By DANA BLANKENHORN
c.1995 Interactive Age
Two groups that hold rights to music, SESAC and the National Music
Publishers Association (NMPA), have opened Web sites that encourage
authors to license music via the Internet.
The NMPA home page, http://www.nmpa.org , is from the group which holds
recording rights to a wide variety of music through its subsidiary, The
Harry Fox Agency Inc. Spokeswoman Margaret O'Keeffe told Interactive
Age Daily ``Harry Fox controls recording rights, including CD-ROMs,''
while ASCAP, BMI and SESAC handle performing rights.
Many new media producers may not be aware they need to license music
for their CD-ROM or Internet products, so the new site will provide
information on that, as well as links to other industry sites. ``We're
hoping to make it easier for people to gain the rights they need,
especially people who are unfamiliar with the licensing of music,'' she
added. ``We have upgraded systems to allow publishers to license from
us,'' and one of the company's goals is to use the home page for
on-line licensing through The Harry Fox Agency, Inc.
SESAC, at http://sesac.com , is owned Freddie Gershon, Ira Smith and
Stephen Swid, along with the merchant banking house Allen & Co. The new
site will feature information on licensing issues, profiles of
songwriter and publishing affiliates and clips of affiliated music.
They, too, are looking at the possibility of licensing through online
services. SESAC has already contracted with Broadcast Data Systems for
a new monitoring system that targets specific musical genres and allows
more accurate payments of royalties to artists.
NYT-10-14-95 1348EDT
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