We catch up on this week’s music publishing news, from key deals and signings to new hires, legislation and more.
Deals and Signings
Hipgnosis and Concord make latest publishing investments (Music Ally)
Two of the most active music firms involved in buying up publishing catalogues have started 2020 with a bang.
Inside the Deal: Concord’s Majority Stake in Pulse Music Group Fills a Catalog Void, Sets Stage for Future Moves (Billboard)
It’s the biggest music publishing company acquisition in ages and while terms of the deal were not disclosed, sources say Concord Music Publishing acquired about two-thirds of the Pulse Music Group in a deal that valued the indie music publishing firm in the range of $150 million to $165 million.
Hirings and Promotions
Angelica Camacho Joins Primary Wave As Vice President, Creative A&R (MBW)
Camacho joined Primary Wave Music Publishing this past summer and in just a few short months has signed Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter, Jeremih, as well as sought-after producer and songwriter Anthony Jones to worldwide co-publishing deals.
Cathy Merenda joins Sony/ATV in newly-created SVP, broadcast and media rights role (Music Week)
According to an official press release, Merenda will: “lead the acquisition and retention of valued administration partnerships with film, television, broadcast and digital media companies in the U.S.”
Jim Selby Promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Concord (MBW)
Concord has promoted Jim Selby from Chief Revenue Officer to Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately.
Nigel Elderton Reappointed As Chairman Of PRS for Music (M Magazine)
The Managing Director and European President of peermusic, Nigel Elderton, will continue on in his role as Chairman of the Performing Right Society Limited for an additional three-year term.
Facts and Figures
Sony/ATV UK operations reveal 2019 financial results (Music Week)
Sony/ATV UK revenues increased by 7.9% year-on-year to £56 million in 2019. Pre-tax profit was down 21.5% to £1.28m.
Legal
Katy Perry’s Lawyers Request Retrial in ‘Dark Horse’ Copyright Case: ‘A Travesty of Justice’ (Billboard)
Attorneys for Katy Perry and her “Dark Horse” collaborators are demanding a retrial in the copyright infringement case that resulted in a $2.78 million judgment against Perry, Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald (Dr. Luke) and others last July.
5 Legal Cases That Could Change the Music Industry In 2020 (Billboard)
In 2020, a number of court cases could change how you do business. From licensing disputes to jaw-dropping piracy verdicts to one of the first legal challenges to the Music Modernization Act — not to mention a development in the long-brewing legal battle between Kesha and Dr. Luke — here’s what you need to know.
How Music Copyright Lawsuits Are Scaring Away New Hits (Rolling Stone)
The boom in copyright lawsuits is rattling the music industry — to the point where some artists and songwriters are spending tens of thousands of dollars on insurance policies
Interesting Reads
The Man Who’s Spending $1 Billion to Own Every Pop Song (Marker)
Music mogul Merck Mercuriadis raised hundreds of millions of dollars to buy the rights to hits by Taylor Swift, Timbaland, and Bruno Mars. Is he insane?
Why Indie Publishers Are Flourishing In Nashville (Billboard)
Something curious happened last September: A trio of Nashville executives from the three main performing rights organizations in the United States all announced separate plans to lead new publishing companies.
Music Industry Analysts on the Trends to Watch in 2020 (Synchblog)
We ask some of the brightest minds in the music industry to talk through their predictions for the trends and issues that will shape 2020.
MMF boss Annabella Coldrick on the artist rights revolution (Music Week)
2019 will surely go down in music biz history as the year that artists and songwriters decided to fight for their rights.
Brave New Word: Licensing Lyrics on Merchandise (Synchblog)
With lyrics becoming more commonplace in artist merchandise, Eamonn Forde takes a look at the business and opportunities associated with this area of music licensing.
Why Labels and Publishers Are Looking for the Next Frontiers of Licensing (Billboard)
Three years ago, Peloton broke the dam, licensing music for over 13,000 online fitness classes for its exercise bikes — and today, labels and publishers are aggressively seeking new frontiers for licensing beyond TV, movies and advertisements.
Best Practices for Managing Your Catalog and Assets (Synchblog)
We discuss the best practices for catalog and asset management to help rights holders maximise profits and reduce legal complications.
The Meta Trends that Will Shape the 2020s (MIDiA Research)
Here are MIDiA’s predictions for the meta trends that will shape content and media in the 2020s.
Latest Jobs
Publishing Royalties Onboarding and Data Specialist – Synchtank (London/Los Angeles)
The ideal candidate should have significant publishing and label royalties experience on a global basis. Good financial/accounting knowledge is also essential.
Copyright Assistant, Nordics – Kobalt Music Group (London)
Joining the Publishing Copyright department in Kobalt’s London office, the primary role of the Copyright Assistant will be to assist the team in managing the catalogue in the Nordics.
For more positions check out our music industry jobs board. To post a listing for free get in touch at jobsboard@synchtank.com.
