David Byrne is escalating the battle against Spotify. Billboard has reported that the former Talking Heads frontman and frequent critic of streaming services, will join the Board of Directors at SoundExchange to aid in the fight for artist royalties.
SoundExchange is an “independent nonprofit performance rights organization that collects and distributes digital performance royalties to featured artists and copyright holders.” Since it was founded in 2003, SoundExchange has distributed approximately $2 billion in royalty fees, from more than 2,500 services, back to artists. (Byrne will replace former board member Walter McDonough, co-founder of the Future of Music Coalition.)
In a statement to the press, President and CEO of SoundExchange Michael Huppe said:
It is an honor to welcome David to the SoundExchange Board of Directors. His experience in the music industry as an artist, songwriter, producer and visionary make him an extraordinary addition to our organization and his perspective will be invaluable in this exciting time of change and growth in the digital music market.
Byrne himself said:
I am honored to join the SoundExchange board where I can leverage my experience as a performing artist and fight on behalf of all creators for fairness and the long-term value of music. SoundExchange is a global leader across the entire music industry in advocating and protecting the rights of music creators. I look forward to working with their exceptional leaders that are dedicated to moving music forward.
This is not the only project that Byrne will be tackling in the coming months. In addition to joining SoundExchange, he’ll also serve as this year’s guest director of Meltdown, the annual festival at London’s Southbank Centre, in mid-August. He will also present his show “Contemporary Color” in Toronto and Brooklyn in June. According to The New York Times, this show pairs “10 teenage color guard teams from Canada and the United States with musicians including Kelis, St. Vincent, Devonté Hynes, and Nelly Furtado. The composer Nico Muhly will collaborate with Ira Glass, the host of “This American Life,” on one piece, while Mr. Byrne will also contribute an original number.”