• NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Earned Over $1,600 in Rap Royalties Last Year
    by rightstech on April 20, 2026 at 7:59 pm

    New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani saw renewed interest in his short-lived rap career after his mayoral candidacy. The music he recorded as Young Cardamom and Mr. Cardamom earned him $1,643 in royalties last year, according to The New York Times. But he actually had recent success as a rapper […]

  • Deezer says 44% of songs uploaded to its platform daily are AI-generated
    by rightstech on April 20, 2026 at 7:52 pm

    Deezer announced on Monday that AI-generated tracks now represent 44% of all new music uploaded to its platform. The company said it’s receiving almost 75,000 AI-generated tracks per day and more than two million per month. The consumption of AI-generated music on the platform is still very […]

  • Anthropic Settlement Hearing Comes into Focus
    by rightstech on April 20, 2026 at 7:48 pm

    91% of eligible works claimed by, up from 54% a month ago

  • Why Authentic Visual Content Isn’t Paid More — And What Would Change That
    by rightstech on April 20, 2026 at 7:40 pm

    A verified editorial photograph with full chain-of-custody provenance sits in the same licensing catalog, at the same price point, as an AI-composite that looks vaguely similar. Behind a paywall, whether it’s a stock subscription or a news outlet, all content is treated equally. You pay for […]

  • Disney Fires The Entire Team Managing Its DVD & Blu-ray Sales
    by rightstech on April 20, 2026 at 7:33 pm

    Disney has eliminated its entire home entertainment division in a sweeping round of layoffs that intensified concerns over the long-term viability of physical media formats such as DVDs and Blu-ray discs according to a report from The Wrap.  Its complete dissolution marks a stark departure from […]

  • Voice actors fight to save their livelihoods and local cultures from Hollywood’s AI push
    by rightstech on April 20, 2026 at 7:27 pm

     As studios, production companies, and streaming platforms increasingly turn to AI for voice-overs and to dub English-language content into local languages, more than 2 million full-time and part-time voice actors worldwide stand to lose their livelihood and the rights to their voice. “With new […]

  • Wall Street still loves streaming, but are its affections well placed?
    by rightstech on April 15, 2026 at 6:24 pm

    The romance started about a decade ago when consumers began cutting the cord with cable TV bundles en masse in favor of direct-to-consumer streaming apps. However, where investors were once enamored with subscriber growth, rewarding companies that were able to expand their consumer reach, their […]

  • Musicians Respond to Calls For PRS to Reduce License Fees
    by rightstech on April 15, 2026 at 6:20 pm

    The U.K.’s main musician and songwriter trade associations have responded to calls for PRS to reduce its blanket license fees for grassroots music venues. On Tuesday (April 14), the Music Venue Trust launched a campaign titled Set The Record Straight: Fair Licensing Fees, aimed at examining how […]

  • New Study Explores the ‘Streaming Paradox’
    by rightstech on April 15, 2026 at 6:16 pm

    A new report is providing a closer look at the “streaming paradox,” or the idea that on-demand listening plays an important role in artists’ careers but leaves much to be desired in the royalties department.  Unsurprisingly, the analysis covers a variety of angles across its nearly 90 […]

  • Publishers urged to embrace future where bot readers provide majority of revenue
    by rightstech on April 15, 2026 at 6:10 pm

    AI agents and bots will become the “primary” revenue source for the publisher websites they visit, the co-founders of AI monetization company Tollbit believe. “It’s not happening overnight,” Olivia Joslin said. “It’s not going to make their year this year in terms of the revenue […]

Rights Tech Blog

29
Jul

RightsTech 2016 Audio Recordings from Panels and Keynotes

Thanks to all that attended Digital Media Wire and Concurrent Media’s inaugural RightsTech Summit in New York City! Whether you were in attendance or not, we are happy to provide you with audio of some of our panels and keynotes from the event. Special thanks to 3 Pillar Global for the recordings! RESTORING REGISTRATION TO THE COPYRIGHT EQUATION PANELISTS: Robert Norton, CEO,...
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28
Jul

The Inaugural RightsTech Summit: Forward-Thinking Optimism, With Few Music Publishers In Sight

Forbes reports “Dozens of technology, law and music professionals gathered at the Japan Society in New York on Tuesday for the inaugural RightsTech Summit, determined to brainstorm how partnerships between tech companies and content creators could drive smarter rights management and monetization. The resulting debates were notable as much for their innovation and optimism as for who was absent. During his keynote,...
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20
Jul

5 Questions With: PluraVida’s Sam Gilchrist

As part of a new interview series on Digital Media Wire’s industry news site, RightsTech Summit panelist Sam Gilchrist talks about PluraVida, payment settlements, rights management, distribution solutions and more. Check out the excerpt below and read the full post here. Digital Media Wire reports “PluraVida is an emerging company at the forefront of the RightsTech movement for digital content distributors, focused on...
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13
Jul

When Content Moves Faster Than The Money: Paul Sweeting Talks Rights Technology

If you think attribution when the term “Rights” comes up in the context of digital media, then you’re missing an important piece of the puzzle as far as how tech breakthroughs have impacted content distribution. On July 26, Digital Media Wire (DMW) will present a Rightstech Summit in NYC to address this blind spot. For now, let’s chat with panel...
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6
Jul

5 Questions With: Benji Rogers of PledgeMusic

As part of a new interview series on Digital Media Wire’s industry news site, RightsTech Summit keynote speaker Benji Rogers talks about PledgeMusic, the music industry, the blockchain and more. Check out the excerpt below and read the full post here. Digital Media Wire reports “PledgeMusic is a direct-to-fan music platform that enhances the fan-artist dynamic from the creation of...
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