Kobalt Grows Its Business
In a move to expand its business platform beyond music publishing, the Kobalt Music Group has added new capabilities, including the administration and marketing of master recordings, synch rights and neighboring rights, according to a company announcement.
Neighboring rights, which are not recognized in the U.S. but exist in other territories around the world, recognizes the rights of certain parties who contributed to a creative work but are not the author. For example, performers and producers of a musical work may have a neighboring right in certain jurisdictions where they would be entitled to a royalty when a sound recording is played in public, broadcasted, rented, copied at home or transmitted digitally.
Related
Several major Kobalt clients have already signed on for direct collection of neighboring rights, including songwriter/producer Ryan Tedder.
In another new business area, Kobalt has concluded a deal with No Doubt’s Tony Kanal to represent outside the U.S. select master recordings by artist Elan.
Beyond those new lines, Kobalt will also represent master recordings and in some cases even have the ability to issue synch licenses for both master and publishing rights.
“Representing master recordings for synch licensing is a natural extension of our full-service business,” Kobalt CEO and founder Willard Ahdritz said in a statement. “Potential licensors of music for film, TV, advertising, games, and other media will have even more creative options and in some cases the ease of quickly licensing everything from one company.”
In order to accommodate the company’s foray in synch licensing, Kobalt will unveil a new synch database and licensing system in the spring. In addition, Kobalt has spent the last 18 months developing “the first global extended rights collections platform which combines multiple rights into one large database,” Ahdritz said. The company also said that its expanded business platform will include adding capabilities for yet other rights, which will be announced later this year.
Harry Fox Hooks Up With Cooking Vinyl
The Harry Fox Agency will handle administration services for Cooking Vinyl, according to an announcement from the organization. Under the deal, which was completed at this year’s Midem, HFA will provide Cooking Vinyl with end-to-end licensing, reporting, and royalty calculation and distributions services for physical and digital recordings released by the label.
Cooking Vinyl’s roster includes Prodigy, Groove Armada, Ryan Adams, the Violent Femmes and the label also recently signed Marilyn Manson, which will release its 8th studio allbum this year.
With this arrangement, HFA expands its commitment to providing complete rights management solutions for various segments of the music industry including major and independent labels, digital music distributors, and music services.
Imagem Signs Admin Deal With FIG Music
Imagem Music has signed a deal to serve as administration partner for FIG Music, the publishing division of Epitaph Records. The new agreement is a long-term, worldwide deal (excluding North America) and covers all existing FIG Music artists as well as future signings.
In addition, Imagem Music has purchased Dutch music publishing company Eastbeach BV from shareholders Brett Gurewitz (who founded Epitaph) and Hein van der Ree, who earlier this year was appointed to the position of CEO of Buma Stemra, the Dutch collection society.
The Eastbeach BV catalogue controls close to 1000 songs including compositions by German band the Beatsteaks, Australian artist Xavier Rudd and Dutch acts Pete Philly and Perquisite.
BMG Gets Notable
BMG has signed an exclusive worldwide administration deal with Notable Music Co., the entity founded by the legendary American songwriter Cy Coleman. In addition to Coleman’s catalog, Notable Music’s portfolio also includes the works of Bobby Hebb, Clifton Davis, Rosanne Cash, Wax Poetics, Chico Mann, Adriane Young, Aja West/The Mackrosoft and new masters by singer/songwriter Sam Phillips.
Primary Wave Lands Jimmy Webb
Primary Wave Music has signed an administration deal with Jimmy Webb, which includes “Oklahoma Nights” and “Where Words End” from his latest album, “Just Across The River;” as well as all future works.
Webb, who has written such tunes as “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” “MacArthur Park,” “Galveston” and “Up, Up and Away,” currently serves as the vice chair of the ASCAP board of directors and was was recently named chairman of the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, a position previously held by legends Johnny Mercer, Sammy Cahn, and Hal David. In a statement Webb said he believes that “there are songs in my catalog just busting to get out into the world, and [Primary Wave] is the team that can do it.”