Given its extended and contested gestation, one could be forgiven for having lost track of the status of the .MUSIC top-level domain (TLD). Promoted as a trusted and secure online home for all things music, .MUSIC TLDs are now available for registration through accredited registrars offering a dedicated space for musicians, record labels, music venues and other music-related entities; offering a safe haven for music consumption, protecting intellectual property and fighting piracy and promoting music and the arts, cultural diversity and music education.
Establishing a trusted and consistent online identity and “source of truth” for fans is crucial for musicians and music-related businesses given the ease with which bad actors are able to manipulate and leverage identities to nefarious ends. By registering a .MUSIC domain, it is suggested that artists and organisations will have a greater ability to control their online presence, enhanced visibility and discoverability, ensure accurate and up-to-date information is imparted, and improve fan engagement through focussed marketing campaigns.
According to the registry for .MUSIC, the TLD “will be the first domain extension launched with music-tailored policies to protect creators’ rights and ensure that legitimate music artists, industry professionals and companies can claim their name without fear of cybersquatting or piracy”. These enhanced safeguards are intended to protect music brands and copyright through dedicated policies addressing verification, a globally Protected Music Marks List to protect the names of famous music brands and artists, reactive takedowns in case of obvious or rampant piracy, legal, licensed music-focused content, and alignment of a registered .MUSIC name to an actual name or brand to prevent impersonation and cybersquatting.
The .MUSIC registry is to be overseen by a Governance Council comprising representatives from leading music industry associations covering artists, songwriters, educators, major labels, publishers, instrument manufacturers, technologists and ticket sellers. These include the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), the International Artist Organisation (IAO), the International Society for Music Education (ISME), the International Federation of Musicians (FIM), the International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICPM), the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) (formerly the Independent Music Companies Association (IMPALA)), the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), the International Music Products Association, the Future of Music Coalition (FMC), ReverbNation/ and the International Ticketing Association (INTIX).
In order to register a .MUSIC TLD, registrants must provide proof of a legitimate connection to the music industry, such as membership in a music industry association or organisation, ownership of music copyright or trade marks in music related classes, engagement in music-related business activities or accreditation as a music educator. Registrants must also agree to abide by the .MUSIC TLD’s policies and community guidelines. Registrants will only be able to secure a .MUSIC TLD if the desired name reflects the entirety or a portion of their name, an acronym representing their full name, a name that recognises or describes them or a name relating to their mission or activities.
One very interesting aspect of the .MUSIC proposition is that .MUSIC is also focussed on the development and implementation of a .MUSIC Song Registry designed to facilitate legal marketing and licensing of music by .MUSIC registrants through a global song registry. To date, there have been at least a couple of concerted attempts to create a global database of music rights by the International Music Registry (a WIPO administered, Google funded but now defunct database) and the European Union driven Global Repertoire Database. While the need for and value in a comprehensive, authoritative, centralised database for locating music rights holders and facilitating licensing agreements should be self-evident, it remains to be seen whether third time’s the charm.
Whether you’re a solo artist, band, record label, music school, educator, instrument maker, publisher, aggregator, festival organiser, or any other music-centric individual or entity, the advent of .MUSIC TLD promises to provide new opportunities to best position your brand, connect with fans and customers and grow your online presence.
This article forms part of DCC’s Music and IP initiative.