Four Tet has officially won his royalty battle against Domino Records.
The musician born Kieran Hebden offered a "bodacious update" about the legal case on Twitter, writing: "[The label] have recognized my original claim, that I should be paid a 50 percent royalty on streaming and downloads, and that they should be treated as a license rather than the same as a CD or vinyl sale."
Domino fought to maintain its royalty rate of paying the artist 18 percent for all streams and downloads, based on a contract Hebden had signed in 2001.
"Hopefully I've opened up a constructive dialogue and maybe prompted others to push for a fairer deal on historical contracts, written at a time when the music industry operated entirely differently," the artist wrote, adding: "I really hope that my own course of action encourages anyone who might feel intimidated by challenging a record label with substantial means."
The first three Four Tet records Hebden released via the imprint — 2001's Pause, 2003's Rounds, and 2005's Everything Ecstatic — were removed from streaming services last November amid the active litigation. This development prompted an outcry from other artists, including Caribou's Dan Snaith, who called it a "desperate and vindictive act" on the label's behalf.
Though the albums returned to streaming in February during the week of the trial, this is the first update we've heard on the dispute between Four Tet and Domino since. (Crucially, we were at least privy to the fact that Hebden hung out with Shania Twain a couple weeks after appearing in court.)
According to Hebden's Twitter thread, Domino still owns part of his discography and would not give him "the option to take back ownership."
See the update from the artist below, including scans of the settlement offer documents.
The musician born Kieran Hebden offered a "bodacious update" about the legal case on Twitter, writing: "[The label] have recognized my original claim, that I should be paid a 50 percent royalty on streaming and downloads, and that they should be treated as a license rather than the same as a CD or vinyl sale."
Domino fought to maintain its royalty rate of paying the artist 18 percent for all streams and downloads, based on a contract Hebden had signed in 2001.
"Hopefully I've opened up a constructive dialogue and maybe prompted others to push for a fairer deal on historical contracts, written at a time when the music industry operated entirely differently," the artist wrote, adding: "I really hope that my own course of action encourages anyone who might feel intimidated by challenging a record label with substantial means."
The first three Four Tet records Hebden released via the imprint — 2001's Pause, 2003's Rounds, and 2005's Everything Ecstatic — were removed from streaming services last November amid the active litigation. This development prompted an outcry from other artists, including Caribou's Dan Snaith, who called it a "desperate and vindictive act" on the label's behalf.
Though the albums returned to streaming in February during the week of the trial, this is the first update we've heard on the dispute between Four Tet and Domino since. (Crucially, we were at least privy to the fact that Hebden hung out with Shania Twain a couple weeks after appearing in court.)
According to Hebden's Twitter thread, Domino still owns part of his discography and would not give him "the option to take back ownership."
See the update from the artist below, including scans of the settlement offer documents.
Last month, Hebden released a new single under his KH moniker.
