We catch up on the latest music publishing news, from key deals and signings to new hires, legislation and more.
Deals & Signings
Tejiri Akpoghene & Abovav Sign to Ultra & The Revels Group’s Coup D’Etat Music for Publishing (Billboard)
The Nigerian hitmaker, with the help of his management team at Abovav Play, has entered his first global publishing deal.
Black Rock to administer Adesso Music’s new publishing operation (Music Week)
Sentric’s dedicated electronic division Black Rock is to administer Adesso Music’s new publishing operation.
Reservoir signs deal with writer-producer Nick Lee (Music Week)
Lee found success co-producing Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s multi-platinum hit Industry Baby. He has also collaborated with artists such as Megan Thee Stallion, Mustard, Vince Staples, Seventeen, and Dillon Francis.
Sony Music Publishing Inks Worldwide Deal with Taiko (Digital Music News)
Over the years, Taiko has gained great recognition within the Latin urban genre, producing chart-topping hits for some of today’s biggest superstars.
Songwriter Daphne Willis Signs Worldwide Publishing Deal With Position Music (Broadway World)
Daphne’s first release with Position Music will be her TYGR TYGR project with the first single slated to drop later this year.
Kobalt signs UK producer and mixer Tom Demac (Music Week)
Kobalt has signed Tom Demac to a worldwide publishing administration agreement, including global sync and creative services for his catalogue and future songs.
Royalties & CMOs
BMI scraps multi-billion dollar sale plan following underwhelming offers (MBW)
Sources familiar with the matter said interested parties like private equity firms and technology providers tabled offers for the company but some backed out, while other offers did not meet BMI’s requirements.
STIM launches music service for YouTube Creators (CMU)
Swedish collecting society STIM has launched a new service called Cora Music which is, and I quote, “a world-first service, providing YouTubers with a one-stop shop for quality music”.
Finance & Investment
Kobalt Music Group in talks to sell majority stake to Francisco Partners, say MBW sources (MBW)
Senior MBW sources tell us that US-headquartered Francisco Partners is currently in advanced talks to acquire a majority stake in Kobalt Music Group, with the possibility of a deal being signed over the next week or two.
Pink Floyd make a stash to tune of £400m with sale of back catalogue (The Times)
The American private equity group Blackstone is vying with other firms including Sony, Warner, BMG and Primary Wave for Pink Floyd’s copyrights, which include their songs and master copy recordings.
Major Takeover Among German Publishers as ROBA Teams with Fund in Acquisition of GERIG (Synchblog)
This is one of the bigger music publishing takeovers in Germany with a seven figure NPS and selling price in the €10-20 million range.
Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley Sells Publishing Catalog to HarbourView (Billboard)
The move adds to the equity fund’s collection of rights, which includes works by Brad Paisley, Lady A, Hollywood Undead, Dre & Vidal, Luis Fonsi and more.
People
Sony Music Publishing opens Nigeria office, names Godwin Tom as Managing Director (Music in Africa)
Sony Music Publishing (SMP) has announced new operations in Lagos, Nigeria, with industry expert Godwin Tom named as managing director.
Ben Katovsky joins Hipgnosis Song Management as President and COO (MBW)
Katovsky will lead daily operations of the business, overseeing the maximization of opportunities for Hipgnosis’ administered catalogs while also leading strategic initiatives such as the development of Hipgnosis’ proprietary technology and data platform.
Eddie Sikazwe becomes Secretly Publishing’s first-ever senior director of A&R (Music Week)
Sikazwe – who joined Secretly in 2020, after founding the LA-based Abstract Management – has been a member of the A&R team for both Secretly Publishing and the Secretly Group of record labels.
Universal Music Publishing Taps David Gray to Lead New Global Creative Group (Variety)
Universal Music Group has promoted publishing executive David Gray to an expanded role as head of the newly created UMPG Global Creative Group. He will also continue as executive VP and head of US A&R.
Litmus Music names BMG publishing exec Monti Olson as president (Music Week)
Olson will lead acquisitions for Litmus, which is focused on acquiring and managing music rights, including both publishing and recordings.
Facts & Figures
Publishers Quarterly: Harry Styles, Latto Top Song Charts as UMPG & Sony Share Bragging Rights (Billboard)
Universal’s 11 percentage-point market-share gain vaults it to the top of the Hot 100 ranking for the second quarter, while Sony retains its lead on Radio Airplay.
Source: Billboard
Jobs
Sync & Licensing Manager – Involved Publishing (London or LA)
As Sync and Licensing Manager, you will procure opportunities to place our catalogue across all media formats, including Film, TV, Video Games and Advertising, as well as other emerging media formats.
Financial Analyst – Thomas St. John (London)
The Financial Analyst will assist members of the senior team in dealing with high-net-worth individuals and asset holders in the entertainment space.
Senior Royalties Audit Assistant – C.C. Young & Co (London)
We are seeking a Senior Royalties Audit Assistant to join the team dealing with clients who are copyright holders such as record companies, publishers, writers, and composers.
Report Spotlight
All 4 parts of our comprehensive music publishing report, Music Publishing in the Age of the Songwriter, are now available.
With commentary from leading executives and songwriters including Björn Ulvaeus, Carianne Marshall, Jon Platt, Mary Megan Peer, Merck Mercuriadis, and Nile Rodgers, the report delivers the most comprehensive analysis of the music publishing industry from the perspective of those leading it and the songwriters it serves.
