We catch up on this week’s music publishing news, from key deals and signings to new hires, legislation and more.
Deals & Acquisitions
Primary Wave buys catalog from Wilson Phillips members Chynna Phillips and Carnie Wilson (MBW)
The acquisition covers many hits written by Phillips and Wilson as members of Wilson Phillips including You’re in Love, Release Me, and their No.1 hit Hold On.
Signings
Jorge Drexler Signs Global Deal With Warner Chappell Music Spain (Billboard)
Set to release his 14th album later this year, the 57-year-old is a five-time Latin Grammy winner and an Academy Award-winning artist.
Peermusic signs Douglas Lyons and Ethan Pakchar to worldwide publishing deal (Music Week)
Peermusic has confirmed that it has signed musical theater composing team Douglas Lyons and Ethan Pakchar to an exclusive global publishing deal.
Warner Chappell Music signs rising rapper CJ (MBW)
The 23-year-old artist has seen success with his first RIAA platinum-certified single Whoopty, which hit the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time this week and also landed him at No.10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriters chart.
Launches & New Ventures
Spotify bins Secret Genius, launches Noteable hub for songwriters, producers and publishers (MBW)
Spotify has just launched a new “global home for songwriters, producers, and publishers” called Noteable, because, according to the company, “the work of songwriters, producers, and publishers informs so much of what we do at Spotify”.
Sony/ATV Returns to Sony Music Publishing, Unveils New Branding (Billboard)
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is rebranding as Sony Music Publishing, more than 25 years after the original Sony Music Publishing merged with the Michael Jackson-owned ATV Music in 1995.
Facts & Figures
Every Dollar Earned by Music Biz Generates Another 50 Cents for US Economy: Study (Billboard)
The U.S. music industry’s total impact on the country’s economy grew to $170 billion in 2018, generating an additional 50 cents of revenue on every dollar earned for adjacent industries such as tourism, hospitality and marketing, according to the RIAA’s new economic impact report.
Finance & Investment
Confirmed: Universal Music Group set to go public on Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange this year (MBW)
UMG parent Vivendi has confirmed it is examining a proposal to spin 60% of the music company out from the French company’s corporate ownership, and for UMG to start trading on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange by the end of 2021.
Investment funds forcing artists to name their price is… not a great idea. (MBW)
All of the deal-makers behind these buyouts know what Hipgnosis knows: artists don’t want intricate details of their earnings paraded in front of investors, let alone their fans
SPAC Attack: The Music Business’ New Favorite IPO Strategy (Billboard)
SPACs raised $78 billion in 2020, half of the total amount that went to IPOs in North America, according to Bloomberg News.
Give songwriters stakes in Spotify and Apple, says music fund boss (Telegraph)
Call from Round Hill chief Josh Gruss comes as pressure mounting on streaming platforms to offer better returns to songwriters.
Royalties & CMOs
The Mechanical Licensing Collective Receives $424 Million in Historical Unmatched Royalties from Digital Service Providers (The MLC)
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) announced today that it has received a total of $424,384,787 in accrued historical unmatched royalties from digital service providers (DSPs), together with corresponding data reports that identify the usage related to these royalties.
CreateSafe makes a publishing simulator for streaming income (Music Ally)
You can choose a deal type (unpublished, co-publishing or admin) then play around with slide bars to see what kind of royalties might be due from various amounts of streams.
Songwriters fight to be heard in streaming revenues debate (The Guardian)
The payment of music royalties in the streaming age is the subject of much discussion due to an ongoing parliamentary inquiry in the UK into their economic impact and sustainability. But members of the songwriting community are frustrated that their particular situation is being overlooked.
Hirings & Promotions
Songtrust promotes Lisa Robinson, Anna Bond and Rob Wetstone (Music Week)
The latest appointments at Songtrust coincide with continued growth for its administration services around the world. It now has clients in more than 145 countries.
Round Hill Music co-founder Richard Rowe exits company after 10 years (MBW)
British exec Rowe co-founded Round Hill Music in 2010 alongside the company’s CEO, Josh Gruss, and its President, Neil Gillis. Since then, Rowe has acted as Vice-Chairman of Round Hill Music.
Downtown Music Publishing names Bea Koramblyum as global head of business affairs (Music Week)
Downtown Music Publishing has announced three key executive appointments and promotions across its business affairs, research and creative marketing teams.
Interesting Reads
Money Moves – Merck Mercuriadis on Changing Industry Paradigms and the Future of Music as an Asset Class (Synchblog)
In the following conversation, Merck discusses his future plans for Hipgnosis, addresses the recent criticism he’s received from the investment and finance community, and explains why the phone hasn’t stopped ringing since he bought 50% of Neil Young’s song catalog.
All The Presidents’ Memos: The Music Industry Under Trump and Then Biden (Synchblog)
Eamonn Forde examines what Trump’s administration did for the benefit – and detriment – of the music industry, and where things might stand under Biden.
David Ventura and Tim Major on the new era for Sony Music Publishing (Music Week)
David Ventura, president & co-MD, and Tim Major, co-MD, look ahead to the future of the company, outline their priorities and talk synergies with the wider Sony companies.
‘The song value has been suppressed… because of the industry mechanics’ (Music Ally)
Yesterday’s second session at the UK’s parliamentary inquiry into the economics of music streaming was another double-header, featuring representatives of musicians.
Three trends that will shape the rest of 2021, and beyond (MIDiA Research)
Our analyst team has been developing this theme and thinking about how its impact will shape digital entertainment in 2021 and beyond.
As Streaming Dominates the Music World, Is Radio’s Signal Fading? (Variety)
In an era when streams account for 85% of U.S. labels’ music revenue and other, newer media is finding favor with consumers, a reckoning is taking place as music executives evaluate traditional radio’s place in the pecking order.
Super Bowl Synch Report: Sony/ATV Walking on Air After Placing Most Ad Music (Billboard)
Sony/ATV landed a dozen synchs, followed by Warner Chappell and UMPG, during a game in which some major brands sat out.
NFTs are blockchain’s hottest new use case for music. They should not come as a surprise. (MUSIC x)
The current cultural moment is strongly influenced by the pandemic. Artists saw a big drop in income. Streaming revenue isn’t cutting it for most. So the big experimentation began
Music Publishing Job Spotlight
Data Analyst – Digital Royalties – C.C. Young & Co (London)
C.C. Young & Co, one of the leading music specialist firms of accountants and tax advisors, is seeking a Data Analyst to join the Digital Royalties Team.
Director, Legal & Business Affairs (Production Music International) – BMG (London)
You will be responsible for assisting the Production Music International team with drafting and negotiating various agreements as mentioned below and providing business affairs assistance to the global Production Music team.
Manager, Legal & Business Affairs (Production Music International) – BMG (London)
You will be responsible for assisting the Production Music International team with drafting and negotiating various agreements as mentioned below and providing business affairs assistance to the global Production Music team.
Check out more available positions here or get in touch to post a free job listing.
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