The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) has officially wrapped its 4th annual Global Music Publishing Summit! The final day, a.k.a. International Day, brought the global music publishing industry into focus, with a keynote from CISAC’s Gadi Oron, the far-ranging “International Alliance” panel, and much more.
International Day at the AIMP Global Music Publishing Summit kicked off with the AIMP/IMPF Networking Mixer, where attendees were randomly placed in 4-person Zoom rooms for 10 minutes each. With participants from all over the world, the networking event got things off on the right foot, carrying forward an in-person tradition first introduced by the AIMP and IMPF at the Midem conference.
AIMP LA Chapter President Teri Nelson Carpenter (CEO, Reel Muzik Werks) and AIMP NY Chapter Vice President Debbie Rose (President, Kokopelli Music Group/Sundae Songs) then walked conference attendees through new international initiatives being worked on at CISAC regarding Cue Sheet Standardization and Music in Commercials. Rose began by explaining “The Commercial Sheet,” a new standardized tool meant to ensure proper payments to rights-holders whose musical works are used in commercials and ads airing internationally. Suggestions for new names are highly encouraged!
Carpenter then discussed CISAC’s work on cue sheet standardization, including a new comprehensive cue sheet template with terminology usable across all formats and devices. Benefits include improved efficiency when processing cue sheets and amending details of works, more registration of works, the ability for payment records to be linked to work documentation, and greater consistency between publisher registrations and society payments. And be sure to spread the word!
CISAC Director General Gadi Oron delivered the day’s International Keynote, running through the changing landscape of international Collective Management Organizations (CMOs). Discussing CISAC’s 2019 numbers on global royalty collections, he stressed the industry’s reliance on traditional sources such as TV/radio and live/public performance, and that less than a quarter of collection had come from digital. With the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant decrease in collections is expected for 2020, as the industry’s two main sources were both significantly impacted. However, huge digital increased are also expected, which will help mitigate those losses and potentially set industry up for future success. Oron also discussed CISAC’s new and upgraded ISWC system and encouraged all attendees to use it and tell their colleagues to do the same.
The Summit then came to a close with the “International Alliance” panel, featuring Will Kreth (EIDR, DDEX), Margaret McGuffin (CEO, Music Publishers Canada), Dr. Kristina Janušauskaitė (Director of European Legal Affairs, IFPI), AIMP NY Chapter President Michael Lau (CEO, Laud Music/Imachew Music), and moderator Ger Hatton (Principal, Hatton.eu). They discussed the impact of the pandemic on their organizations, with many agreeing it eased the process of lobbying substantially as leaders who typically would not take Zoom meetings began to embrace them, limiting travel. Improving metadata also emerged as a big priority, with Lau noting that “metadata is our killer app.” The group also talked about a variety of court cases and legislation, including TekSavvy Solutions v. Bell Media Inc., which set a strong precedent for site-blocking as a piracy remedy, and Article 17 in the European Union, ending on a light-hearted note by recommending albums and artists for attendees to add to their playlists.
