in "relentless innovation"? They just won't stop innovating over there at CAA. Can't stop. Oh God, the innovating.

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Live Nation launches Facebook Messenger bot
Live Nation has launched one of those Facebook Messenger bots I keep hearing The Kids talking about in a hushed, reverential tone on the bus.

Once the live giant's bot is activated, you can have a little chat with it about gigs you might like to go to. It'll even open up the Live Nation website within the chat app so that you can book the tickets right there and then. Let's hope it doesn't go rogue and start tricking people into buying tickets at hiked up prices on one of Live Nation's secondary ticketing sites.

"Concerts are extremely social experiences, and we're excited to introduce a concert discovery tool that embodies that social spirit", says Chief Marketing Officer of Live Nation Concerts Lisa Licht. "Whether fans choose to interact with our new bot one-on-one, or get their friends involved in the planning, we think they'll have a lot of fun finding shows to go to".

The bot currently only works with events in North America. I just tried it out and my word it was so much social fun. I still feel giddy from all the excitement of pretending to book Jack Johnson tickets in Florida. Although a large part of that was the joy of knowing that - having not gone through with the transaction and being nowhere near Florida - I won't actually have to see or hear Jack Johnson.

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Field Music to host Brighter Sound music-making masterclass
Field Music's Peter and David Brewis are to host a Brighter Sound residency in their hometown of Sunderland in November. As with other such events, it will see the musicians working with emerging artists over the course of a week, exploring their creative process and creating a collaborative recording.

Speaking about the event, David Brewis says: "At some point, quite early on, we realised that no one was going to show us how to make the records we wanted to make - slowly and awkwardly we had to figure it out ourselves. I hope this project will be the kind of thing we needed back in 2001 - maybe a bit of inspiration, a few technical tips, a little kick up the arse and the fun of trying things out with a bunch of other musicians in a similar boat".

Ten musicians and songwriters will be chosen to take part in the sessions, which will take place from 13-17 Nov. For more information and to apply, click here. The deadline is 8 Oct.

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Teleman announce new EP
Teleman have announced that they will release a new EP, titled 'Fünf', on 17 Nov. Each track on the release sees the band working with a different producer, with Timothy J Fairplay, Ghost Culture, Bullion, Boxed In and Moscoman variously taking charge of the recordings.

"It was kind of tricky cos just as we were settling into the process it was time to up and off to another studio to meet the next guy", say the band of the process of making the record. "But mostly it was a great experience, we all enjoyed it a lot".

They go on: "The producers we worked with came mostly from dance backgrounds and some had never recorded a band before, so we were all pushed out of our comfort zones a bit, which was great. All said and done, it still sounds like Teleman, but each song has a different flavour, which is what we were hoping for".

The first track from the EP, 'Bone China Face', which was produced by Ghost Culture, is out now. Listen here.

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Twitter, Harry Styles, TLC, more

Other notable announcements and developments today...

• Twitter is expanding the number of characters in a tweet from 140 to 280 so that users can more "easily express themselves" on the platform. Even though that sentence just proved 140 characters is ample. This sentence definitely isn't required. But still - 280 characters - woooo!

• Harry Styles has recorded the first ever UK edition of Spotify's 'Spotify Singles' series. He recorded a new version of his latest single 'Two Ghosts' and a cover of Little Big Town's 'Girl Crush' for the streaming service.

• TLC have announced that they are postponing their upcoming European tour dates due to a neck injury sustained by Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins. "Chilli and I are very disappointed that we have been left with no choice but to postpone our debut European tour", she says. An announcement on rescheduled dates is expected shortly.

• Tall Ships have announced that they are splitting up after almost a decade together. They will play farewell shows in Bristol, Leeds and London in December.

• Wu-Tang Clan's U-God has announced that he will publish his autobiography, 'Raw: My Journey Into The Wu-Tang Clan', in March. "It's time to write down not only my legacy, but the story of nine dirt-bomb street thugs who took our everyday life and turned that into something bigger than what we could possibly imagine", he says. I hope he's already written at least some of it down, because March is quite soon.

• Haim have released a short film of them performing some songs in the studio, directed by that Paul Thomas Anderson. He's also going to direct the video for their new single, 'Little Of Your Love'.

• Wolf Alice have released the video for new single 'Heavenward'. Their new album is out on Friday.

• Andrew Bird has announced that he will release a new album, 'Echolocations: River', on 6 Oct. The second in a series of site-specific releases, this one was recorded while standing under a bridge in the Los Angeles River - as you can see here.

• Barenaked Ladies will release a new album, 'Fake Nudes', on 17 Nov. "I'm incredibly proud of this collection of songs", says the band's Ed Robertson. They'll also be touring the UK in April.

• Sarah P has released the video for new single 'Love Story'. "When writing 'Love Story', I decided I wanted it to be a love letter but not necessarily to a romantic partner", she says of the song. "Love is way more than romance, anyway".

• The Liverpool Sound City festival will return to the city's centre in 2018 after a few years setting up home on a docklands site. The event says it will take over a "pioneering location offering a much more intimate experience" when it returns from 5-6 May next year.

• The Go! Team have announced that they will play their first live shows since 2015 next February. Here's a short video to mark the occasion.

• Patrick 'Pazza' Wolf will play his only live shows of 2017 on 12 Dec at The Sugar Club in Dublin and Bush Hall in London on 18 Dec. The musician is currently working on a new album.

• This year's MOBO Awards will take place at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on 29 Nov. "We are truly excited to return to Leeds - we had an amazing experience here two years ago", says founder Kanya King.

• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily - updated every Friday.

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David Bowie used to hide under a table to avoid answering the door to Roger Moore
OK, people. Get ready for some imagery in your brain that will delight the shit out of you. News has broken that David Bowie used to hide under a table when his neighbour Roger Moore came around for a chat.

Yes, you're right, that does need more context, doesn't it? You have questions, and those questions need answers. But I know what you're also thinking. You're thinking that stories with a premise this good rarely live up to their initial promise. Well, hold onto your hats, because that is not going to be an issue here.

The story arrives as an anecdote in new biography 'David Bowie: A Life', by Dylan Jones, and was apparently recounted to the author by writer Hanif Kureishi.

Interviewed by Telegraph rock critic Neil McCormick at the launch event for the book, Jones explained: "When David Bowie moved to Switzerland at the end of the 70s to escape tax and drug dealers, he didn't know anybody there. He was in this huge house on the outskirts of Geneva - he knew nobody".

"One day, about half past five in the afternoon, there's a knock on the door, and there he was: 'Hello, David'", he continued. "Roger Moore comes in, and they had a cup of tea. He stays for drinks, and then dinner, and tells lots of stories about the James Bond films. They had a fantastic time - a brilliant night".

This is already a great story, huh? But what about all this table business?

"The next day, at 5.30... Knock, knock, it's Roger Moore. He invites himself in again, and sits down: 'Yeah, I'll have a gin and tonic, David'. He tells the same stories - but they're slightly less entertaining the second time around. After two weeks [of Moore turning up] at 5.25pm - literally every day - David Bowie could be found underneath the kitchen table pretending not to be in".

This may now be my favourite possibly untrue Bowie story, after the one about him keeping himself grounded by remembering that he was "just a cunt in a clown suit".

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