I write today to ensure you’ve heard the good news that the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) issued its Final Determination upholding the rate increases in the Phonorecords III case. This covers on-demand digital streaming royalties for the years 2018-2022.

We expect these escalating topline revenue rate increases to result in more royalties paid to songwriters and publishers. This is in addition to the topline revenue royalty rate increase resulting from the settlement between the DSPs and Publishers for 2023-2027 in the Phonorecords IV case. Under the Phonorecords IV settlement, topline revenue royalty rates increased are increasing gradually from 15.1% to 15.35%.

As a long-time champion of songwriters’ rights and protections, we are pleased with this result, but of course there remains work to do. We are fully committed to driving continued progress to ensure that songwriters are fairly compensated, and that your immense value is recognized.

The Bob Dylan Center [BDC] and Universal Music Publishing Group [UMPG], the world’s leading music publishing company, have joined forces to launch the Bob Dylan Center Songwriter Fellowship, it was announced today by BDC Director Steven Jenkins and UMPG Chief Operating Officer Marc Cimino. To be awarded to two recipients annually, the Fellowship was created to mentor and develop aspiring songwriters in association with the tremendous educational resources of the Bob Dylan Center.

Each Fellowship encompasses a $40,000 project stipend, public engagement and presentation opportunities, dedicated time in BDC’s Bob Dylan Archive® to study Dylan’s creative process, roundtrip airfare to Tulsa and accommodations in the city, mentorship from UMPG songwriters and executives, and recording time in Tulsa’s historic The Church Studio, the famous studio of Leon Russell.

Jody Gerson, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, has been awarded the International Confederation of Music Publishers’ (ICMP) Ralph Peer ll Award for Outstanding Contribution to Global Music Publishing. The award pays tribute to music publishing leaders demonstrating exceptional, global work, while protecting and promoting the work of songwriters and composers.

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), Universal Music Group’s leading, global publishing division, today announced that GRAMMY® Award-nominated producer/songwriter/performer Maggie Rogers has signed an exclusive, global publishing agreement. Multihyphenate creative talent Rogers (Capitol Records) first garnered industry recognition in 2017 with her breakthrough EP Now That The Light Is Fading which reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart. In 2019, she surged to global success with the release of her debut album Heard It In A Past Life. The spectacular record -  which features hits “Light On,” “Alaska” and “Fallingwater” - earned Rogers a GRAMMY® Award nomination for Best New Artist.

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), Universal Music Group’s leading, global publisher, today announced the company has ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s Publishers Quarterly on the Hot 100 for the third consecutive quarter, which is taken from official Hot 100 chart data. Additionally, the portfolio publisher made history holding more than 30% market share for the past three quarters – a record that has not been achieved by any publisher since 2014. 

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), Universal Music Group’s leading global publishing division, today announced that accomplished executive Shirin Foroutan has been appointed to the role of Senior Vice President and General Manager, Universal Music Publishing Europe, effective immediately. Based in London, she reports to Marc Cimino, UMPG Chief Operating Officer. Foroutan succeeds Simon Baker, who has served as GM, European Operations since 2018 and will continue at the company in a senior management capacity. In her new role, Foroutan will work closely with both the company’s European Managing Directors and C-suite leadership in Santa Monica.

Sting is set to become a Fellow of the Ivors Academy – the highest honour it can bestow.  He will receive the award at The Ivors ceremony on 18th May in London.

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), Universal Music Group’s leading global music publishing division, celebrated an unprecedented evening of wins at the 65th annual GRAMMY Awards. The premier music publisher’s family of world-class songwriters, artists and producers swept major awards including Songwriter of the Year, Best Rap Song, Best Rock Song, Best R&B Song, Best Gospel Performance/Song, Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song, a spectrum of Best Album awards, and more.

Kendrick Lamar, Adele, Brandi Carlile, Harry Styles, Mary J.Blige, ABBA, Taylor Swift, Kid Harpoon, Steve Lacy, H.E.R., Coldplay, Bad Bunny, Drake, Blake Slatkin amongst leading UMPG songwriters and artists nominated across major categories. In the major categories, UMPG writers and producers contributed to all 10 of the Best Album Nominees, nine of the Record of The Year nominees and seven in Song of the Year. In the inaugural Songwriter of the year category, UMPG has two of the five nominees with Nija Charles and Tobias Jesso Jr. represented.

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), Universal Music Group’s leading global music publishing division, today announced an exclusive global publishing agreement to represent the iconic song catalog of Irving Berlin. The deal builds upon UMPG’s existing relationship with Berlin’s estate as the company has served as his catalog administrator, ex-US, since 2012.