22 MusicWeek 06.07.12 BODYTALKMPA THROUGH THE DIGITAL WINTER
How a new film celebrating the role of music is not about castigating consumers but looking to a bright future
PUBLISHING BY STEPHEN NAVIN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MPA
www.musicweek.com
T
he Music Publishers Association’s AGM, held last week, saw the premiere of our film, The Business of Music Publishing. It was
made to celebrate and promote the work of music publishers, but also to increase understanding of our business. In the current environment this is probably more important than ever: the Government’s Consultation on Copyright is scrutinising some of the ways in which we do business and the very notion of copyright as it applies in the digital world is under review, if not under attack. We need to ensure that key decision makers in
Whitehall and Brussels understand our business so that when they legislate they are able to deliver growth, but not to the long-term detriment of our creative industries or creators themselves, who already deliver so much benefit to UK plc. The Business of Music Publishing is also
designed to educate those who do not see value in music – not only those who do not want to pay for it, but also those who are reluctant to invest in it. The majority of MPA members are small and medium-sized enterprises. Access to finance for music publishers has been a
long-term issue and financial support may well depend upon a clearer understanding of the value in our business – something that cannot always be pointed out on a balance sheet. Our film starts with a brief history of the
business and shows how the industry has evolved in response to technological change. Music publishers have always been extremely
adaptable. When the MPA was founded in 1881 the business of music publishing centred upon the production and sale of printed music. Since then publishers have diversified by treating each successive disruption as an opportunity. Broadcasting on radio gave rise to public
performance licensing, and the birth of the recorded music industry saw the dawn of mechanical licensing. The first talking pictures required music to
complement the moving image and music publishers ever since have built business to business relationships to build income from synchronisation licensing.
“There is no mention of the word ‘piracy’ in our film. Our message is positive and upbeat. This is a celebration of the increasingly vital role of music publishers” STEPHEN NAVIN, MPA
FROM TOP The business of music publishing: Members view the MPA film at the body’s AGM; MPA chairman Chris Butler enjoys proceedings; and Stephen Navin makes his address
The advent of the digital age has seen these
principles extended once again with publishers, whether directly or via their collection societies, provide licensing solutions to respond to the many ways that copyright music is made available online. It is this ability to adapt and respond to change that has allowed the music publishing business to
deliver encouraging levels of growth, in spite of the steady decline in recorded music income and uncertainty in the wider economy – between 2008 and 2010 the UK music publishing industry grew by almost 9%, and is now worth in the region of £700m. Publishers provide a vast array of services for
their composers and songwriters and those interviewed in the film are drawn from all areas of the business, incorporating classical, popular and library publishers. In the course of the film we hear from
professionals involved in A&R, synchronisation, editorial, print music distribution, commissioning and promotion. Interviews with songwriters and composers illustrate the close relationship between the artist and their publisher. Interestingly, there is no mention of the word
‘piracy’ in our film. Our message is positive and upbeat, in keeping with our optimism for the future of the industry. This is not about mourning the decline of record sales or castigating consumers, but it is a celebration of the increasingly vital role of music publishers in today’s music industry eco- system. As I conclude at the end of the film, we are through the ‘digital winter and our future is bright’. The film is available to watch on the MPA website
www.mpaonline.org.uk.
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