In addition to the individual executives and companies in our International Power Players report, we have reserved this place of honor for those executives who lead essential industry organizations or associations.
Performing rights organizations (PROs) worldwide are, to a great degree, responsible for the financial health of the music industry through their payment of performance royalties to songwriters, composers and publishers, fulfilling the same role as ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, their counterparts in the United States.
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In early 2013, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry reported that performance rights revenue was the fastest-growing sector in the music industry, rising 9.4% to $943 million for the 2012 fiscal year, up from $862 million in 2011.
In the top five music markets outside the United States (as ranked in IFPI’s 2013 report) the leaders of the principal PROs include Mitsuo Sugawara of JASRAC (Japan), Robert Ashcroft of PRS for Music and Fran Nevrkla of PPL (United Kingdom), Harald Heker of GEMA (Germany) Jean-Noel Tronc of SACEM (France) and Brett Cottle of APRA and its sister mechanical rights organization AMCOS (Australia).
With a mission of promoting the value of recorded music, safeguarding the rights of record producers and expanding commercial uses of recorded music, IFPI represents the recording industry worldwide, with affiliated industry associations in 55 countries. Within their individual markets, those record industry associations worldwide (like the RIAA) perform a crucial role.
In the top five music markets outside the United States, the leaders of IFPI’s member associations include Masaaki Saito of the Recording Industry Assn. of Japan, Geoff Taylor of BPI (United Kingdom), Dieter Gorny of BVMI (Germany), Guillaume Leblanc of SNEP (France) and Denis Handlin of the Australian Recording Industry Assn.
Most record industry associations are market-specific. But the Latin Recording Academy, under the leadership of president/CEO Gabriel Abaroa, is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural conditions for Latin music and its makers both inside and outside the United States. The Latin Recording Academy presents the Latin Grammy Awards each November.
