Copyright claims and other challenges in music streaming app development

The convenience offered by music streaming applications has taken their craze to a whole new level. While it should be easy to use and navigate, there should be no shortcomings in features. The ease with which songs get downloaded and played must match the price paid by customers. These challenges, coupled with the points mentioned below, make the application development process daunting.

1. Record labels claim the copyrights of the music streamed on their platform

The music streaming applications run the songs of artists with copyrights and licenses. Therefore, these applications cannot stream these songs without obtaining permission from the appropriate sources. The law comes first, and these applications must follow Public Performance Rights to continue operations.

Every country has different rules and bodies for the protection of copyrights. For example, in the US- The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) manage license purchases and copyrights. Similarly, in Europe, it’s the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC).

2. Record companies are concerned about piracy

Music piracy means copying and distributing music pieces without the consent of rightful owners. It entails copyright infringement and is punishable under civil or criminal lawsuits based on jurisdiction.

Many users download the songs from music streaming platforms on their phone or computer, which leads to revenue loss for the artists and record label companies. Illegal downloading discourages record companies.

Users have ditched the old piracy technique and now practice ‘stream ripping’ piracy. It involves streaming the song on music applications but using illegal tools to convert it into a permanent download. Such practices hit the record companies and artists hard.

3. Small indie artists are not seen as a strong revenue base for labels

Indie is short for independent artists who do everything from music recording to production themselves or with the help of small companies. Since they are small and do not have enough fame, these artists themselves do not earn enough money. Therefore, the label companies cannot make profits.

However, they do stream their songs on music applications. There are digital rights agencies like Merlin Network that offer licenses for independent labels. Music streaming applications must obtain them beforehand and ensure appropriate revenue-sharing with the artists.

4. Different rights to be considered — master recording, lyrics etc

When a song gets published for commercial purposes, meaning to generate money, it involves multiple rights to consider. Therefore, a music streaming application also needs to heed such rights and get permission beforehand.

The numerous music industry rights include:

• Master recording rights permit the user to use the recording by the song’s copyright owner.
• Synchronization rights grant using the music track in an audiovisual project.
• Lyrics copyrights restrict users from producing and utilizing the song lyrics without the owners’ permission.
• Print license grants users to make copies of the scores of a music track.

The composition, melody, lyrics, etc., are some of the many rights that music streaming applications must consider, or they can face significant penalties.

5. Trademark issues

Trademark refers to registering a word, words, or symbol for use by the representing company or product only. In the music industry, the song lyrics, title, melody, and composition are respective owners’ trademarks. The music streaming applications must obtain their licenses before running them.

However, the trademark process compliance is pretty challenging. Developers need to reproduce the song in specific formats and pay a fee to secure the license. It becomes the applications’ responsibility to provide royalty or earning percentage to the respective owners when their song gets streamed. These applications have to be highly diligent in preventing misuse, abuse, and copyright infringement.

6. Geography-specific laws

Every country, jurisdiction, and geographically dispersed area provides different regulations for music streaming applications. These regulations protect the rights of songwriters, artists, composition, melody, record labels, and other associated parties.

Moreover, some rules protect indigenous and small artists and guarantee certain visibility nationally, locally, etc. Therefore, developers need to be cautious and learn every relevant law for streaming in different countries while developing music streaming apps.

Conclusion

Music streaming applications are a new rage and have given the global music industry a needed boost. However, developing these applications is not a walk in the park. The technical and regulatory challenges are numerous. However, if designed correctly, these applications have massive revenue potential.