Is the trickle of artists suing their labels claiming underpayment for digital royalties turning into a flood? Or at least, ahem, a stream. Kenny Rogers is the latest to question payments from his label – in this case, EMI’s Capitol Records. The suit suggests that Rogers is owed at least $400k in digital royalties, and accuses EMI of being too slow in handing over an audit. As in existing lawsuits involving the likes of Chuck D, Sister Sledge and Cheap Trick, the problem here is the issue of whether digital tracks count as a traditional sale (giving artists 10-20% of royalties) or a licence (up to 50%). Rogers’ suit has been filed in Nashville. The Hollywood Reporter notes that a study from the Future of Music Coalition has claimed that the disparity from iTunes alone could be $2.15bn for artists overall.
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