Friday, October 17, 2025, 9:00 AM

With the bundling of music and non-musical content, new subscription tiers, audio rich bells, synchronized video whistles and enhanced experiences, the DSPs are changing the economic realities of the current licensing system and lowering payouts to publishers and writers. Instead of fighting for higher mechanical rates, rights holders are trying to win back the rates they once thought were too low. Warner, Kobalt, Universal, AMRA, and Sony have recently announced direct deals with Spotify and additional announcements are imminent. Direct deals promise greater control, clearer visibility, and faster royalty payments but how will they benefit songwriters? What will the roles of the MLC and the PROs be and how can creators and rightsholders hold the DSPs accountable? This panel will explore how these direct deals will work in the long and short run, what the bottom-line result will be for songwriters, what the role of trade organizations and industry advocates will play in the wake of these deals, and how complex and divergent licensing frameworks might turn the tide. Will the effect of these deals rise the tide and lift all boats or sink the ship ahead of Phonograph V negotiations?