We catch up on this week’s music publishing news, from key deals and signings to new hires, legislation and more.
Deals & Acquisitions
Facebook Strikes Deals With Major Labels and Publishers to License Music on Its Gaming App (Billboard)
The deals give Facebook Gaming an edge over Twitch, which has yet to reach major-label music licensing agreements.
Warner Music Group’s Arts Music & Warner Chappell Music Partner With Skyship Entertainment’s Children’s Brand (Billboard)
In an expansion of its family content, Warner Music Group’s Arts Music division, along with Warner Chappell Music, have entered into a global partnership with Skyship Entertainment, creator of the Super Simple Songs children’s brand.
Sony/ATV partners with India’s Divo Music (Music Week)
Under their new partnership, Sony/ATV will provide publishing and administration services to Divo Music’s community of songwriters, composers and lyricists, delivering new opportunities on a global scale.
Vine Investment Firm Acquires Publishing Catalog of Songwriter Sean Douglas (Billboard)
For its inaugural deal in music, Vine acquired both Douglas’ writer’s share and co-publishing. Previously, Vine acquired film and television assets including Village Roadshow Entertainment Group and Lakeshore Entertainment.
NetEase Cloud Music and BMG launch strategic partnership (Music Week)
The new deal will provide BMG’s international artists and songwriters with access to a music streaming platform with over 800 million registered users. It follows a recent NetEase deal with Warner Chappell.
Signings
Reservoir signs EDM producer Nick Miller to worldwide publishing deal (MBW)
The deal includes global rights to Miller’s entire catalog of works including trilogy albums Ashes, Awake, and Ascend and new single Nightlight.
Voisey star Olivia Knight (aka poutyface) signs major deals (Music Ally)
Olivia Knight (aka ‘poutyface‘) has a label deal with Island Records and a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell, having also worked with Apple’s artist development subsidiary Platoon.
G Ricordi & Co, New York signs composers Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe (Music Week)
G Ricordi & Co, New York, a Universal Music Publishing Classical company, has announced an exclusive global publishing deal with American composers and Bang On A Can co-founders Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe.
Launches & New Ventures
Jonas Brothers’ Patriarch Launches Nashville-Based Music Publishing Company (Variety)
Jonas Group Entertainment (JGE), the company headed by Jonas Brothers patriarch Kevin Jonas, Sr. is expanding its operation with the launch of a Nashville-based publishing division, Jonas Group Publishing.
Finance & Investment
Music Publisher Kobalt to Explore a Potential Sale (Bloomberg)
The company, also one of the largest independent music businesses, could be valued at more than $1 billion, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.
Spotify stock falls after Amazon adds podcasts to its music streaming service (CNBC)
Spotify shares fell 1.2% on Monday after Amazon announced it’s launching podcasts in its music streaming service.
Facts & Figures
‘A flood of money into music IP is about to change the music industry forever.’ (MBW)
In an interview in London, MBW asks Masuch about BMG’s streaming strategy, as well as what he thinks the music business will look like when the Covid-19 pandemic is finally, hopefully, a memory – rather than a day-to-day reality…
‘The health of the publishing industry is utterly dependent on there being a vibrant independent sector.’ (MBW)
Sarah Williams recaps her first year and half at IMPEL and explains what the independent organization is hoping to achieve for its members…
Hirings & Promotions
Jake Wisely joins Concord Board of Directors, Jim Selby to become Chief Publishing Executive (MBW)
Effective January 1, 2021, Wisely will become a Director on the Board of Concord and pass the title of Chief Publishing Executive on to current Concord COO, Jim Selby, who will report to Concord CEO, Scott Pascucci.
Thomas Coesfeld to Succeed BMG’s Maximilian Dressendörfer as CFO (Billboard)
Thomas Coesfeld has been named deputy chief financial officer at BMG, effective Oct. 15. He will assume the role of CFO on April 1, 2021, succeeding Maximilian Dressendörfer, who is taking on new responsibilities at the company.
Shani Gonzales Upped to Warner Chappell Music UK Managing Director (Variety)
Shani Gonzales has been promoted to managing director of Warner Chappell Music UK. She will hold the position in addition to her current role as head of international A&R, beginning October 1.
Primary Wave Music Makes New Hires in Branding and Digital Marketing (Variety)
The indie management and publishing company Primary Wave Music has announced six new hires in its branding and digital marketing divisions, and also has promoted Mike Fordham to director of streaming and playlist marketing.
Legal
Trump’s TikTok takedown: App downloads will be blocked in US from this Sunday (MBW)
The US Department of Commerce has today (September 18) issued a statement announcing that, from Sunday (September 20), new downloads of Chinese owned-apps WeChat and TikTok will blocked on app stores in the US “to safeguard the national security of the United States”.
Judge Rules in Favor of Nicki Minaj in Tracy Chapman Copyright Dispute (Variety)
A judge handed a significant win to Nicki Minaj on Wednesday, finding that she did not commit copyright infringement when she created a song based on Tracy Chapman’s “Baby Can I Hold You.”
South Africa’s Top Lawyers Unnerved By Proposed Copyright Laws (Law.com)
There is major concern among South African law firms about the country’s controversial copyright amendment bills, which President Cyril Ramaphosa, has returned to Parliament for further consideration.
US Copyright Office Issues Two Interim Rules and One Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Related to the Music Modernization Act (U.S. Copyright Office)
Pursuant to the Musical Works Modernization Act, Title I of the Orrin G. Hatch–Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act (MMA), the Copyright Office has issued two interim rules and one notice of proposed rulemaking.
Royalties & CMOs
SACEM announces licensing deal with Twitch (CMU)
French song rights collecting society SACEM announced yesterday that it had entered into a licensing agreement with Amazon’s livestreaming platform Twitch.
Over 500000 tracks affected by YouTube music video block in Denmark (MBW)
YouTube is embroiled in a very public spat with songwriters and music publishers in Denmark, via local collection society Koda.
Coffee Shops, Clothing Stores & Beyond: How This Swedish Startup Is Boosting Background Music Paydays (Billboard)
Soundtrack Your Brand wants to get rights holders paid accurately for songs played at stores and restaurants. So far, the industry likes what it hears.
PRS for Music claims stream-ripping has grown ‘dramatically’ (Music Ally)
UK collecting society PRS for Music has published some research into the growth of ‘stream-ripping’ piracy: sites and tools that help people rip streams (e.g. from YouTube or Spotify) into downloads.
Interesting Reads
David Israelite: “The Future is Very Bright for Publishing and Songwriting” (Synchblog)
NMPA President and CEO David Israelite discusses the future of the music publishing industry, from the impact of Covid-19 and other challenges to new opportunities.
Warner Chappell UK’s MD Shani Gonzales on global opportunities for British rap stars (Music Week)
“The classic music that I grew up hearing laid the foundations for who I am today and for the love that I have for the UK,” she said. “The UK has always been a leader in melding all sorts of influences to make their music – America has not done that.”
5 Takeaways From Warner Music Group boss Steve Cooper at his Goldman Sachs interview (MBW)
Steve Cooper’s had some interesting years running businesses over the course of his career – but we’d wager nothing could ever top 2020.
Why Kanye West is the modern-day Prince (MIDiA)
Back in 1992, Prince fought his label Warner Bros to get ownership of his rights and more creative control, struggling to get out of a deal he signed when he was 19 and had since decided was unfair and overly restrictive.
As Podcast Ad Revenues Near $1 Billion, Can An Antiquated Music Industry Be Reinvigorated? (Forbes)
Record companies who are primed to pivot to podcasts with intact distribution pipelines, marketing departments, and signed talent, are finally starting to make substantial commitments to grow podcasting within their organizations.
At Work With Katie Vinten, a Music Publisher and Manager With a Trail of Top Hits (Rolling Stone)
Vinten, who works with songwriters behind the likes of Selena Gomez and Bebe Rexha, shares her strategy for identifying talent in the music business — and retaining it.
Toots Hibbert helped give reggae its name, its sound and its enduring grace (The Washington Post)
During ‘Funky Kingston’ — that golden-hot sunbeam of a song that Toots and the Maytals first dropped in 1973 — the word ‘reggae’ becomes a sort of hyper-noun: a person, a place and a thing.
Did The $2 Million Hip-Hop Auction At Sotheby’s Do The Culture Justice? (Forbes)
Sotheby’s first-ever hip-hop auction, a curated collection of 119 iconic pieces to honor the genre’s impact on art and culture over the past 50 years, closed Tuesday with over $2 million in sales.
Hispanic Heritage Month On World Cafe: The Playlist (NPR)
World Cafe celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. To celebrate we’re taking a musical journey throughout Latin America.
Music Publishing Job Spotlight
Music Publishing Copyright Administrator – Mojo Music and Media (Nashville)
Mojo Music and Media is hiring a Music Publishing Copyright Administrator based in Nashville with 3-5 years of experience.
Sync Apprentice – BMG (London)
Your mission with BMG will be to contribute to the smooth running of the UK Sync team to provide administrative support on all day to day duties.
Manager, Income Tracking – Songtrust (New York)
Songtrust is looking for an Income Tracking Manager. This position will report directly to the Senior Director, Income Tracking based in New York.
Check out more available positions here or get in touch to post a free job listing.
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