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A music licensing group that recently launched is on the radar for community radio.

Global Music Rights recently emerged as an organization representing songwriters, similar to BMI, ASCAP and SESAC. It is made up largely of songwriters formerly represented by ASCAP and BMI. GMR is reportedly aimed at getting more money for writers whose songs are used in broadcast and other channels.

Does community radio need to worry? Fines for paying unlicensed music are significant. A station that plays music without a license faces penalties into six figures per track. Community radio stations that have not signed an agreement yet, says David Oxenford, should purge GMR licensed songs, including in syndicated programming, or consider GMR licensing.

This is probably not an issue if your community radio station does not play artists licensed via GMR. According to the Global Music Rights website, their clients have written works performed by the following artists:

Adam Lambert

Adele

Aerosmith

Alesso

Alice Cooper

Alison Krauss

Allman Brothers Band

Ashley Tisdale

Audioslave

Average White Band

B.O.B

Babyface

Backstreet Boys

Beatles

Beck

Beyonce

Big Sean

Billy Idol

Blake Shelton

Bone Thugs N Harmony

Boston

Bow Wow

Brandy Clark

Brian Wilson

Britney Spears

Bruno Mars

Bun B

Busta Rhymes

Carrie Underwood

Cee Lo Green

Celine Dion

Cheap Trick

Chris Brown

Ciara

Clay Aiken

Colbie Caillat

Common

Cranberries

Cyndi Lauper

Daft Punk

Damien Rice

Dan Fogelberg

Darius Rucker

Daughtry

David BowieDawes

Demi Lovato

Destiny’s Child

Diana Ross

Diddy

Don Henley

Dr. Dre

Duncan Sheik

Duran Duran

Eagles

Elton John

Eric Clapton

Faith Evans

Fall Out Boy

Fleetwood Mac

Florida Georgia Line

Foreigner

Frank Ocean

Gavin DeGraw

George Gershwin

Glee

Gloria Estefan

Green Day

Gucci Mane

Gwen Stefan

Gym Class Heroes

Heart

Hilary Duff

Hunter Hayes

Ice Cube

James Blake

James Blunt

James Morrison

Jay-Z

Jeff Beck

Jeff Tweedy

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Lopez

Jermaine Dupri

Jessica Simpson

Jimmy Buffett

Joan Baez

John Legend

John Lennon

Johnny Cash

Jordin Sparks

Journey

Julian Casablancas

Justin Timberlake

Kacey Musgraves

Kanye West

Katy Perry

Keith Urban

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Rowland

Kendrick Lamar

Kenny Chesney

Kesha

Kid Rock

Leona Lewis

Lil Kim

Little Big Town

LL Cool J

Ludacris

Ludacris

Luke Bryan

Lupe Fiasco

Mac Miller

Madonna

Mariah Carey

Mario

Maroon 5

Mary J Blige

Mase

Matchbox Twenty

Matt Nathanson

Megadeath

Mike Posner

Miranda Lambert

Missy Elliott

Mos Def

Nas

Natasha Bedingfield

Neil Diamond

Nelly

Nelly Furtado

Neptunes

NERD

New Edition

Nicki Minaj

Nicole Scherzinger

No Doubt

NSYNC

Ol Dirty Bastard

Omarion

One Direction

OneRepublic

Ozzy Osbourne

P. Diddy

Papa Roach

Paul Anka

Paul Oakenfold

Peter Frampton

Pharrell Williams

Phish

Pitbull

Police

Pusha T

Pussycat Dolls

Q-Tip

Queen Latifah

Randy Travis

Rascal Flatts

Robin Thicke

Ryan Tedder

Sammy Hagar

Santana

Sara Bareilles

Sarah McLachlan

Sean Lennon

Sean Paul

Sebastian Ingrosso

Shakira

Shane McAnally

Sheryl Crow

Snoop Dogg

Solange

Soundgarden

Steve Miller Band

Supertramp

Susanna Hoffs

Swedish House Mafia

T.I.

Talib Kweli

Taylor Swift

The Band Perry

The Cult

The Eagles

The Fray

The Game

The Moody Blues

The Polyphonic Spree

The Pretenders

The Randy Rogers Band

The Who

Tiga

Tim McGraw

Timbaland

Toad the Wet Sprocket

Tom Jones

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tone Loc

Toni Braxton

Train

Travis Barker

Twista

Tyga

Tyler The Creator

Usher

Vanessa Carlton

Weird Al Yankovic

Whitney Houston

Wilson Philips

Wings

Wiz Khalifa

Zedd

You can click GMR’s search button to check their full database.

Music royalties are big business. From commercial and non-commercial radio to advertisement, restaurants and other businesses, music performance mandates that songwriters be paid appropriately. GMR is currently focused on the commercial outlets, including radio and businesses (for businesses that play music in their establishments), and has not introduced non-commercial rates or approaches as of this writing. Still, community radio from full power to low power stations are asking what they need to do to deal with potential GMR fees.

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