The RIAA has now weighed in on the proposed merger of Sirius and XM. In an eight page filing with the FCC the RIAA outlined several stipulations which they feel should be considered by the FCC with regards to a merged company.

In the filing the RIAA states, “The merger of XM and Sirius should be approved only if and when the Commission has satisfied itself that, on balance, the merged company is more likely than XM and Sirius competing against each other as separate companies to satisfy these interests, and any approval should be subject to the conditions below:”

General – (please read the RIAA filing for specifics for all of these conditions, but this comment is about the various platforms where consumers can listen to music)

  1. Fair Compensation For Compulsory Licenses Of Sound Recordings
  2. Content Protection And Substitution
  3. Diversity Of Music
  4. Effect Of Increased Bargaining Power

The RIAA has outlined measures that they feel will protect their interests.

Position – Long Sirius, Long XM -IMOJB-