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17.01.14 MusicWeek 7


PUBLISHING VETERAN ALSO MAKES SIGNINGS TO HIS NETTWERK JOINT VENTURE


SYNC n BY PAUL WILLIAMS


Synchtank hires Steve Lewis S


tage Three founder Steve Lewis has become a non-executive director


of software company SynchTank whose clients include Cooking Vinyl, The Orchard and Metropolis. The seasoned music executive


will sit on the board as a new investor of the London and New York-based start-up, which uses technology to help music companies drive their synchronisation businesses. Lewis, whose four decades in


the music industry have included executive roles at Virgin and Chrysalis as well as setting up indie publisher Stage Three, reckoned the software SyncTank used was what he had long been waiting for as a music publisher. “It will enable publishers to


do their job better. That’s where I’m starting from,” he said. “Songwriters would appreciate this and I can be an ambassador. They are tech guys basically, but they do know about music. They are music fans. I can give some context and give them a music publisher’s perspective.” Since starting to trade in early


“[Synchtank] doesn’t remove the human element. If you’ve got a great licensing executive it’s equipping them to better do their job” STEVE LEWISXXX


way of exising relationships between rights owners and their sync clients. “It doesn’t remove the human


element,” he added. “If you’ve got a great licensing executive it’s equipping them better to do their job. It’s not trying to automate the process. It’s providing tools to enable the rights owner to do a better job for their writers and better represent their catalogue.” SynchTank founder Joel T


2011, SynchTank has attracted more than 75 clients, including Believe, Downtown, Fox Music, Silva Screen and Sub Pop. As part of its service, it builds individually tailored websites, which allow potential sync clients of a music company to check out repertoire online. Lewis said: “You go to the site


and you can then look at all the music. You can collaborate with


colleagues around the world, you can share information, you can share playlists and say, ‘I think one of these four tracks might work,’ and see if your New York office agrees with you, for example.” What Lewis said he


particularly liked about SynchTank’s technology was that publishers kept control of their rights, while it did not get in the


Jordan said Lewis was joining the company at an exciting time. “Not only do we now have


over 75 clients across five continents and are growing at over 100% per annum, we also now have a significantly enhanced board. I am looking forward to working with Steve over the coming days, weeks and years.” Last year, Lewis teamed up with Nettwerk where he


is a non-executive director, a paid consultant for acquisitions and has a joint-venture publishing company whose roster includes veteran songwriter Andy Hill - who co-penned The Wanted’s hit Walks Like Rihanna and is credited on Boyzone’s BZ20 album, released last November. The company has recently


announced signing former Alisha’s Attic member and hit songwriter Shelly Poole who was previously signed to Stage Three, which Lewis sold to BMG in 2010, and part of ASCAP international senior vice president Roger Greenaway’s own catalogue. Poole is currently in the band


Red Sky July with her husband and Texas guitarist Ally McErlaine, as well as being credited on the last Boyzone album, and has been working with artists including The Voice UK first series runner-up Bo Bruce and Italian X Factor contestant Noemi, who is now a coach on the Italian version of The Voice. The administration deal with


Greenaway includes his share of classic Sixties hits such as Lovers Of The World Unite, You’ve Got Your Troubles and I Was Kaiser Bill’s Batman.


Kobalt Neighbouring Rights signs Macklemore


Kobalt Neighbouring Rights (KNR) has signed a swathe of top artists for collection of neighbouring rights income. The roster includes five


BRIT award nominees and four Grammy nominees, as well as past winners. Heading up the new additions is breakout pairing Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (pictured), alongside British singer-songwriters Passenger and Ben Howard, and producer Paul Epworth. In a first for KNR, US rapper


Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis have been signed up alongside their label, Macklemore LLC. As well as picking up seven Grammy nominations, the pair


last year became the first duo in the history of the Billboard 100 chart to reach No.1 with their first two charted singles, Thrift Shop and Can’t Hold Us. Other UK additions to


the KNR roster are twice double-platinum singer- songwriter Paloma Faith, and multi-award winning chart topper Taio Cruz. Up-and-coming talent that


has signed to KNR includes British singer-songwriter Charli XCX, BBC Sound Of 2014 runner-up and BRIT nominee Ella Eyre, and 2012 Mercury Prize nominee Jessie Ware. John Newman, who last year entered the UK chart at No.1 with his debut album


Tribute, has also signed up to KNR. He is currently in the running for two BRIT awards. Ann Tausis, managing


director of Kobalt Neighbouring Rights, said: “In a relatively short time KNR has


built up a client list that blends established acts and emerging talent, from all different territories, and these new signings continue that trend. “It’s an honour to be working with so many world class artists,


and good luck to all our potential award winners!” In total, eight KNR clients


are nominated for awards at the 2014 BRITs, and 13 are in the running at the 2014 Grammys, some in multiple categories. The new signings bring


KNR’s total client roster to more than 100. The full run of new KNR


signings are: Ben Howard, Charli XCX, Ella Eyre, Family Of The Year, Flume, Icona Pop, Jessie Ware, John Newman, Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age), Kevin Parker (Tame Impala), Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Neil Finn, Paloma Faith, Passenger, Paul Epworth, Taio Cruz and Zedd.


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