EMI Publishing has announced that it’s not going to be making its catalogue available at the new audio streaming rates for websites, that were recently published by the UK collection society PRS for Music. PRS recently cut its minimum stream rates from 0.22p to 0.085p last month, in a move that was intended to ease relationships with digital sites and YouTube in particular.

“We are not currently satisfied that the new rates – in particular the minima – proposed by PRS for Music for streaming services are appropriate”, said EMI Music Publishing’s general counsel for Europe Antony Bebawi.

In practical terms, this means that the company will itself adminster streaming services. It is regrettable that EMI Publishing and PRS did not come to a joint decision about rates. But on the other hand, the fact that digital companies were created on unrealistic rates is not really a valid argument for demanding reductions.

Award-winning Canadian composer Michael McCann has signed to music publisher Licence To Thrill. McCann’s credits include Deutsch Inc., Fox, MTV, Ogilvy & Mather, NBC, Alliance Atlantis and Ubisoft. He has created music for US branding spots, (BP, The Gap / Old Navy); title music for multiple television series including ReGenesis (nominated for Best TV Theme at the Hollywood Music Awards); film and videogame trailers (Tom Clancy’s EndWar, The Law of Enclosures); full game scores (including his award-winning music to Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent). Licence To Thrill provides music for brand owners’ campaigns and interactive marketing.

Actually, there is more to this story than moving house. The “cute” US indie band Oh Darling were licensed into a VW ad and also have a cut on the upcoming “”Road Trip 2″, called “Colorful Day”. They are currently playing a number of dates to coincide with their move to Los Angeles, as well as giving away music on their website. We are often asked what sort of music is used in ads. As you’ll see, the music is not extraordinarily innovative (no offence). Significantly in this case, it’s also instrumental.

Incidentally, they say they are “heading south to the land of palm tress and entertainment for a chance to score a record deal and make it big”. That sounds like a sweet old-fashioend notion in this day and age!

Click through to see the ad, get their concert dates and get the free track.
Read the rest of this entry…

Garry Schyman’s soundtrack for the “Resistance: Retribution” game has been picking up excellent reviews. Music 4 Games says it, “takes the rawest Stravinskian power and explodes musically in a way not heard since the death of Jerry Goldsmith”. User reviews have consistently given it five stars.

Check it out on iTunes.

Given the explosion of sites that offer music licensing and supervision services, we thought it would be handy to create lists of these services.