A group of production music publishers, led by Alibi Music, has filed a $123 million lawsuit against ASCAP, accusing the performing rights organization of systematically underpaying royalties for "non-feature" (stock or library) music used on news, talk, and sports radio stations.
The complaint, filed in New York Supreme Court by attorney Richard Busch, names 11 plaintiffs—including Capp Records, Manhattan Production Music, Epic Music LA, and others—and claims ASCAP diverts more than $15 million annually from these creators, totaling over $123 million in misallocated royalties over eight years. The suit alleges discriminatory policies that devalue non-feature music compared to "feature" performances of popular songs, describing the impact as "financially devastating" for independent publishers and composers.
Key allegations include an unfair weighting formula, outdated sampling methods that miss most uses (especially when music overlaps with spoken content), and refusal to adopt modern tracking technology despite its availability.
News/talk/sports stations pay ASCAP blanket licenses at roughly 17.4% of standard music-station rates yet rely heavily on production music for roughly 22 minutes per hour of bumpers, transitions, themes, and other incidental audio. Radio stations paid their fees properly and are not accused of wrongdoing—ASCAP is the sole defendant.
ASCAP has responded by calling the allegations "baseless," with no further detailed public statement reported as of late December 2025.This lawsuit is unrelated to ASCAP's earlier 2025 settlement with the Radio Music License Committee over general radio licensing rates.