January 2016
Dear ASCAP Writer,
Enclosed is your first distribution of the new year, reflecting performances of your music between April and June of last year.
2015 was a remarkable year for ASCAP and our members. We received over 300 Grammy nominations last month, and dominated the year-end Billboard charts, writing the hits that topped 18 song charts, across the genre spectrum. We welcomed our new CEO, Elizabeth Matthews, and brought on board new executives to our senior management team. We were the first PRO to announce over $1 billion in revenue, and we debuted our new logo, a symbol of our commitment to change.
We’ve got big plans in store for 2016, including new and improved services for our members and licensees. One example: we’re introducing the Classic Song Bonus to honor the value that timeless music brings to the ASCAP repertory. The bonus applies to songs that have a long history of success, and continue to be performed today. This complements our Audio Feature Premiums (introduced last year), which reward the writers and publishers of contemporary hits on audio-only media.
We continue to fight for positive change for music creators in DC, and we have good reason to be hopeful. The Songwriter Equity Act continues to attract co-sponsors in Congress. Thanks to more than 4000 of you who signed our letter to the US Department of Justice, we sent a strong message to the DOJ about the importance of updating our consent decree, so ASCAP can negotiate fair royalty rates on your behalf. There is sure to be more good news in the near future.
Looking to kickstart your music career in the new year? Then sign up for the ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO. Our first wave of panels includes master sessions with Greg Kurstin (Adele’s “Hello”) and Ashley Gorley (Luke Bryan’s “Crash My Party”), an interview with hip-hop pioneers Salt-N-Pepa, and I’ll be talking songwriting with Nate Ruess, frontman of the band fun. And that’s just for starters. Find out more at www.ascap.com/expo - I’ll see you there.
ASCAP members write the greatest music in the world. And ASCAP is evolving to ensure you can keep doing that, in 2016 and beyond.
All good things in the new year,
Paul Williams
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS & PUBLISHERS ASCAP Building, 1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023 Phone: 212.621.6000 Fax: 212.721.0955 7920 West Sunset Boulevard, Third Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90046 Phone: 323.883.1000 Fax: 323.883.1049 Web Site: www.ascap.com