SoundExchange and Music Nation Copyrights Management (MusicNation) have expanded their partnership to collect digital performance royalties across the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The agreement is intended to ensure that artists and rights owners in both territories receive compensation when their recordings are played in the other market.
Partnership scope
SoundExchange, the primary US organization for delivering digital performance royalties, and MusicNation, a rights management organization based in the UAE, announced the expanded collaboration. The two companies will share resources to support royalty collection for represented artists across both countries.
MusicNation’s stated goal is to protect artists’ rights as the UAE grows as a destination for tourism, entertainment, and hospitality. That growth opens new revenue streams for recorded music.
Before the expanded agreement, SoundExchange was already providing MusicNation with technology and data. MusicNation also has a partnership with Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), a major performance rights organization.
Executive statements
The agreement also allows SoundExchange to offer UAE royalty collection to partner collective management organizations (CMOs) under existing agreements.
Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange, said:
“This groundbreaking reciprocal agreement with MusicNation will open a new revenue stream for SoundExchange artists and rights owners whose music is played in the UAE while ensuring Emirati creators are compensated when their music is played in the United States. It also enables SoundExchange to seamlessly provide these services for some of its partner CMOs around the world, who have the option of collecting UAE royalties through their existing agreements with SoundExchange.”
Amer M. Samhoun, CEO of MusicNation, said:
“This agreement marks a pivotal step in MusicNation’s international role as the UAE’s music rights infrastructure continues to expand. It gives international CMOs and rights partners confidence that they can work with MusicNation in the UAE through a transparent and efficient system, and participate in the opportunities created by one of the region’s fastest-growing creative markets.”
