Hello friends! Happy Wednesday! Today we acknowledge the role that videos play in music. It is undeniable that videos play a large part in our lives, however lawyers can’t stop debating whether music is a “friend, foe, or enemy” for right holders and musicians.
Let’s first look at the trajectory of music videos. I can claim that the Beatles’ short films of their songs and that the launch of MTV were the birth of music videos. Initially treated as just promotional platforms and not as means of revenue, music videos turned profitable once YouTube arrived. The facility to share these videos has grown even more with the help of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. However, even though big labels and major artists benefit financially from this distribution, where does this leave mid-tier artists?
Other than a means of promotion, are these visual platforms truly business partners? If not, then how does the law need to change? What kind of licenses do Musical.ly or Dubsmash require? Its users create video clips of themselves miming along to master recording and although this is illegal, it is permitted thanks to negotiations that these platforms set up.
What do you guys think? Are visual media platforms truly a business partner?
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