BMI, the U.S. performing rights organization, today announced that is has completed a long-term music licensing agreement with Pressplay, the online music company.

Pressplay, which launched service in the United States on December 19, 2001, offers subscribers access to a catalog of music through streaming, downloading and CD-burning. The service gives users access to an online library including music from the world's three largest record companies; Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and EMI Recorded Music.

The agreement grants Pressplay the rights to publicly perform the approximately 4.5 million compositions in the BMI repertoire. Once payment and performance data is received, fees collected from the public performances on the site will be distributed as royalties to the songwriters, composers and music publishers of the works BMI represents.

"Pressplay is a leader in the digital music subscription space and we are happy that we were able to create an equitable licensing agreement for the use of BMI music on the service," said Richard Conlon, Vice President of BMI's New Media Licensing group. "We share Pressplay's conviction that digital, subscription-based music services present an exciting new platform for the performance of music as well as a potential new revenue stream for songwriters."

"This agreement with BMI will enable Pressplay members to have access to millions of songs from popular BMI songwriters," said pressplay President and CEO Andy Schuon.

blikety bang! first post!

dang, i need to get my ass in gear. heh

Ya know, get ASCAP and this may make a substantial impact.