Ask Music Lawyer

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN! Although the Queen of Soul departed less than 2 weeks ago, we’re not ready to stop talking about her. Aretha Franklin reigns once more, by rising above all on iTunes, Spotify and Billboard’s R&B Charts. According to Nielsen’s Music Sales Measurement, Franklin’s album sales displayed an enormous increase in sales since her death and is constantly growing . The Queen of Soul’s highest sellers were: 30 Greatest Hits topped Nicki Minaj’s Queen album also which

I usually try to keep my entertainment blogs limited to the hip hop and R&B genre, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to mix music and Trump, especially when the artist at hand is protecting its music and brand from being tainted by Trump’s administration. Besides, Aerosmith is one of the greatest rock groups of all time and I’m not ashamed to admit I owned an album or two back in the day. Apparently, Trump has been playing some of Aerosmith’s music at his presidential eve

J.J. Abrams, the Star Wars and Star Trek director, has decided to venture into the music business launching indie label, Loud Robot. Loud Robot, spin-off of his Bad Robot Production company, will be partnering with Capitol Music Group (CMG), a division of Universal Music Group. The label will concentrate on short-term collaborations to issue original music, discovering both developing and reputable artists through old-style A&R methods. According to Billboard.com, CMG will

A few months back, I blogged about the Music Modernization Act. Just to sum it up briefly, the Music Modernization Act is an attempt at reconciling former copyright laws as they relate to music licensing and technology. The main purposes of the Act are to: Guarantee protection and thereby compensation for artists who recorded music prior to February 15, 1972; Codify Sound Exchange policy recognizing and honoring “Letters of Direction” from artists who wish to share their roya

Louisiana native, Koryn Hawthorne, is set to be the first woman ever to simultaneously dominate four of the five main Billboard Gospel charts in the past five years. Hawthorne is best known as a finalist from season eight of NBC's The Voice in 2015 at the age of 17. Coach Adam Levine expressed how he has never in the history of The Voice witnessed, “such a drastic, incredible, unbelievable journey.” Soon after the season, she signed to RCA Inspiration, the dedicated gospel de

Mitch Barns, 55, was appointed CEO of the Nielsen Company, popularly nicknamed as “The TV Ratings Company,” in January 2014 and has led the company to greatness beyond measures. Nielsen is a measuring and analytics company that provides insight and data for various industries surrounding digital, entertainment, innovation, media, and more. Nielsen Music provides Billboard ample sums of data for their charts. Barns will continue to manage operations and key initiatives such as