A group of US music industry bodies are pressing on with their campaign over Twitch licensing. The group, including the RIAA, Artist Rights Alliance, Music Managers Forum US, NMPA, Recording Academy and SoundExchange, have written to Amazon boss Jeff Bezos (while sharing the letter with media) expressing their complaints.
The letter focuses on Twitch’s recent announcement of a ‘Soundtrack’ tool of licensed music for its creators to use in their videos. “We are confounded by Twitch’s apparent stance that neither synch nor mechanical licenses are necessary for its Soundtrack tool,” claimed the bodies.
“We are also deeply disappointed that Twitch continues to allow and enable its streamers to use our respective members’ music without authorization, in violation of Twitch’s music guidelines.”
Twitch has responded with a statement to media stressing its partnerships with labels, distributors and promoters; its work with artists; its royalty-generating agreements with collecting societies including Ascap, BMI, Sesac and GMR in the US. It has also hit back at the letter’s claim that it ignores DMCA takedown notices.
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