GECs
YouTube signs international licensing deal with PRS for Music
MUMBAI: The multi-territory license covers the use of music by the 100,000-plus musicians represented by PRS for Music in videos streamed on the platform. This includes official music videos, live footage, soundtracks and user generated content.
The license also includes the rights to tracks available through PRS for Music’s pan-European licensing initiative, the Independent Music Publishers’ European Licensing (IMPEL).
Artists available through the IMPEL initiative include David Bowie, Justin Timberlake, Lou Reed and Goldie.
The new license agreement is one of the most extensive yet, covering more than 130 territories across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
PRS for Music first licensed YouTube in 2007, one of the first copyright collection societies outside the US to do so.
This initial license finished at the end of 2008, with a new deal not being signed until September 2009 due to lengthy renegotiations between the companies.
Disagreements during negotiations resulted in YouTube blocking UK viewers’ access to thousands of music videos on the site between March and September 2009.
PRS Music chief executive Robert Ashcroft said: “Streaming is a key growth area for PRS for Music, helping drive our online revenues to over ?50 million in 2012. YouTube’s vast reach around the world offers our publishers and songwriters a unique stage and music lovers’ access to millions of songs.”
“The issue of remuneration from streaming services remains a key one for our members, and the further evolution of our licensing relationship with YouTube will help ensure continued growth in royalties for our members from one of the world’s leading video platforms,” Ashcroft added.
In July, statistics published by PRS for Music and music and entertainment strategists FRUKT revealed that big brands invested a record ?100 million on music in 2012.
Artist endorsements, such as Mastercard and Emile Sande at the Brit Awards, brought in ?4.5 million, a 33 per cent increase in brand spend from the previous year.
Digital spend reached ?10.4 million thanks to campaigns including YouTube’s LoveLive channel and the launch of the new Spotify app.
Live music sponsorship, meanwhile, accounted for the largest share of the market at 35 per cent, netting over ?33 million.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
