[Fmpro] Digital Watermarking

[Mark Northam]

In all fairness to BMI, they have said that they will honor the Verance
watermarking reports, as long as the reports do not overlap/duplicate
information gathered by their internal tracking.

ASCAP, typically, has thumbed their noses at this tracking technology - too
applicable for CPA (commercials/promo/advertising) music, I suspect. It's
amazing to watch an organization that is supposedly responsible for tracking
music single out this type of music, responsible for over 50% of the minutes
of music on television by one study, and arbitrarily value it at pennies on
the dollar and avoid implementing technology that could do a far better job
of tracking it than ASCAP does now.

To see ASCAP bury their heads in the ground when it comes to CPA music is
shameful, unethical, and unprofessional. It's nothing short of musical
segregation, with some types of music getting the royal treatment, and
others treated like dirt.

But then again, what have we come to expect from the organization that is
responsible for the language that has virtually eliminated independent
candidates from the Board elections, enabling the Board to, through it's
private nominating committee, nominate their own "opponents".

It would seem that the truth, whether represented by independent Board
candidates, or watermarking music detection reports, or acknowledging the
actual amount of CPA music on the air on television today and paying it,  is
something the ASCAP Board wants to hear nothing of...


Best,

Mark Northam


On 8/11/06 6:07 AM, "Les Hurdle" <leshurdle101 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> Hi Chris,
> 
> Watermarking has long been the goal for many of us.
> All of my recent Library music is watermarked, but there is a kicker in
> this issue.
> 
> PRO's like ASCAP have said they wont recognize data provided outside of
> their own survey methods.
> Maybe BMI is the same.
> EU PRO's claim they have no need to be involved in watermarking since
> their broadcasters have to report all plays.
> 
> So how is watermarking going to help at this time?
> 
> You might want to check out fingerprinting.
> Mediaguide at ASCAP, Shazam at BMI are the companies of choice.
> Both PRO's state it will only be for songs.
> 
> I'm curious how do you plan to use watermarking, and to what end?
> 
> Best
> 
> Les
> 
> On Aug 10, 2006, at 10:59 PM, Merritt Music Productions wrote:
> 
>> Hi all,
>> 
>> As part of my new library biz, I now have to deal directly with digital
>> watermarking issues.  Here's a little info I found...
>> 
>> http://www.webreference.com/content/watermarks/tracking.html
>> 
>> Enjoy!
>> 
>> Chris
>> 
>> Merritt Music Productions
>> 9701 Clearwater Drive
>> Knoxville, TN 37923
>> merrittmusic.com
>> 865-357-5473
>> 
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