A new deal will see APRA AMCOS’ 95,000 A&NZ songwriters and publisher members being paid every time their work is used by Facebook’s 1.8 billion global users. The rate of payment was not revealed.
APRA AMCOS chief executive Dean Ormston said, “This is a landmark deal not just for songwriters, composers and music publishers, it also provides the Australian and New Zealand public with peace of mind that music rights holders will be compensated for the use of their works on Facebook.
“Whether it’s live music or digital, the sustainability of Australian and New Zealand music relies on our industry working in partnership with platforms like Facebook to support new developments in music consumption, ensure the public has access to great music, and that music creators have a sustainable industry that supports their careers.”
Also last week, YouTube and EXTRA Gum launched EXTRA Support Acts, to expose 16 up and coming Australian acts. When a user clicks on a 5 Seconds of Summer, Alison Wonderland, The Rubens and 360 video, a pre-ad pops up featuring one of the 16 acts, and giving them exposure to potentially hundreds and thousands of eyeballs.
The initiative was put together with creative agency Clemenger BBDO Sydney, Universal Music Australia, its in-house agency BRING and entertainment agency MediaCom. Universal Music Australia MD of new business Roddy Campbell explained, “We’ve seen all manner of branded music platforms and really feel this will be one of the best – an authentic role for the brand that creates value for consumers and artists alike. Our acts have been so passionate about supporting the next generation of talent and I think that shines through in the engaging content we’ve created with them.”
Globally, YouTube has identified more ways to make money for creatives, including expanded merchandising opps and more paid deals to offer fans. In June at VidCon, YouTube’s chief product officer Neal Mohan explained that the number of creators earning five figures a year from uploading videos has grown by 35% and the number of creators earning six figures up by 40%.
There’ll be Channel Memberships, a new US$5-a-month subscription aimed at creatives with over 100,000 subscribers. It will give exclusive live streams, and posts extra videos and special merch. Also heading our way are two tools being trialled in the US. Merchandise Shelf allows you to choose 20 items and customise them to sell through Teespring. Joshua Slice, creator of Lucas the Spider, generated over $1 million in profits by selling 60,000 of the furry items in 18 days.
Premieres will focus on the launch of a new music video, building up the hype via live chats with fans and creators (followed by an exclusive premiere). It gives a video the same pizzazz as the premiere of a movie.
