Google/SABAM deal speeds up payment to authors
An exciting and innovative new deal between SABAM and Google has got 2013 off to a flying start for the Belgian author society’s 36 000 members.
What’s the deal?
The new deal establishes a licensing relationship between Google and SABAM, granting Google a single point of access for the multi-territorial use of SABAM’s repertoire – 4 million creations – on Google Play.
This bilateral relationship cuts out the usual intermediaries, local author societies, in the licensing and rights management process.
More efficiency = faster payment
The more streamlined method means that authors will have less time to wait before being paid the revenue that they are owed for the use of their music.
A European first for a medium-sized author society
Until now, SABAM has only granted licenses for the online use of its members’ works in Belgium where it is based, referring usage abroad to its sister companies in the countries concerned.
This deal makes SABAM the first medium-sized author society in the European Union to offer a single point of access for the use of its repertoire across multiple territories.
Christophe Depreter, SABAM’s CEO, says “This agreement anticipates the objectives of transparency and greater efficiency decreed by the European Commission in its proposal for a directive on collective management societies.”
Authorsocieties.eu congratulates SABAM for its innovative collaboration with Google that promises real benefits to its members – and to music fans everywhere!