The Korea Music Copyright Association and Netflix have concluded negotiations on music copyright royalties, settling payments for five years of Korean music used on the platform from 2021 through 2025.
KOMCA said on the 26th that it had signed a renewed music copyright licensing agreement with Netflix and received all royalties owed for usage between 2021 and 2025. The association will review the related data before distributing the payments to rights holders in stages.
The two sides had signed an earlier agreement in 2018 covering music used from 2016 to 2020. But no contract was in place for usage after 2021 as discussions dragged on over how to apply the royalty collection rules for online video services approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and how to calculate the fees.
The ministry's mediation also shaped the outcome. It led talks aimed at narrowing differences between streaming operators and music rights groups while pushing to revise the royalty collection rules for online video services. KOMCA built on that process to continue negotiations with Netflix and reach a final agreement.
The settlement is said to cover music used in a number of Korean films, television dramas and animated works that gained popularity at home and abroad. With Netflix completing payment for the five-year period, the long-running dispute over streaming music royalties appears set to be resolved.
KOMCA expects the renewed contract to make royalty settlements with streaming platforms more stable and to set a positive precedent for copyright negotiations with other platforms.
"As Korean content and music are loved around the world through Netflix, we did our best to ensure that fair royalties go to those who created these works behind the scenes," KOMCA President Lee Si-ha said.
A Netflix official said the company has "continuously sought ways to grow together with creators in a mutually beneficial way," adding that it is "pleased to be able to better guarantee the rights of Korean music creators through this agreement."
