British Labels, Artists Agree on Digital Download Royalties

British record companies and songwriters have reached an agreement over how much artists should be paid every time their songs are sold online or to a cellphone, ending a long-running dispute that cast uncertainty over the future distribution of profits from digital download services. Both sides backed down from their initial claims, agreeing to adopt the existing temporary rate under which songwriters receive 8% of revenues for the next three years, equivalent to about 10 cents a download from Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes service.

  • Read the article: The Wall Street Journal