We catch up on this week’s music publishing headlines, from key deals and signings to new hires, legislation and more.
Deals and Signings
Warner Chappell Music signs Afro B (M Magazine)
The afrowave pioneer has helped spread the genre – which comprises African pop, rap and dancehall – across the UK alongside contemporaries J Hus Kojo Funds and Yxng Bane.
‘An exciting home’: Mull Historical Society’s Colin MacIntyre signs to Mute Song (Music Week)
“I’m very excited to be part of the Mute family. I have been an admirer of Mute and Daniel Miller for a long time, loving both their musical and artist-friendly aesthetic,” MacIntyre explained.
Merck Mercuriadis’s Hipgnosis Songs buys The Chainsmokers catalog (MBW)
The publicly traded UK-based company has acquired both writer and publishing rights in the catalog of The Chainsmokers, the artist and producer duo made up of Alex Pall and Andrew Taggart, for an undisclosed fee.
‘Faber will enrich our collective endeavours’: IMPEL recruits Faber Music (Music Week)
Faber Music is the latest indie publisher to join IMPEL. Founded in 1965 as a sister company to the book publisher Faber And Faber, it is a leading independent publisher of classical, contemporary, media and printed pop and educational music.
Hasbro buys Entertainment One in $4bn all-cash transaction (MBW)
Toy giant Hasbro is buying Canada-born, London Stock Exchange-traded Entertainment One in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately £3.3 billion ($4bn).
Hirings and Promotions
Songtrust hires former Sony/ATV Director of A&R Richard Aurigema as Vice President of Copyright (MBW)
Aurigema will lead the Songtrust copyright and publishing operations teams and will be responsible for the administration of the company’s catalog of copyrights and those of its clients.
Legal
Eminem publisher sues Spotify, declares Music Modernization Act unconstitutional (CMU)
Eminem’s publishing outfit Eight Mile Style has sued Spotify for streaming the rapper’s songs in the US without securing the required licences.
DOJ Consent Decree Review Moving Fast, Reviewing Hundreds of Comments From Across the Industry (Billboard)
By the end of this year, performing rights organizations could find themselves with the most negotiating power they have had since 1941 — or the biggest lobbying fight of their lives on Capitol Hill.
Ennio Morricone May Reclaim Copyright to Film Scores, Judge Rules (Pitchfork)
An appellate court has ruled on Wednesday that iconic film composer Ennio Morricone may reclaim the rights to his film scores. Morricone sued Bixio Music Group in 2016 in an attempt to regain the copyrights to six of his film scores from the late ’70s and early ’80s.
Led Zeppelin backed by Justice Department in Stairway to Heaven copyright battle (MBW)
In a rare show support by the US Government in a copyright case of this nature, the DOJ filed an amicus brief (friend of the court brief) stating, amongst other things, that “the allegedly infringing work is not virtually identical”.
Interesting Reads
Written Applications: Why Data Apps for Publishers Should Be a Bigger Priority (Synchblog)
As Spotify continues to push its podcasting agenda, bringing its analytics for podcasters out of beta, Eamonn Forde takes a look at why data apps for songwriters and publishers should be more of a priority for DSPs.
How Broadway’s Moulin Rouge! Got the Rights to ‘Torn,’ ‘Don’t Speak’ & More Pop Smashes (Billboard)
Most “jukebox” musicals draw on the work of one singer-songwriter. But the score for Moulin Rouge!, based on the 2001 Baz Luhrmann film, incorporates parts of 70 pop tracks by a variety of different writers — some of which are used in 13 original mashups created for the show.
How To Build Your Own Artist Development Team: The Music Publisher (Hypebot)
In this piece we explore the role of the music publisher, looking at the services they perform as well the relationship between the publisher and the other members of your artist development team.
Jobs
Executive Assistant (COO & SVP, Business Development) – Downtown Music Publishing (New York)
Downtown Music Publishing are hiring an Executive Assistant to support both their COO and SVP, Business Development in all facets of their day to day activities.
Senior Communications Manager – Songtrust (New York)
Songtrust is seeking to add a Senior Communications Manager to their Growth team to strengthen their in-house media operations, generating press opportunities that tell their story and elevate the Songtrust brand.
Sync Temp – Downtown Music Publishing (New York)
Downtown is seeking a Sync Temp to join their team in New York for a 6 month contract period. This position will report into and work closely with their Sync Playlist Assistant and Catalog Operations Coordinator.
For more music publishing positions check out our music industry jobs board. To post a listing for free get in touch at jobsboard@synchtank.com.
