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08.06.12 MusicWeek 3
SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY AND PHIL COLLINS RIGHTS AGENT TEAMS WITH FINTAGE HOUSE
Neighbouring rights duo combine forces T
RIGHTS BY TIM INGHAM
wo of the biggest names in the world of neighbouring rights collection have
struck a deal to bring together their combined might in the sector – and offer their client base the chance to take more control of their publishing and master rights. Rights Agency Limited
(RAL) was widely acknowledged as the UK’s first ever neighbouring rights operation when founded by Damian Pulle in 1988. The firm now counts artists as high profile as Sir Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton and Phil Collins amongst its clients. RAL has entered into a strategic business investment agreement with Fintage House – a TV/film and music rights collection business and publisher, whose clients include The Elvis Presley estate, Britney Spears and Jason Mraz and which recently won the Best Film Score Ivor Novello alongside Cutting Edge for movie The First Grader. The duo have teamed up after hearing increasing requests from
Fintage would not only bring technological benefits to his clients – including online accountancy and access to 24- hour statements – but also give RAL more leverage when battling collection societies for due payments abroad. “I have been quite tough in
Do the Rights thing: Pulle (left) and Teves are teaming up to offer clients a more complete service
artists to claw back rights management from labels – inclusive of neighbouring, masters and publishing rights. Pulle told Music Week that
RAL’s clients will now be welcome to discuss signing a master rights deal with Fintage House. “Over the last year, many of
my artist clients have asked me to look after the label side of
their neighboring rights,” he explained. “Traditionally, record companies, licensees and distributors have collected their 50% share accruing to a label while the artist receives the balance (50%) of the pot. But with the way things have been changing, more artists are now putting out their own recordings. They question why they should give a distributor or licensee
overseas the rights to collect money [derived from these].” According to co-CEO of
Fintage House Niels Teves, the company has invested in RAL “because together we can achieve more and more for our clients on a global scale”. He added: “The other
services we provide – publishing and master rights – will be on offer to Damian’s clients. We
my approach to collection societies – that’s probably why I’ve experienced success,” he said. “There are still so many other territories I could go to and so many other sources of revenue that need researching, but I need strength at my elbow; that’s what Fintage gives me. “I’ve been making contacts in
China, South-East Asia, Australia and – through partners – even in Latin America. We still hit brick walls but we're also knocking them down.”
PRS edges closer to 100k members milestone
PRS for Music’s membership has doubled in just five years with the organisation now 90,000 strong. In the past year alone 10,697
writers, composers and music publishers joined the ranks with PRS director of membership Mark Lawrence noting that previously it was more typical that numbers would grow by a far more modest 1,000 members each year. Just to illustrate how rapidly the organisation’s membership has increased in recent times, PRS chairman and seasoned songwriter Guy Fletcher told the organisation’s AGM last week that when he signed up in 1965 his membership number was 2,968, suggesting that since then the organisation’s membership has expanded 30-fold.
joining PRS. A groundswell of knowledge of what we do is attracting people to join us.” As previously announced,
Ashcroft: “A groundswell of knowledge of what we do is attracting people to join us.” PRS chief executive Robert
Ashcroft was unable to pinpoint exactly why there had been such significant growth, although he was pleased to report that in the period since he joined the organisation in January 2010 membership had risen by 50%. “I honestly don’t know [why
PRS for Music increased its revenues by 3.2% last year to £630.8m and chief financial officer Craig Nunn is forecasting further growth during this current year, “although we’re expecting the headwinds experienced mainly from recorded music and the economy to continue”.
One income growth area in
the big increase has happened],” he told the AGM held at the Royal Society of Medicine’s offices in central London. “It’s not just because of any drop in fees. It might perhaps be because we’re becoming more well- known and aspiring members are more aware of the importance of
2011 came from live music, helped by Take That’s hugely- successful Progress Live stadium tour, with income rising here by 8.2% to £22.5m. However, Nunn raised
further concerns about how the music industry was losing out financially within this sector
from the secondary ticketing market. “We do believe [the live] market has further potential and we are paying close attention to the secondary ticketing market, which is clearly undervaluing the market at the expense of our members,” he told the AGM. Elsewhere at the meeting,
Ashcroft revealed a new initiative was now underway with PPL to simplify access to licences as part of ongoing efforts for the two organisations to work closer together. Separately, it was revealed
that PRS was planning to make £1m of cost savings by 2015. This, said Lawrence, would be achieved by reducing staff headcount through non-renewal of contracts as well as not replacing leavers.
won’t be pushing hard, but we’re open for business. We expect that will grow and that together we bring strength to break down more barriers and raise more income for our existing clients [in neighbouring rights] from collection societies across the world.” Pulle said that teaming with
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