In June 2015, the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business was awarded $100,000 from Gibson Brands for The Les Paul Music Innovation Award. The award was created to honor the late Les Paul’s 100th birthday by funding research for faculty and students, inspiring the next generation of industry leaders to express innovation and creativity to strengthen the music economy.
After reviewing several proposals, the first allotment of funds from the award was given to audio engineering faculty members Dr. Eric Tarr and Justin Dowse to conduct research on the current payment system used by music streaming platforms. With the help of four student research assistants, Tarr and Dowse are conducting technological research while also trying to get an idea of how the public feels about this issue. Dowse said, “We are researching new technology that could potentially increase royalty payments to song rights owners, reduce the time it takes for royalty payments and remove the opaqueness of the music industry.”
To participate in the team’s study of individual music streaming practices, click here.
