We catch up on this week’s music publishing news, from key deals and signings to new hires, legislation and more.
Facts & Figures
US publishers pulled in $3.7bn during 2019 – just over half what record labels made (MBW)
Music publishers in the United States banked $3.72bn in revenues in 2019 – up 11.6% year-on-year, and the equivalent of just over $10m a day. The figure was revealed yesterday (June 10) by the CEO of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), David Israelite, at the org’s online Annual Meeting.
Deals and Signings
Atlas Music Group Strikes Admin, Marketing Deal With Indie Publisher Memory Lane (Billboard)
The Atlas Music Group has cut a global administration and marketing deal with Memory Lane Music Group, a music publishing company named after the song co-written in 1924 by company founder Larry Spier Sr.
Strictly Confidential unveils raft of new publishing signings (Music Week)
Independent music publisher Strictly Confidential has announced new deals that will see two leading Ugandan record labels launching new publishing divisions and Ghostpoet joining their roster.
The Orb’s Alex Paterson signs to Cooking Vinyl Publishing (Music Week)
Dr Alex Paterson of The Orb has signed an exclusive worldwide songwriting agreement with Cooking Vinyl Publishing. The deal covers his entire catalogue, including The Abolition of the Royal Familia, released earlier this year on sister label Cooking Vinyl Records.
Launches & New Ventures
Music industry veteran Jody Williams launches publishing venture (Tennessean)
Nashville music industry veteran Jody Williams launched earlier this week Jody Williams Songs, a joint publishing venture with Warner Chappell Music Nashville.
Royalties & PROs
French PRO Sacem launches a royalties scheme for livestreams (Music Ally)
The scheme, which is backdated to livestreams since 15 March, is being carefully presented as a temporary measure. “At the end of the current health crisis, or in the case of paid broadcasting of livestreams, new distribution conditions, to be shared at a later date, will apply,” noted Sacem.
Swedish collecting society STIM’s revenues grew 15% in 2019 (Music Ally)
According to its annual report, STIM’s revenues grew by 15% in 2019, to SEK 2.4bn (around $259m), with SEK 1.8bn paid out to songwriters and rightsholders.
Royalty Exchange hits £58m in transactions (Music Week)
The online marketplace for buying and selling music royalties and other IP, generated a third of that total last year alone after taking three years to hit the first $50m.
ANote Music to launch music royalty investment platform (wealthadvisor)
ANote Music will allow users to invest in music, own rights from content creators, and earn returns through the royalties that are generated over time.
Hirings and Promotions
Ashley Calhoun upped to Head of Creative at PULSE Music Group; Maria Egan to leave company (MBW)
Maria Egan, President and Head of Creative at Los Angeles-based music publisher PULSE Music Group will be leaving the company for “an opportunity that will be announced imminently”.
Legal
Travis Scott accused of copyright infringement in lawsuit filed by Blurred Lines lawyer (MBW)
At the centre of a lawsuit, filed in California on Tuesday (June 9), musicians and producers Olivier Bassil, Benjamin Lasnier and Lukas Benjamin Leth claim that a melody used in the track is a plagiarised version of a guitar melody used on their own song called, Cartier.
Interesting Reads
Blackout Tuesday: Who’s Committed to What in the Music Industry (Rolling Stone)
Last Tuesday, June 2, many major music companies — spanning from record labels to streaming services as well as musicians themselves — participated in the Blackout Tuesday movement by stopping everyday operations to show their solidarity with those protesting racial injustice.
Joel Speaks to His Neighbours: Spek, Founder/President of PopArabia & Executive VP, International & Emerging Markets at Reservoir (Synchblog)
In our next instalment of Joel T. Jordan Speaks to His Neighbors: Spek (PopArabia, Reservoir Media) talks about his history as an artist, the publishing industry in the MENA markets, how he’s getting through lockdown, and more.
Kobalt chairman thinks publishing revenues will dip in 2020 (Music Ally)
“Overall I do believe that publishing will short-term be actually negative this year,” said Ahdritz in a Midem keynote interview. “Having said that, I think we are going to bounce back and have a 20% growth next year in publishing, overall.”
NMPA Touts Cross-Industry Legislative Cooperation, New Friendship With Peloton & More at Annual Meeting (Billboard)
Kicking off the National Music Publishers’ Association’s annual meeting Wednesday, the organization’s president and CEO David Israelite applauded RIAA chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier for his leadership in pulling together around 65 music trade groups to lobby Congress for CARES Act relief for self-employed music industry workers.
At Work With Rhea Pasricha, the Publishing Exec Putting More Women in Music Studios (Rolling Stone)
The exec, who runs Prescription Songs’ Los Angeles office, does everything from looking after songwriters and producers to offering relationship advice that makes it into Dua Lipa songs.
How We Work Now: Concord Music Publishing Senior VP Synchronization Brooke Primont (Billboard)
In a series amid the coronavirus pandemic, Billboard is asking individuals from all sectors of the music business to share stories of how they work now. This installment is with Brooke Primont, Concord Music Publishing’s senior vp of synchronization.
Midem Digital Edition – Publishing Highlights
Earlier this month Midem brought the global music community together via their Digital Edition to discuss, collaborate, and share solutions for our industry in the post-Covid era. Here are the music publishing-focused panels:
- The New Normal with Willard Ahdritz
- A Brave New World in association with the Music Publishers Association UK
- ICMP: 30 Years of Music Publishing, What Now?
