SoundExchange And BandPage Partner To Help Claim $2 Million In Unpaid Royalties

SoundExchange And BandPage Partner To Help Claim $2 Million In Unpaid Royalties:

BandPage and SoundExchange have teamed up to distribute $2 million of unclaimed digital performance royalties to a number of music artists and labels. These royalties are being sent out to BandPage artists who have not yet signed up for SoundExchange, and who are missing out on monies from satellite radio, Internet radio, and digital cable TV plays. BandPage is emailing artists among their 500,000 users who have uncollected royalties waiting for them.

Last year, BandPage (then RootMusic) connected nearly 7,500 artists to $5.3 million in unclaimed royalties. BandPage’s Director of Pages Matt Conn tells us that this is a totally new list, however it does include any royalties that haven’t been claimed since last year. BandPage’s Director of Business Development Chris Wiltsee adds that this recent match found roughly 6,000 artists who had $2 million in uncollected royalties.
“What this shows is that these exercises are paying off,” Wiltsee told Hypebot. “Many of the artists who had meaningful revenues have signed up for SoundExchange and will collect digital streaming royalties moving forward.”
Additionally, SoundExchange has created a completely revamped website to encourage artists to register and to make their process smoother.
"SoundExchange ensures hardworking artists and labels get paid for their creative contributions, and also serves as an educational resource for those that want to learn more. This initiative with BandPage allows us to reach all types of musicians, and is part of our ongoing effort to spread the news about these royalties to all that have earned them," said SoundExchange President Michael Huppe.
SoundExchange announced back in June that it has reached one billion dollars in digital royalty payments to registered artists and labels since the organization was founded in 2000. In the first quarter of 2012, $108.6 million in total royalties were distributed; marking the first time SoundExchange payouts exceeded $100 million in a given quarter.
MORE: BandPage Expands To Become Hub For Musician Content On The Web
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Hisham Dahud is a Senior Analyst for Hypebot.com. Additionally, he is the head of Business Development for Fame House and an independent musician. Follow him on Twitter: @HishamDahud