DIMA Digest Newsletter – July 2024
Welcome to our new look! We have updated DIMA’s identity over the past few months to bring our logo, tag line and brand up to date. Our new look supports DIMA’s global strategy of taking an active role both in the USA and in other territories such as Canada. Speaking about the new identity, Graham Davies, President and CEO of DIMA said: “We are establishing DIMA as the voice of music streaming, with plans to place DIMA at the center of music industry dialogue. Our previous branding served us well, but needed to be refreshed as DIMA looks to expand our work at the global level. We hope our members and partners enjoy our bold new look!”
DIMA President and CEO, Graham Davies
Photo Credit: Lexey Swall
1. Spotlight: DIMA President & CEO on Streaming’s Approach to MLC Re-Designation
DIMA President & CEO Graham Davies responded to Billboards’ Kristin Robinson request for DIMA’s perspectives on the MMA five years on, following the public comments phase of the MLC re-designation, being undertaken by the US Copyright Office, coming to an end. DIMA had filed comments jointly with the DLC based on themes of transparency, efficiency and neutrality,here are some highlights from the conversation:
- On Industry Collaboration: “We are robust in defending the MMA. We’re only five years in. We’ve got some things to resolve, but we can do those while working with the MLC. […] in terms of the MLC carrying the confidence, trust and support of the whole industry, we’re all invested in that objective.”
- On Streaming’s Role: “The MMA was not a one-sided piece of legislation . . . the service community does have a vested stake in the running and the operation and the costs of the MLC because that’s what all parties agreed on.”
- On Transparency & Efficiency: “In the next phase, we want to see more transparency behind the MLC’s investments and how that will turn into increased efficiency. […] By the end of the year, the services will have invested $200 million in the MLC since the beginning, both in terms of startup and operating costs. So we are now asking how will that turn into the MLC being a state of the art, efficient operation that is cost effective for the next five years?”
- On Neutrality: “If we are in an environment where the MLC has an ability to spend whatever it likes on whatever litigation it wants to, we do not believe that is the intention of this construction. […] our interpretation is that the MMA doesn’t give the MLC the ability to go beyond its enforcement into interpretation of law.”
Read the full conversation for more from DIMA on MLC re-designation here.
2. In Action: DIMA continues to campaign against the Canadian Streaming Tax
This month, three DIMA members – Amazon, Apple and Spotify – filed legal challenges with respect to the CRTC’s decision imposing a mandatory financial contribution as part of the ongoing implementation of the Online Streaming Act. DIMA President & CEO Graham Davies issued a statement following confirmation of these filings.
In part, Davies stated, “imposing a 5% levy on streaming services is unsustainable, bad for consumers, and fails to follow the policy directive by Canadian Heritage and the Online Streaming Act.” He went on to say that “the approach taken is backward-looking and bad public policy from the current Government of Canada, and fails to acknowledge streaming’s existing contributions to music production.”
Read the full statement here.
Catch up on past reports from DIMA and Spark Insights on the state of music streaming in Canada, here.
3. Rewind: ICYMI – Black Music Month 2024
In our final installment of this year’s Black Music Month interview series, Rep. Gabe Amo (RI-01) joined Spotify’s Joe Hadley to talk about the seminal ‘role of Rhode Island in Black music, and all music, in America.’ Rep. Amo left us with some great music recommendations, including tracks from Tavares, Jon Secada, Blu Cantrell, Andre 3000, and many more!
Watch the full conversation with Rep. Amo and get into the groove with DIMA’s specially curated Black Music Month playlist, developed based on songs and artists highlighted in the conversations, here.
4. Celebrate: National Day of the Cowboy 2024
July 27th was National Day of the Cowboy! To celebrate, Western Caucus Chair Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and her Caucus colleagues collaborated with us to curate a playlist featuring some of their favorite tunes about cowboys, life on the ranch, and the American West.
Click here to listen to the full playlist of Members’ top picks on your favorite streaming service.
Follow DiMA (@dimastreaming) on Twitter to follow the conversation.
