Music streaming services are fighting for a big royalties increase

Last year, CRB approved an interest rate increase that would increase royalties by 43.8 percent over a five-year period. The decision was not made public until February, when it opened a 30-day window for appeals, and it appears that the big players are not going to keep quiet.

Well, anything but one. Variety reports that Apple has no plans to issue a complaint. Not surprisingly, Apple has already offered suggestions on how to "fix" royalties.

In a joint statement, Spotify, Pandora and Google wrote, "If it is left to stand, the CRB decision has harmed both music licensed and licensed." But when the CRB first proposed the new rates, some liked to protest to declare war on songwriters. Time will tell if the musicians see these appeals as an attack, but this is not a new battle. Just a few years ago, Taylor Swift temporarily withdrew her music from Spotify. And clearly, this won't be resolved anytime soon.

Here is the complete statement from Spotify, Google and Pandora:

"Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), in a shared decision, recently issued US mechanical statutory rates in a manner that claims serious procedural and material concerns. being left to stand, CRB's decision is harmed for both music licenses and copyright owners. We therefore ask the US Court of Appeal for DC Circuit to review the decision. "