DAVID AND GOLIATH

  BLEVE RECORDS NOT BACKING DOWN

Nashville, TN Sept. 21, 2009 - Amid calls and emails from angry firefighters, police officers and their families, BLEVE Records has decided to go forward with the release and promotion of "My First Ride."  This song, by BLEVE recording artist Ronnie Milsap features Trace Adkins and is the lead single from a multi artist compilation CD due out Nov. 1.  

Independent American owned BLEVE Records stopped promotion of the single after German/UK owned conglomerate Capitol Records issued a cease and desist order claiming they had no knowledge of the song and ordering the immediate halt of further promotion or sales of "My First Ride."  In a legal document sent to BLEVE via email on Sept. 15, 2009, Capitol charged BLEVE with the "unauthorized use and exploitation of Trace Adkin's performance and name and dilution of the value of Capitol's valuable property."

BMI eBulletin

(A monthly update for BMI songwriters and composers)

BMI Mourns the Passing of Michael Jackson
An artistic and cultural tour de force whose gifts demanded the spotlight, Michael Jackson was equally potent behind the scenes. He received numerous BMI Awards recognizing his prolific career as a songwriter, the raw power of which will continue to influence generations of music makers. Deeply moved by his passing, many members of the BMI family of songwriters and composers passed along their thoughts on his impact and influence. To read their heartfelt comments, click here.


Professional Advice
Copyrights in Bankruptcy: When Seven Is Not Your Lucky
   Number

Thinking Analog

 

Career Opportunities
Latin Alternative Music Conference, Latin Mixx Set for NYC
San Diego Conference & Festival Scheduled for August
Showcase Information

Discounts
Preferred Insurance Offering Wide Range of Coverage
Muzlink Launches Facebook App
Fast Forward My Royalties from Lyric Financial
Exclusive Savings and Benefits for BMI Affiliates

News Briefs
Kris Kristofferson To Be Honored as Icon
Crosby, Stills & Nash Enter Songwriters Hall of Fame
World Copyright Summit Spotlights Digital-Era Rights
Inductees Announced for Musicians Hall of Fame


Copyrights in Bankruptcy: When Seven Is Not Your Lucky Number
When people think of assets, they usually consider their house, car, furniture, bank accounts and the like. But copyright owners, or persons who receive royalties generated by copyrights, hold a class of assets that doesn't readily come to mind as such because they are not tangible and tend to be forgotten. Yet they, too, become part of what is called your bankruptcy "estate." Get the details from legal eagle Gary Roth in this timely Songwriter101.com article.


Thinking Analog
Even if you don't own any high-price vintage gear, it's still important to think analog -- to create sounds in your studio that aren't just like everyone else's. By learning the fundamental who-what-where-when-why-how's of modern recording, you're aligning yourself with the great forerunners of studio sound, whose inventiveness and creativity helped make it possible for you to sound as good as you do on hard disc today. In the process we can gain greater insight into the functions of our digital gear, which, after all, is merely an updated version of yesterday's units. Get the inside scoop here from SW101 studio savant Dave "The Rave" Simons.

 

 

Latin Alternative Music Conference, Latin Mixx Set for NYC
The 10th Annual Latin Alternative Music Conference returns to New York July 7-11 at the Roosevelt Hotel. The LAMC will once again feature industry panels, artist showcases and film screenings across the city in addition to free concerts at Central Park Summer Stage and Celebrate Brooklyn Festival at Prospect Park Bandshell.  Registration is only $99 for all attendees. Register today at the LAMC website.


The Latin Mixx Conference & Awards, set for July 21-23, 2009, will be held at The Times Center, located at 242 W.42nd St. in New York City. The Latin Mixx Full Access Badge gives you entrance into all Latin Mixx events as well as free access to all pre- and post-event parties and the Latin Mixx Awards. Registration is $99; for additional information and registration, go to the Latin Mixx website. 


San Diego Conference & Festival Scheduled for August
The 2nd annual North Park Music Thing - San Diego Music & Media Conference and Festival is a three-day music event scheduled for August 7-9, 2009 at the Lafayette Hotel in San Diego, CA. Conference registrants will learn about the music business during panel discussions, workshops and demo review sessions featuring speakers who have been involved in local, regional, and national music. Following the workshops, NPMT will showcase nearly 150 musical acts from the Southwestern United States, on up to 20 stages. All proceeds from the North Park Music Thing will be donated to the San Diego Music Foundation. For additional information and registration, go to the NPTM website. 


Preferred Insurance Offering Wide Range of CoverageP
Preferred Insurance Benefits is BMI's exclusive partner in providing Life and Health insurance products to BMI members, their families, member companies and friends. Coverages include health, life insurance to $10 million, disability, critical illness, cancer and more. Anonymous quotes available. Preferred Insurance Benefits Systems urges you to protect yourself now by calling (877) 647-8638, ext 1,  or check out Preferred Insurance Benefits under "Discounts" or at the Preferred Insurance Benefits website.

 

 

Muzlink Launches Facebook App

It's Music Makers Independence Day! Muzlink will launch its new Facebook App on July 4!! Muzlink is offering BMI affiliates free online music marketing and promotion and will link your music, videos, homepage, live dates, downloads, streaming and CD sites to more fans. Muzlink promotes daily on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. Post your new, complete or updated page on Muzlink at Sign up. Use the BMI Validation Code: BMI7409.

 

 

Fast Forward My Royalties from Lyric Financial

The FastForwardMyRoyalties program from Lyric Financial has been developed especially for songwriters, producers and publishers who earn at least $5k in royalties per year, allowing you to draw against your future royalty earnings without affecting the ownership of your songs. Because it's not a loan, there are no credit hassles; you can get the money you need within a day of confirmation of your royalty pipeline. Click here  to apply, or visit the Lyric Financial website for more information.

 

 

Showcase Information

BMI showcases in New York, Nashville, Los Angeles and other cities across the country and throughout Europe offer an exciting opportunity to monitor new musical trends and see what's happening at the grass-roots level. Please contact your local BMI Writer/Publisher office for details about showcases in your area or visit the events section of our website. The upcoming showcase lineup includes:

 

New York

July 7 - BMI's Verano Alternativo presents: Women of Latin Music at SOB's (204 Varick St.)

 

Nashville

July 6, 13, 20, 27 - 8 off 8th at the Mercy Lounge (1 Cannery Row)

 

Los Angeles

The good folks at the Digital Watermarking Alliance have put out an interesting white paper titled “Digital Serial Numbers and Piracy Deterrence: The Deterrent Effect of Digital Serial Numbers on Illegal File-Sharing and Downloading.” Here are some highlights from their release:

The study, conducted by Interpret, aimed to determine whether the inclusion of Digital Serial Numbers (DSNs) in online content would deter illegal file sharing. The results showed that DSNs would deter illegal downloading among 33 percent of the 994-person sample and deter illegal uploading among 52 percent.

DSNs represent a new way to track media content by digitally watermarking audio or video content such as music, movies or TV programming with unique, imperceptible digital identification numbers. Unlike Digital Rights Management, DSNs allow consumers to freely access content and make multiple copies for backup use or for different playing devices. Should the content be used illegally, however, the DSN can be associated back to the original buyer.

It makes sense that DSNs would have some deterrent effect, and also that they would not have a deterrent effect for many. They make other claims, which are perhaps harder to quantify, such as a contention that DSNs would encourage more legal, paid downloads among consumers; decrease illegal downloading of music 40%; and decrease 45% the number of P2P users who share copyrighted works. I need to spend a little more time with the study and with Interpret’s methodology before I can fully embrace specific percentages like that.

What is clear, and has been clear for some time, is that watermarking is a valuable tool in a rightsholder’s toolbox. It is not a panacea for all creative works, but it has real value. I can’t speak directly as to exactly how DSNs are deployed across industries, but watermarking is central in visual arts, audiovisual works and other media.

Not all creative works are created equal. Some require far more fixed costs before deployment. Some involve more rightsholders than others. Some have higher or lower resale values. Some are easier to partner with non-digital revenue models than others.

Technology, at the end of the day, is an enabler. It can enable “good” things and not-so-”good” things, as President Obama stated the other day. Obviously, when it comes to technical measures to help ensure a creator’s rights, the more likely the technology is to disrupt a user experience, the more likely a consumer is to object to it. Watermarking has varying impacts depending on its form, but by and large it is not as disruptive as some digital rights management tools — the Alliance likes to emphasize that they do not view watermarking as DRM — but it doesn’t provide the protection that DRM can.

Rightsholders are experimenting in the market, trying to find the right balance of tools with the right balance of rights offerings in the right balance of licensing models. The varying nature of creative works, as outlined above, suggests we’ll see a lot of these various tools, including DSNs, deployed going forward.

BMI eBulletin
(A monthly update for BMI songwriters and composers)

 

Professional Advice
5 Things No Studio Should Be Without
Now Showing: The Facts of (Copyright) Life and
   The (Copyright) Terminator

 

Career Opportunities

Songwriters Hall of Fame Offers 'Master Class'
   with Lamont Dozier

NXNE Offers Special BMI Registration Fee

Showcase Information

 

Discounts

BMI Members Save 20% on Blue's Mikey CD-Quality Recorder
   for iPod
Learn Music Online with Berkleemusic and Save 10%
Fast Forward My Royalties from Lyric Financial
Exclusive Savings and Benefits for BMI Affiliates

News Briefs
Gamble & Huff Named BMI Icons at 57th Annual Pop Awards
David Newman Honored at BMI Film/TV Awards
Student Composer Award Winners Announced
Buddy Guy Leads BMI Winners at Blues Music Awards
BMI Composers Dominate List of 2010 NEA Jazz Masters


5 Things No Studio Should Be Without
Every week, you probably receive at least a few circulars from well-known music suppliers, each one loaded with all sorts of audio must-haves at cut-rate prices. There's nothing wrong with looking for the kind of equipment that will actually help make your music projects more efficient, fun and stress-free. Consider the universally accepted, bona fide studio essentials studio savant Dave Simons lists in this Songwriter101.com article.

 

 

Now Showing: The Facts of (Copyright) Life and The (Copyright) Terminator
You should know that copyrights, unlike diamonds, are not forever -- but they are for a long time. In this article, Songwriter101 copyright guru Gary Roth lets you in on what "for the life of the copyright" actually means.

 

Songwriters Hall of Fame Offers 'Master Class' with Lamont Dozier
"Reach Out, I'll Be There," "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," "Stop! In The Name of Love." The writer of these Motown hits (and many more), Lamont Dozier, will be featured in the latest installment of the admission-free Songwriters Hall of Fame's Master Class series. Slated for 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, at Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Center (129 West 67th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam), the event will feature exclusive insight from Mr. Dozier regarding his unique and exceedingly productive creative processes. Read more

 

NXNE Offers Special BMI Registration Fee
The North by Northeast Film and Music Festival (NXNE) is offering a 5% discount off the cost of passes for BMI songwriters, composers, and publishers. Two types of passes are available: an NXNE VIP Super Pass for $250, which includes guaranteed, pre-booking access to 10 NXNE showcases; priority access to additional NXNE showcases; admission to the press conference, Opening Night Gala Party, and festival Closing Party; guaranteed access to celebrity interviews and conference sessions; and more. The second option is the NXNE Priority Pass, which costs $150 and features priority access to NXNE showcases, all NXNE celebrity interviews & conference sessions, all film screenings, and more. Find out more

 

Showcase Information
BMI showcases in New York, Nashville, Los Angeles and other cities across the country and throughout Europe offer an exciting opportunity to monitor new musical trends and see what's happening at the grass-roots level. Please contact your local BMI Writer/Publisher office for details about showcases in your area or visit the events section of our website. The upcoming showcase lineup includes:

 

Nashville
June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 - 8 off 8th at the Mercy Lounge (1 Cannery Row)
June 3 - BMI Buzz at the Basement (1604 8th Ave S.)
June 10 - BMI Presents at 12th & Porter (114 12th Ave N)
June 28 - Alex Levasseur Memorial Skate & Music Festival at Jim Warren Park, Franklin, TN

Los Angeles
June 3 - BMI presents Acoustic Lunch (by invitation only) at the Gibson Showroom (9350 Civic Center Dr., Beverly Hills)
June 30 - Noche Bohemia (by invitation only) at the Rumba Room (1000 Universal Studios Blvd.)

Atlanta
June 4 - BMI Rock Showcase at Vinyl (1374 West Peachtree St.)

Manchester, TN
June 11-14 - "Road to Bonnaroo" winners perform at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival

London
June 10 - BMI Sessions in association with Club Fandango at Club 229 (229 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PW)
June 24 - BMI/Hit Sheet showcase at Cobden Club (170 Kensal Road, London W10 5BN)


BMI Members Save 20% on Blue's Mikey CD-Quality Recorder for iPod
Meet Mikey, the first CD quality audio recorder for iPod. Mikey delivers Blue's award-winning design and sound quality to an easy-to-use iPod recording device. Use Mikey to record song ideas, band practice, and your live shows. Then, sync your iPod and all of your recordings automatically load into iTunes.  Mikey features Blue's superior quality condenser capsules, 3-position user-selectable gain settings, and built-in speaker for playback. Mikey is capable of recording everything from barely audible sound to extremely loud sources without losing audio fidelity. It's compatible with the iPod 5G, iPod Classic, iPod Nano 2G, 3G and 4G. To purchase, click here and you'll receive 20% or more off selected Blue Microphones products.

 

Learn Music Online with Berkleemusic and Save 10%
Berkleemusic.com, the online continuing education division of Berklee College of Music, offers over 130 accredited online courses and certificate in Music Business, Music Production, Guitar, Bass, Voice, Music Theory, Harmony & Ear Training, Songwriting, and more. As part of our partnership with Berkleemusic, BMI members receive 10% off all Berkleemusic courses and programs. To receive your 10% discount, you must create a Berkleemusic account through the "Learn More" link on Berkleemusic's Special Discounts page located within BMI's Platinum Privileges area.  Click here to log in. Summer term begins June 29, 2009.

 

Fast Forward My Royalties from Lyric Financial
The FastForwardMyRoyalties program from Lyric Financial has been developed especially for songwriters, producers and publishers who earn at least $5k in royalties per year, allowing you to draw against your future royalty earnings without affecting the ownership of your songs. Because it's not a loan, there are no credit hassles; you can get the money you need within a day of confirmation of your royalty pipeline.  Click here to apply, or visit the Lyric Financial website for more information.

 

Exclusive Savings and Benefits for BMI Affiliates
BMI is proud to announce exclusive marketing programs with preferred companies that offer you great savings and help you advance your career.  Please check out the great deals with Berklee Online School of Music, Disc Makers, Fast Forward My Royalties Program by Lyric Financial, FedEx/Kinkos, Muzlink, The Production MarketPlace (PMP), Song Tank, Sonicbids, Tribefly and YouLicense.com.  These offers are exclusive to BMI affiliates, so don't miss out!

Company                                            Promotional Code/Sign-Up

Berklee Music                                       Create a "Member sign in" account

DiscMakers                                           Special Offer Code DMBMI

FedEx                                                  Passcode BYZ456

FastForwardMyRoyalties Program            Valid BMI Member Number

Muzlink                                                BMI Validation Code BMIJAN2007

The Production MarketPlace (PMP)          Discount Code X147RTZ

Song Tank                                            User Name and Password

Sonicbids                                              Promotional Code SonicBMI

Tribefly                                                 BMI

Gamble & Huff Named BMI Icons at 57th Annual Pop Awards
BMI held its 57th Annual Pop Awards on May 20, honoring Gamble & Huff as BMI Icons. Songwriter of the Year honors resulted in a record-setting eight-way tie this year, saluting Colbie Caillat, Polow Da Don, T-Pain, Alan Chang, Matchbox Twenty's Paul Doucette and Brian Yale, Chris Brown, and Maroon 5's Adam Levine. Caillat also garnered Song of the Year honors for international hit "Bubbly," which she co-wrote and recorded. Universal Music Publishing Group enjoyed a big night as well, winning the 2009 Publisher of the Year crown. Read more

 

David Newman Honored at BMI Film/TV Awards
BMI honored the composers of music featured in the past year's top-grossing films, top-rated prime-time network television series, and highest-ranking cable network programs on May 20 at its annual Film & Television Awards. The black-tie gala also celebrated BMI's Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy Award-winning composers. A highlight of the ceremony was the Richard Kirk Award presentation to esteemed composer David Newman. Named after late BMI Vice President Richard Kirk, the prestigious award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music. Read more

 

Student Composer Award Winners Announced
Nine young classical composers, ranging in age from 17 to 26, have been named winners in the 57th Annual BMI Student Composer Awards. Newly appointed Awards Chair Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and BMI Foundation President Ralph N. Jackson announced the decisions of the jury and presented the awards at a reception held May 15 at the Jumeirah Essex House Hotel in New York City. Read more

 

Buddy Guy Leads BMI Winners at Blues Music Awards
BMI blues legends dominated the 30th Annual Blues Music Awards, held May 7 in Memphis, Tennessee. With three trophies, icon Buddy Guy walked away with the most wins, including album and contemporary blues album of the year for Skin Deep, as well as contemporary blues male artist of the year. Acclaimed singer Janiva Magness earned the prestigious B.B. King entertainer of the year title along with contemporary blues female artist of the year recognition. Read more