Music Rights Groups Turn On Each Other Amid Federal Inquiry

A trio of performance rights organizations, now under federal scrutiny, blamed each other for industry fragmentation and inefficient royalty distribution in responses to a US Copyright Office inquiry.

Broadcast Music Inc., the largest of such groups licensing the right to play songs in public, criticized newcomers like AllTrack Performing Rights and Pro Music Rights Inc. for creating “informational opacity” in the system. Pro Music Rights countered by accusing established entities of withholding royalties for private equity interests and “elite A-list guarantees,” according to statements to the Copyright Office submitted Tuesday.

The filings are part of a broader inquiry into the ...