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Dennis Collopy on Music Publishing-Part One 15th June 2009

In advance of our Music Publishing Masterclass Dennis Collopy has kindly agreed to blog about the subject. Here are his initial thoughts.............

"Music publishing is the oldest part of the music industry and unlike the record business it has continued to flourish indeed prosper over the past 10 years of the post Napster era. Whilst the rate of the decline in recorded music sales over the past decade is estimated to be around 50%, the global music publishing business has actually grown exponentially each year. Why is this ? Well maybe it is because music publishers have long recognised that new technology brings opportunities as well as problems and have actively tried to license all new types of use.

Who are these publishers? The market is dominated by the same multi-national corporations that dominate the record business but there is also a flourishing independent sector that has managed to prosper and the business has become increasingly attractive to outside investors. It is no coincidence that at a time when EMI Records has fallen on hard times barely able to hold on to 4th place in an increasingly brutally competitive record market , its sister firm EMI Music Publishing has been the number 1 world wide music publisher in the UK for each of the past 13 years. Its nearest competitor Universal Music Publishing has only recently managed to effectively challenge EMI’s supremacy by tying with them for the # 1 slot in 2008.

So what do publishers actually do? Well they acquire rights in songs through different types of contracts with songwriters and other publishers and then license their songs to various music users like record labels, film and Tv companies and a myriad of digital companies , collect the money these licenses generate and pay most of it through to the original writers. But the publishers are also responsible for actively exploiting the songs – whether by trying to get an artist ( like a Kylie) to record songs by their writers ( like Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis) or by placing a song in film or TV programme ( like “Skins”, “the OC”, “Smallville” or “90210”) or in a Tv commercial and even by licensing lyrics from their songs for use on T shirts. They also negotiate sampled uses of their songs and actively protect their songwriters interests in every way possible in addition to making sure the money generated by these uses is collected as effectively and efficiently as possible.

So what do songwriters need to know ? Well they need to know what makes a fair contract , what they can realistically expect from a music publisher whether by way of advances and royalties or by way of creative services such as song plugging or even help with securing a record release. Do songwriters even need a publisher in the 21st Century as many have discovered the joys and the pitfalls of self-publishing .

What are collection societies? What do they do ? Why do both publishers and songwriters use collection societies?

What is the problem with Copyright law – how does it work and how doe sit benefit songwriters and music publishers

Answers to these questions will be given on June 24th. Come along and get an insight into the world of music publishing – and bring your own questions with you."

Dennis Collopy Biography

For over a decade Dennis's Menace company has worked with a diverse range of artists like Lisa Millett, I Monster, Steve Edwards The All Seeing I, Mojave 3 and former Slowdive members Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell as well as several record producers including Matt Aitken , Mark van Hoen and Gary Benson. Menace Music has represented many successful US songwriters in the UK including Maria Mckee, Skip Scarborough, Bryan Maclean and Doug Sahm as well as a number of UK writers including Frankie Miller and Feargal Sharkey. Menace also has a long-term, world-wide co-venture agreement with Universal Music Publishing to which singer Steve Edwards and Mojave 3's leader Neil Halstead became the 1st signings.

He started his music industry career in 1975 at Chrysalis Music then joined RCA Records and by late 1977 was at new publishing set up Riva Music signing The Clash, Rod Stewart, John Mellencamp, Billy Nicholls and Air Supply. By1980 he was MD and in 1984 was appointed Exec VP of Riva's USA recording and music publishing companies.

In 1985 he took over as MD of RCA- Ariola Music where he worked with acts including Eurhythmics. Sisters of Mercy and signed Steve 'Silk 'Hurley, the Mission, All About Eve, Bruce Hornsby, Lisa Stansfield, Steve Earle, David Grant, Imagination's Lee John and Ashley Ingram, Maria McKee and Clannad He soon established the renamed BMG Music Publishing as one of the UK's top 5 music publishers.

In 1988 he moved to EG Group, working with writers like Gary Benson, Youth, Killing Joke and KLF's Jimmy Cautey and established an independent US presence for EG's music interests in LA. He revamped the marketing of the EG label's back catalogue of albums by Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, King Crimson and Brian Eno, He also acquired several significant US and European music publishing catalogues. EG's decision to sell most of their music interests to Virgin Records and BMG Music in early 1991, followed by a brief spell working with the inimitable Jazz and Tim at Big Life Music led to his decision to establish his own firm.

Dennis has served extensively on various Music Industry bodies including the PRS General Council (1984-1991) and the MPA Council (1987- 1991). He took an MA in Music Business Management at University of Westminster between 2001 and 2003 and taught music management, music publishing and IP Law at Bucks New University from 2004 until 2007. Since then he has been Senior Lecturer at University Of Hertfordshire on the Music and Entertainment Industry Management programme and is part of the UH team working with British Music Rights (now Uk Music) on the annual ‘Young persons music buying habits’ survey first launched in June 2008. He recently co-founded the Music and Entertainment Industries Research Group based at University of Hertfordshire.

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