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News January 24, 2018

Enrique Iglesias sues Universal Music over streaming royalties

Enrique Iglesias sues Universal Music over streaming royalties

Latin singer Enrique Iglesias is suing his former record label Universal Music Group, alleging he is owed millions of dollars in unpaid streaming royalties due to “improper accounting”.

Court documents filed in Miami federal court said Universal Music had been “systematically underpaying” him, with just a “small fraction” of the 50% royalty rate set in his 1999 contract for streamed music.

Streaming did not exist then, and is not specifically mentioned.

But the singer’s lawyers say that the language in the contract covers the 50% for digital and physical sales and “any type of use.”

Iglesias’ deal with Universal Music Group was renegotiated in 2010 to include two more albums.

But the record company did not include a clause in streaming, which the Iglesias team strenuously contends that it means they had no issue with paying him 50% for streaming.

Iglesias has sold over 140 million records worldwide since 1995, making him one of the best-selling Spanish artists.

The Escape album from 2001 saw 12 million global sales alone.’

He has also generated “billions” of streams, according to his lawyers.

A significant portion of his success can be put down to hiscrossover into many charts, including Latin and dance, and his collaborations with a wide array of audience-widening collaborators including Whitney Houston, Juan Luis Guerra, Lil Wayne and Ciara.

He also broke out of the Hispanic speaking countries to Australia, the United States and Europe, Japan and India.

In Australia, where Escape went 5 x platinum, he also had platinum success with 1999’s Enrique and 7 (2003) and gold with Euphoria (2010) and Sex And Love (2014).

His biggest selling single in Australia has been ‘I Like It’ (triple platinum) followed by the double platinum status of ‘Tonight (I’m Loving You’), ‘Heartbeat’, ‘Don’t Turn off The Lights’, ‘Not In Love’ and ‘Hero’.

Iglesias and Universal parted ways in 2015.

Last May, Iglesias’ business team sent letters to the record company demanding it adjust its payment to him to 50%.

Prior to filingthe lawsuit he also asked to look through Universal’s accounts, but the company refused.

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