We catch up on the latest music publishing news, from key deals and signings to new hires, legislation and more.
Deals & Acquisitions
Sony Music Publishing teams with Australia’s Alberts to rep AC/DC, Vanda, Young & Wright catalogs (MBW)
One of the most influential bands of all time, AC/DC’s hits include Highway to Hell, Back in Black, Thunderstruck, You Shook Me All Night Long, and TNT. The deal brings the band’s publishing and recording rights together under the Sony banner for the first time.
Lyric Capital Group Acquires $130 Million Music Catalog (Mergers & Acquisitions)
The acquisition, a single-artist catalog, is a masters, publishing, and video portfolio built by a singer, songwriter, and producer whose works span over 20 years.
Songwriter J.R. Rotem’s Catalog Acquired by Swiss Investment Entity MusicBird AG (Billboard)
Though MusicBird AG’s purchase of Rotem’s catalog is the entity’s first foray into song catalog acquisition, company chairman Jonas Anker promises the new deal is just the beginning for his team.
Warner Chappell signs new deal with the Cab Calloway estate (CMU)
“Cab Calloway had an enormous influence on the course of modern music, from the swing era of the 30s to the hip hop of today”, say Warner Chappell CEO Guy Moot and COO Carianne Marshall in a joint statement.
Signings
UK rap star Wretch 32 inks worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music (MBW)
The agreement covers future works, plus his “influential” back catalog, says the company. Wretch 32 gained mainstream attention in 2011 with his single Traktor from his second studio album Black and White.
Reservoir Signs BTS’ ‘Butter’ Co-Writer Rufio Hooks to Global Publishing Deal (Billboard)
The K-pop phenomenon’s second English-language single debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, a spot it’s held for seven weeks and counting.
Blue Raincoat and Reservoir sign producer and PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish (Music Week)
Producer, composer and artist John Parish has signed a global deal with Blue Raincoat Music Publishing and Reservoir encompassing all his work across a 25-year career.
Sentric Music Group’s Black Rock inks co-publishing deal with Electric Ibiza (MBW)
As part of the partnership, Electric Ibiza’s new publishing operation will benefit from Black Rock and Sentric’s administration infrastructure, as well as the company’s award-winning creative and sync team.
Concord Music Publishing signs DJ and producer Imanbek (Music Week)
Collectively his streams from across his releases are in excess of two billion. Earlier this week, he entered the Top 100 most streamed artists on Spotify at No.95.
Royalties & CMOs
Copyright Office Recommends MLC’s Distribution of Unmatched Royalties Not Occur for 5 Years (Billboard)
While applauding the new recommendation, songwriter advocacy organizations argue the Copyright Office “did not address the inherent dangers of conflicts of interest present” on the MLC board.
Portishead test SoundCloud ‘fan-powered royalties’ with Abba cover (Music Ally)
The system calculates royalties by how much fans listen to artists “relative to all of their listening time in a given month” as well as how many ads they consume, and whether they have a paid subscription.
Launches
Universal Music Publishing Group Opens Office in Israel (Music Week)
UMPG will be the only major music publishing company with an office in Israel, providing dedicated on-the-ground support for its roster of songwriters. It will also aim to discover, sign and develop Israeli music creators.
Finance & Investment
Hipgnosis Songs Raises Another $215 Million, Spent $1.1 Billion on Catalogs Last Year (Variety)
According to the statements, the company’s net asset value has risen 11.3% to $1.68 per share, year over year, with total return since the company’s launched on the LSE rising to 40.7%.
Shamrock just raised $196m to loan music and entertainment rights-holders money
(MBW)
The Shamrock Capital Debt Opportunities Fund I (“SCDOF I”) will, says Shamrock, be used to target rights-holders “across film, television, music, games, sports [and] media” as well as “other content sectors”.
Actually… Universal spent nearly $3 BILLION on catalog buys and artist advances last year (MBW)
According to Vivendi’s annual financial report, UMG spent some €2.54 billion ($2.87 billion) on catalog acquisitions and artist advances last year. That figure was up 71% on the €1.48 billion UMG spent on the category in 2019.
Legal
Chris Brown sued for alleged copyright infringement by UK music publisher (MBW)
A UK-based music publishing company called Greensleeves Publishing Ltd, which also has a US HQ in New York, alleges that Brown ripped off a 1997 dancehall track called Tight Up Skirt to create his track.
MDRCs: the ‘Archaic’ Contract Clause That’s Harmed Many Songwriters (Variety)
Lawyers who represent creators have long tried to avoid MDRCs, and in an era when publishers and labels seek to project a creator-friendly stance, these requirements have lost favor on the publishing side, too.
People
Concord Taps Justin Prakash as New CFO, Music Publishing & Theatricals (Billboard)
Prakash will both succeed and report to Kent Hoskins, who was promoted to CFO of Concord in March. In a statement, Hoskins described Prakash’s “dedication and forensic understanding of our business” as “second to none.”
Jenni Pfaff & Jesse Dang join Warner Chappell Music (Music Week)
Jenni Pfaff (pictured) becomes senior vice president, head of global strategic integration & operations, while HR exec Jesse Dang has joined as senior vice president of people.
Interesting Reads
Selling Music Rights as NFTs: Fad or Future? (Synchblog)
As more artists explore the sale of their music rights and royalty streams as NFTs, Eamonn Forde examines the potential benefits and current limitations of the space.
The Great Song Registration Meltdown of 2020–2021 (musicdatapro)
The “Music Publishing Industry “ is red hot and is rapidly consolidating, but some independent publishers find their work slowed by technological updates, a rapidly expanding universe of new songs, and a global pandemic
‘We want to be as transparent as possible, and as global as possible.’ (MBW)
According to Johnny Tennander, Sony Music Publishing MD, Scandinavia and SVP A&R, Europe, the company’s Swedish office “actually signed more than ever, because of COVID”.
Why hit songs suddenly matter more than the stars that sing them (Vox)
Streaming services’ playlists make it easier for listeners to find music worth playing. But experts say they’re also breaking fans’ relationships with artists.
Queen’s music is making crazy money. Could it be worth over a billion dollars? (MBW)
Legendary British band Queen are an astonishing streaming success story – and one of the few ‘deep catalog’ artists to have truly conquered the format.
Report claims YouTube Music is fastest growing music DSP (Music Ally)
“Google’s YouTube Music has been the standout story of the music subscriber market for the last couple of years, resonating both in many emerging markets and with younger audiences across the globe,” suggested Midia’s Mark Mulligan.
Music Publishing Jobs
Copyright Assistant – Kobalt Music Group (London)
Joining the Publishing Copyright department in our London office, the primary role of the Copyright Assistant will be to assist in correctly registering works and agreements in North America.
Coordinator, Writer & Publisher Relations – Kobalt Music Group (Los Angeles)
Kobalt are seeking a junior level Coordinator, Writer & Publisher Relations, with strong interpersonal and organisational skills to join their market-leading administrative team in Los Angeles.
Client Development & Licensing Rep – DL Music (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles based international Music Publishing and Creative Services company seeking a music loving, highly motivated, client development and licensing representative.
Want to list your publishing position on our jobs board? Get in touch to place a free listing.
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