2015 Year-In-Review: Pandora

In 2015, Pandora struck direct deals with many music rights holders including ASCAP, BMI, BMG, Warner/Chappell & SONY/ATV.

AIMP members can click here to hear for free the National Music Publishing Association's David Israelite:

1. Report some news about Pandora turning a new leaf in its publisher relations
2. Share analysis of Pandora's paid vs. free subscribers and plans for the future
3. Explain why he thinks Pandora's "rising tide" of direct deals with the majors will will "raise all boats" in music publishing:

David Israelite, Esq. of the National Music Publisher's Association Speaking in November 2015 at the Association of Independent Music Publishers

Pandora share prices closed 2015 at $13.41, down nearly 40% from their peak of over $22 per share in October, perhaps due to factors such as:

• US Government Raises Master Webcasting Rates, which Pandora pays to SoundExchange

• Pandora settled for $90 Million a lawsuit brought by major labels over pre-1972 recordings 

• Recent acquisition costs:

• Ticketfly for $450 Million (click here for more on that story)

• Rdio assets for $75 Million (click here for more on that story)

Look for Pandora to expand into more on-demand services in 2016.

For more on Pandora, check out the links below, with which our readers engaged during 2015:

• Pandora's share price tumbles 50% in a year - Music Business Worldwide  http://t.co/tjlCAFztOF
• Sub Pop artist creates music-streaming site to mock Pandora, Spotify  http://t.co/JWofObwHr9
• More Teens Listen to Spotify and Pandora Than FM Radio ¦  http://t.co/qz8WmWahUd
• NYT: @Pandora Readies for Another #Royalties Battle, This Time With @BMI - by @Sisario http://t.co/rse758hgvK
• Pandora's Shares are Losing Value, Sales Decline  http://t.co/QP3MNcBj1g
• Pandora Has No Comment About Payola In Direct Deal With Naxos Records - hypebot  http://t.co/Hg918t1e47
• Next Out Of Pandora's Box: Letting The Artists Speak To You, Literally | Fast Company | Business + Innovation http://t.co/AgkmtBqIiB
• Pandora Making Bid to Unruffle Music World -  http://t.co/dbXM7HvsZc
• Pandora to release day pass for ad-free listening  http://t.co/few7NtZ4Fk
• Guest Post: Is Pandora's Licensing Deal With Classical Label Naxos Unfair to Professional Artists? | Billboard  http://t.co/59Guh87DeV
• Still just 1 woman on the @pandora board: Pandora Adds Former CEOs of AEG and EMI to Board of Directors | Billboard  http://t.co/8U5dIQ1GZk
• .@DavidIsraelite @NMPA Responds to Roger Faxon, Saying '@Pandora Exploits Songwriters' | @Billboard  http://t.co/cZiTHl9Xb6
• Because 1 token female on the board is enough? @Pandora pays members of music's old boys club to join its board / http://t.co/SxgjJUwNIP
• Pandora loses 2m listeners and $48m in three months - Music Business Worldwide http://t.co/rUQngIsgO5
• Pandora earnings return to the same old song - CNET http://t.co/ICPaPYxGRW
• Pandora didn't pay 50 employees for two years (P)  http://t.co/qclRwQQx1X
• Pandora is paying out $0.0001 more per stream than it was last year - Music Business Worldwide  http://t.co/tLciPsFOKo
• Billboard: @Pandora_Radio Wins in @ASCAP's Appeal of Payment #Rate by @EdChristman http://t.co/8rzz9KkrOW
• @Pandora_Radio set to claw back $1.5m from songwriters with FM buy - Music Business Worldwide  http://t.co/sr1JQe6j0y
• Billboard: @Pandora_Radio Wins in @ASCAP's Appeal of Payment #Rate by @EdChristman http://t.co/FLtFl4KZSv
• Pandora loses to BMI in #hearing over #royalty #rates, vows to #appeal http://t.co/PBTksXVgkF
• Pandora loses to BMI in #hearing over #royalty #rates, vows to #appeal http://t.co/NSfs4wqZ3E
• Court Rules that Pandora Has to Give BMI More Money... - Digital Music News http://t.co/YyECgr4796
• Court Rules that Pandora Has to Give BMI More Money... - Digital Music News http://t.co/AWJrKj9xOO
• BMI hones in on some key points in its Pandora ruling | Complete Music Update  http://t.co/HVbtCQ0PSo
• Judge Explains Why Pandora Must Pay 2.5 Percent of Revenue to BMI | Billboard  http://t.co/4zvFECQSXK
• BMI hones in on some key points in its Pandora ruling | Complete Music Update  http://t.co/3U7ZwZ92yc
• Judge Explains Why Pandora Must Pay 2.5 Percent of Revenue to BMI | Billboard  http://t.co/ymBOF96t1k
• People are saying Pandora just dodged a huge bullet in the Apple Music launch (P)  http://t.co/5GzCbuXzPO
• Why Pandora Is Running a Small Town Radio Station - Bloomberg Business  http://t.co/pc9mOIoKRP
• Pandora CFO: Music streaming royalties 'going to get worse' - Nashville Business Journal  http://t.co/uXUx8NFkNw
• NPR Leaves Pandora and Google’s Music Lobbying Group  http://t.co/WqOOdXp8jg
• Pandora CEO not worried about Apple Music  http://t.co/TvCQWWKHvM
• Pandora launches Sponsored Listening for advertisers out of beta  http://t.co/5ilpGqC0gS
• Stock analysis: Pandora Has Potential After a Pullback - Barron's  http://t.co/iWJM0OWkXp
• Judge Denies Pandora Bid To Lower #Royalties After Buying FM Station - hypebot  http://t.co/qM1mfhC2HJ
• Spotify And Pandora Help Streaming Music Ad Revenue Pass $1 Billion By 2017, Report Says http://t.co/QU1TjHlbAL
• "Pandora has lost almost $200 million since its inception." http://t.co/vkd1SiqtkW
• Pandora's stock price has "fallen more than 40% over the past year" http://t.co/9QbWGHIAm3
• Pandora's Summer Surge Starts Melting on Wall Street http://t.co/h3X2lPw1q5
• Pandora's new ad-free Internet radio pass costs $1 for 24 hours, launches September 10  http://t.co/LvalW66rjT
• Pandora financials http://t.co/GPP0mSgXES
• Pandora Media Jumps After Preliminary Decision on #Royalties to Use Merlin Agreement as Benchmark http://t.co/4yu4rwzTuo #crb
• Pandora and SoundExchange Each Get Small Wins in Rate Proceeding http://t.co/zaFFJHIRWK
• Pandora Reaches $1.5 Billion in Royalties Paid by @billboardglenn http://t.co/rdfiXsA6pW
• Pandora buys Ticketfly for $450 million  http://t.co/NZkn91osxt
• I think it is a smart move: Pandora's Acquisition of Ticketfly Is Expensive, Groundbreaking and Full of Opportunity http://t.co/gSXiVU50zg
• Pandora's $123 million #royalties bill for #broadcasting the golden oldies https://t.co/4n5jSMjPbV
• Pandora reportedly close to major label deal over pre-1972 recordings | Complete Music Update https://t.co/dnwG1r4f7L
• Pandora Agrees to $90 Million Deal to End Pre-72 Lawsuit By Major Labels - by @EriqGardner Hollywood Reporter  https://t.co/PkaaJoLmIW
• Pandora listeners can hear only so much - CNET https://t.co/T7L0Fslq1U
• Pandora Revenue Growth Overshadowed by Questions About Apple Music's Impact https://t.co/oSxSiD4gyZ
• Pandora Reports Q3 2015 Financial Results | Business Wire https://t.co/BPXd5Wgqhr
• Pandora Shares Plummet as Competition Grows  https://t.co/ejQvdOVlVO
• Manatt: Pandora ordered to pay ASCAP and BMI disparate rates in parallel rate case decisions - Lexology  https://t.co/rf3ISyL6CW
• Pandora, Apple Music and a #Music #Streaming Market in Flux by @billboardglenn https://t.co/6vfxslK3qH
• Sony/ATV music publishing and Pandora ink direct publishing deal https://t.co/Z0SgfRPmEN
• Martin Bandier promises songwriters 'significant increase' in Pandora cash - Music Business Worldwide https://t.co/4c85oJQ9cX
• Bandier: 'Sony/ATV's Pandora deal will significantly increase songwriter royalties' https://t.co/NyqgOHSIkQ
• Rdio is filing for bankruptcy, Pandora will buy ‘key assets’ for $75M  https://t.co/jx4ds49YV9
• Per @DavidIsraelite @NMPAorg @AIMPorg: The deal Pandora made with @Sony, @Pandora is offering to all #publishers. https://t.co/L4tjxE5atq
• Pandora's aggressive plot to defeat Spotify: 5 things you need to know - Music Business Worldwide https://t.co/E86h5SSjDW
• Pandora financials reveal $1bn+ investment since 2009  https://t.co/2xL15O0Krz
• 5 Things Pandora Media, Inc.'s CEO Wants You to Know --  The Motley Fool https://t.co/YbwN4nvuXB
• Pandora CEO: Free on-demand music streaming is bad https://t.co/D86RJpavfh
• Pandora is laying off more than half of Rdio employees following acquisition  https://t.co/LZrTWYZNMU
• Pandora is gearing up for an all-out music streaming war https://t.co/pO7UKPsrfY
• Pandora CEO: Free on-demand music streaming habit is killing the music industry https://t.co/sQi9PatML7
• Songs Music Publishing signs direct licensing deal with Pandora https://t.co/Pi7oVQkL6p
• Why Pandora needs a streaming ruling that doesn't irk music industry https://t.co/PFcQnMauA0
• NYT: For Pandora, Ruling on Streaming Royalty Rates Is Crucial by @Sisario https://t.co/JgmetoXWCc https://t.co/8IJT5Bm4CA
• Pandora CFO wants to pay lower royalties, claims iTunes "eviscerated" the music industry by @sambarsanti https://t.co/3TRCA9ZNLy
• Pandora's profits depend on #CRB - interview with @sisario https://t.co/VSoCPTNg1F
• Copyright Royalty Board raises rate of royalties for streaming music services like Pandora https://t.co/3Zmoc4cIrP https://t.co/mXqdvuyJhq
• Warner/Chappell Music and Pandora Sign Licensing Agreement | Business Wire https://t.co/UaOqCuXx5l
• Pandora and Warner/Chappell Sign Direct Licensing Deal by @EdChristman | Billboard https://t.co/paa4PSdO8a
• In case you missed it: ASCAP and BMI Sign Licensing Agreements with Pandora https://t.co/g7fpvD15o5
• Pandora, Music Rights Holders Settle Royalty Rate Dispute https://t.co/FtigiLJ7yK

Best of Last Week

@jimmybuffett does ask terrestrial stations to pay royalties; he is part if the @musicFIRST coalition.

9 Spotify tools for hardcore music fans

Why Apple has a good shot at killing the freemium streaming music model @jillkrasny via @Inc

Need MCLE credit? Check my panel: "Royalty Income Meets Marital Dissolution Dividing, Managing and Accounting"

Molly Neuman: From Riot Grrrl Founder to Indie Label Advocate - Digital Music News

Lady Gaga's Parsippany #producer loses $7.3M suit to #songwriter

Taylor Swift's Extreme Measures to Keep "1989" From Leaking via @YouTube

Study from Pandora Touts the 'Pandora Effect' on Music Sales | Billboard #promotionaleffect

Don Henley: Record Companies 'Not Going to Roll Over' on Copyright Issue | Rolling Stone

RT @musicregistry: The Million Dollar Record Label Theft, & How It Came Crashing Down

Fortune: Pandora's plans for growth

An #iTunes #contract

SiriusXM Slammed Yet Again As New York Judge Rules in Turtles Lawsuit - Hollywood Reporter

# # #

For more music news, follow me @Auditrix.  For interactive games and other IP royalty, business and litigation news, you should follow me @RoyaltyExpert.

Recap of Last Week

Top items shared last week on LinkedIn and Twitter by Cedar Boschan:

L-R: Cedar Boschan, Austin Lucas & Kyla Akasha at The Observatory in Santa Ana

• Great post on music publishing valuation by Derek C. Crownover @dickinsonwright via @nekstbiz

• Association For Electronic Music highlights £100 million missing performance royalties | Complete Music Update

Auditrix:

Best of Last Week

• The California Copyright Conference's #Streaming for Dollars Panel @cacopyright #irespectmusic

• I just published "You Need a Better YouTube Strategy"

• @musicbizcast: Ep. #7: Chris Opperman's journey from the basement of UMPG to Record Label Ownership @chris_opperman

• Spotify curation startup gets bought by WMG  via @guardian

• Ford Seeks To Dodge Class Action Over Music Royalties - Law360

• The music industry: "What used to be a question of persuasion has become a problem of prediction."

• Americans are mad for music festivals, Eventbrite's study finds - NY Daily News

• The New Yorker: "Crooner in Rights Spat"

# # #

Highlights from The California Copyright Conference's October 2014 Music Royalties Dinner

Last week, the California Copyright Conference presented a panel discussion entitled, "Are You Getting Paid? Best Practices for Unmatched Royalties"

October 2014 California Copyright Conference: L-R: Scott Berenson – Director, Claims Department at SoundExchange; Jake Wisely - President The Bicycle Music Company; Diane Snyder Ramirez – Vice President Royalty Accounting & Administration, Royalty Review Council; Chris Castle – Founder, Christian L. Castle, Attorneys, Austin; Anne Cecere – BMI, California Copyright Conference President; Not Pictured: Eric Palmquist - Vice President, Audit & Income Tracking, BMG Chrysalis

I tweeted a few insights from the panelists, such as:

One highlight was when panelist Chris Castle called on Henry Gradstein to speak on state copyright protection of pre-1972 sound recordings:

Henry Gradstein at the California Copyright Conference: Section 980 in California was amended to allow for common law (c) protection

But, a few tweets can't impart all of the valuable information that the panelists shared. To view the complete discussion, click here to join the California Copyright Conference.

#IRespectMusic

Eventually materials from the program will be uploaded here for anyone to access free-of-charge.