Music industry takes aim at Fortnite over song royalties

Songwriters and composers look to use new copyright laws to cash in on the boom in online gaming

The global phenomenon Fortnite recently attracted millions of fans to a virtual gig by the real-world DJ Marshmello and now songwriters and composers are seeking to use new copyright laws to receive their cut of royalties from music featured in the booming world of online gaming.

PRS for Music, the body that makes sure 140,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in the UK are paid when their music is used across the globe, has revealed that music royalties rose 4.4% to a record 746m last year.