Chris Castle and Panelist Gwen Seale, Esq. give an overview of Artist Rights Symposium 5's panel "The 39 Steps: Is it Time to Scrap the Section 115 Streaming Mechanical Formula". For 20 years, songwriters have had to suffer an overly complicated formula for streaming mechanical royalties instead of a fixed penny rate with a cost-of-living adjustment. Music attorney Gwen Seale represents publishers before the rate-setting Copyright Royalty Board and gives background on the panel which will be moderated by David Lowery and includes Tim Kappel of Wells Kappel and Shannon Sorensen of NMPA. The Artist Rights Institute's Artist Rights Symposium returns to Athens, Georgia, on October 19, bringing together artists, lawyers, policymakers, academics and industry experts to examine public-policy issues affecting music creators. Presented by the Artist Rights Institute and the University of Georgia Music Business Certificate Program at Terry College and the School of Public and International Affairs. Learn more and see the full symposium program at https://www.artistrightsinstitute.org/symposium-2026. #ArtistRights #ArtistRightsInstitute #ArtistRightsSymposium #GwenSeale #ChrisCastle #DavidLowery #TimKappel #ShannonSorensen #NMPA #MusicPolicy #MusicBusiness #TerryCollege #SchoolofPolicyandInternationalAffairs #MusicLaw #Songwriters #Musicians #HumanArtistry #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #RightOfPublicity #MusicRoyalties #MechanicalRoyalties #Copyright #Ticketing #DataCenters #UGA #AthensGA Terms of Service and Copyright; NO AI DATA SCRAPING The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or a solicitation for legal services. The views and opinions expressed are those of the moderators and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or legal entity. If you need legal advice, please consult with a qualified attorney. Copyright 2026, Artist Rights Institute. All Rights Reserved. Neither this video nor any transcript may be used for text or data mining or for the purpose of training artificial intelligence models or systems. Subject to Terms of Service at https://artistrightswatchdotcom.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/arw-podcast-terms-of-use-v-2-e-tx.pdf
Chris Castle gives the download on Artist Rights Symposium 5's return to Athens, Georgia, on October 19, bringing together artists, lawyers, policymakers, academics and industry experts to examine public-policy issues affecting music creators. In this episode, we preview four conversations on the Symposium agenda: the collision between AI data-center development and creative communities; the fight against speculative “ghost” tickets; whether streaming mechanical royalties really need a 39-step formula; and the hidden right-of-publicity and consent issues artists should watch for when offered an AI “opt-in.” Presented by the Artist Rights Institute and the University of Georgia Music Business Certificate Program at Terry College and the School of Public and International Affairs. Learn more and see the full symposium program at https://www.artistrightsinstitute.org/symposium-2026. #ArtistRights #ArtistRightsInstitute #ArtistRightsSymposium #MusicPolicy #MusicBusiness #TerryCollege #SchoolofPolicyandInternationalAffairs #MusicLaw #Songwriters #Musicians #HumanArtistry #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #RightOfPublicity #MusicRoyalties #MechanicalRoyalties #Copyright #Ticketing #DataCenters #UGA #AthensGA Terms of Service and Copyright; NO AI DATA SCRAPING The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or a solicitation for legal services. The views and opinions expressed are those of the moderators and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or legal entity. If you need legal advice, please consult with a qualified attorney. Copyright 2026, Artist Rights Institute. All Rights Reserved. Neither this video nor any transcript may be used for text or data mining or for the purpose of training artificial intelligence models or systems. Subject to Terms of Service at https://artistrightswatchdotcom.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/arw-podcast-terms-of-use-v-2-e-tx.pdf
Chris Castle discusses UMG’s lawsuit against DistroKid could redefine the responsibilities of digital music distributors. We examine copyright liability, AI-generated content, streaming integrity, industrywide KYC standards—and why DistroKid’s global reach may attract scrutiny far beyond the music business. Read the complaint here: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/files/2026/09/Stamped-Complaint-UMG-DistroKid.pdf #DistroKid #UMG #StreamingFraud #ArtificialIntelligence #ArtistRights #MusicBusiness #Copyright #KYC #ArtistRightsInstitute Terms of Service and Copyright; NO AI DATA SCRAPING The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or a solicitation for legal services. The views and opinions expressed are those of the moderators and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or legal entity. If you need legal advice, please consult with a qualified attorney. Copyright 2026, Artist Rights Institute. All Rights Reserved. Neither this video nor any transcript may be used for text or data mining or for the purpose of training artificial intelligence models or systems. Subject to Terms of Service at https://artistrightswatchdotcom.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/arw-podcast-terms-of-use-v-2-e-tx.pdf
Inside Royalty Audits with Keith Bernstein What really happens inside a music royalty audit? In this episode of the Artist Rights Institute Podcast,ARI Director Chris Castle sits down with royalty auditor and industry veteran Keith Bernstein for a deep dive into one of the least understood — but most important — areas of the music business. Keith walks through how royalty audits actually work, what artists and songwriters routinely miss in their agreements, and why audit rights remain one of the few meaningful accountability tools available to creators in the modern streaming economy. The conversation explores how legacy accounting practices evolved into today’s digital royalty systems, why opaque reporting structures continue to create disputes, and how streaming has changed the economics of audits themselves. We also discuss the practical realities facing artists considering an audit: when an audit makes financial sense, common red flags in royalty statements, how reserves, deductions, and cross-collateralization affect payouts, and why leverage often matters as much as legal language. The episode also examines broader structural issues in the modern music business, including black-box royalties, DSP reporting opacity, metadata failures, and the increasing complexity of digital accounting chains involving labels, publishers, distributors, collection societies, and platforms. Keith offers practical advice for artists, managers, lawyers, and business managers navigating royalty disputes in an era where billions of micro-transactions flow through systems few creators fully understand. Topics include: Record royalty audits Publishing and mechanical royalty accounting Streaming-era audit challenges Metadata and matching failures Audit clauses and contract negotiation Catalog valuation and accounting transparency DSP reporting systems Black-box royalties AI and the future of royalty administration Whether you are an artist, songwriter, manager, attorney, or simply interested in how money actually moves through the music industry, this episode offers an unusually candid look behind the curtain. Presented by the Artist Rights Institute. #ArtistRights #MusicBusiness #RoyaltyAudits #Streaming #MusicIndustry #Songwriters #Publishing #DSPs #AI #Copyright #MechanicalRoyalties #Royalties #ArtistRightsInstitute Terms of Service and Copyright; NO AI DATA SCRAPING The information provided in this video is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or a solicitation for legal services. The views and opinions expressed are those of the moderators and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or legal entity. If you need legal advice, please consult with a qualified attorney. Copyright 2026, Artist Rights Institute. All Rights Reserved. Neither this video nor any transcript may be used for text or data mining or for the purpose of training artificial intelligence models or systems. Subject to Terms of Service at https://artistrightswatchdotcom.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/arw-podcast-terms-of-use-v-2-e-tx.pdf
In this episode, we break down the little-known but sweeping amendment buried in the Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) being debated this week. The amendment--which is now characterized as a "temporary pause" to make the 10 years seem trivial--would block states, cities, and even school districts from regulating artificial intelligence for ten years—if they accept federal broadband funding. Framed deceptively as a "temporary pause," this provision threatens hard-fought protections like Tennessee’s ELVIS Act and local school oversight rules while giving Big Tech a free pass to grow unregulated. We explore the constitutional challenges, the state-level opposition, and how the amendment functions as a regulatory Trojan horse—allowing only pro-AI laws while forbidding anything that might slow it down, no matter the cost to artists, educators, and consumers. Reading Materials: “Temporary” Tyranny: Senate is Voting on The 10-Year AI Moratorium That Silences States and Artists AI Moratorium in Senate Version of One Big Beautiful Bill Act Governors Letter Opposing AI Safe Harbor Moratorium 🔍 In This Episode: Why the "pause" on AI regulation is anything but temporary How federal broadband dollars are being weaponized to suppress state and local laws The threat to the Tennessee ELVIS Act and biometric protections The legal case against the moratorium: Spending Clause, Tenth Amendment, Equal Protection How public schools could lose the power to control AI in classrooms The growing bipartisan resistance from state AGs, governors, and legislators 📚 Referenced Laws & Cases: Tennessee ELVIS Act (2024) Illinois BIPA, California Deepfake Law, and others NFIB v. Sebelius – Spending Clause precedent Printz v. United States, Murphy v. NCAA – Tenth Amendment Equal Protection & Due Process Clause applications #AIMoratorium #BigBeautifulBill #StateRights #ELVISAct #ArtistRights #EducationPolicy #BroadbandFunding #FederalOverreach #ConstitutionalLaw #SpendingClause #10thAmendment #BiometricPrivacy #Deepfakes #StudentPrivacy #StopThePause #BigTechAccountability #AIRegulation #LocalControl #CreatorsRights #MusicIndustry Terms of Service and Copyright; NO AI DATA SCRAPING The information provided in this video is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or a solicitation for legal services. The views and opinions expressed are those of the moderators and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or legal entity. If you need legal advice, please consult with a qualified attorney. Copyright 2025, Artist Rights Institute. All Rights Reserved. Neither this video nor any transcript may be used for text or data mining or for the purpose of training artificial intelligence models or systems. Subject to Terms of Service at https://artistrightswatchdotcom.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/arw-podcast-terms-of-use-v-2-e-tx.pdf