Author: Press Officer

ICE, the world’s first integrated copyright hub, today announced it has passed the €1bn mark for digital royalties distributed to its society and publisher customers on behalf of creators. In June 2019 IMRO announced that it had become a direct customer of ICE’s Core Licence. Under the terms of this agreement, ICE provides IMRO with a full suite of licensing and administration services for online usage of its members repertoire.

ICE continues to lead the way in licensing the wide range of digital platforms benefiting from the use of music and ensuring royalties are flowed back to creators accurately and efficiently.

ICE’s first distribution was in March 2016 and the €1bn mark was reached in just 3½ years, driven by its own Core licence expansion and the processing services it provides to Sony/ATV, BMG and Warner Chappell Music.

Simultaneously, ICE continues to improve its service through ongoing process development and investment in technology. It actively promotes industry best practices on topics such as clean claiming through its participation in industry fora; and tackles problem areas such as residuals and fake streaming.

“Whilst this milestone represents a landmark for the industry in this digital era, we’re focused on continually improving the services we offer,” said Thorsten Sauer, CEO at ICE. “We are working to increase transparency and achieve even greater efficiency in getting money paid quickly and accurately to rightsholders.”

“The ICE hub provides our members with the best return for the use of their work internationally,” said Karsten Dyhrberg Nielsen, CEO at STIM. “The revenue from licences negotiated by ICE continues to grow and their scale and expertise means royalties are efficiently processed despite ever increasing data volumes.”

Kaspar Kunisch, MD at ARESA also commented “The effectiveness and efficiency achieved by ICE in this day & age is great news for rightsholders, and to reach such a milestone in such a short time is an endorsement of their collaborative approach. Combined with the upcoming initiatives we’re excited by the future.”

About ICE

ICE offers a flexible suite of services for Publishers, Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) and Rightsholders. Services include; copyright administration, multi-territorial online licensing processing and Digital Service Provider (DSP) licensing solutions. ICE was created by PRS, STIM and GEMA and represents over 290,000 rightsholders alone through this partnership. ICE has processed trillions of online music uses from music streaming services and paid over €1 billion back to rightsholders since March 2016. The ICE copyright database holds over 36 million musical works. ICE is based in the UK, Germany and Sweden.

Entries are now open for the IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Competition 2019 which takes place in memory of one of Tralee’s most famous sons. Songwriters are invited to submit an audio link for their entry by email to membership@nullimro.ie before the deadline of Friday 20^th September 2019 (NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL AUDIO FILE ATTACHMENTS).

Ten finalists will be selected to perform their song at the live final of the contest on Saturday 2nd November in The Ashe Hotel, Tralee, Co. Kerry, with the winning songwriter being presented with a cheque for €1,000 courtesy of IMRO and Cara Credit Union. A runner up prize of €300 will also be presented on the night.

A Tralee native, Christie Hennessy began his music career at a young age when he moved to London, playing in clubs by night and working on building sites during the day. He started writing songs at the age of 23 and went on to release numerous platinum selling albums.

Christie’s songs were later recorded by artists such as Christy Moore (“Don’t Forget Your Shovel”), Frances Black (“All The Lies That You Told Me”), Moya Brennan (“Oh Jealous Heart”) and Nizlopi, who reached Christmas Number 1 in UK and Ireland in 2005 with their hit “JCB Song”, sampling Christie’s lyrics from “Don’t Forget Your Shovel”.

The deadline for entries is Friday 20th September 2019

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IMRO CHRISTIE HENNESSY SONG COMPETITION 2019

RULES OF ENTRY

1. The lyrics and music must be the original work of the songwriter(s).
2. The competition is open to all types of song, in any style – ballad, country, pop, rock etc.
3. Songs may be entered in either the English or Irish language.
4. The competition is open to national and international songwriters.
5. Songwriters may only enter one song for consideration.
6. Entries will not be returned – all songwriters should retain a copy of their song submission.
7. Entries can be submitted via an online link to your song to membership@nullimro.ie (NOTE: Please do not email audio file attachments) or on a CD by post to the address below. All entries must be accompanied by a copy of the lyrics; typed or clearly written.
8. Finalists will be notified by Friday 11th October 2019.
9. The provisional adjudication will be on the basis of the tracks submitted, from which 10 finalists will be chosen.
10. Each of the 10 finalists will be invited to take part in a live concert in Tralee on Saturday 2nd November 2019. Backing tracks are not permitted for this performance.
11. Each songwriter will be responsible for providing the singer and/or group for his/her entry in the final at his/her own expense.
12. A first prize of €1,000 will be presented to the winning songwriter on the night of the final. A runner-up prize of €300 will be presented to the second placed finalist.
13. Final adjudication will be on the night of the final. Decisions of the adjudication panel will be final.
14. Entry for the contest implies acceptance of all the rules.
15. Postal entries should be sent to:

IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Contest 2019
C/o Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO)
Copyright House
Pembroke Row
Lower Baggot Street
D02 HW59
Ireland

‘Mechanics of Music Management’ seminar series in association with the Music Managers Forum (MMF) and delivered by Chris Cooke from CMU Insights will explore best practice and current trends in artist management.

Together these sessions will provide a comprehensive guide to artist revenue streams and business models, record deals, fanbase building and direct-to-fan relationships, and explain where the manager fits in with each of these strands of the business.

These seminars will be of interest to those starting out in artist management, artists who self-manage their careers and also for more experienced managers looking to gain a fresh insight into new trends and management strategies.

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THE MECHANICS OF MUSIC MANAGEMENT | PART ONE

Date: Wednesday 25th September 2019
Time: 11am – 5.30pm
Location: IMRO, Copyright House, Pembroke Row, Dublin 2
Bookings: FREE Event | Booking Essential | Email: events@nullimro.ie

DEALS, DATA AND THE ARTIST/MANAGER RELATIONSHIP

This full day course looks at how artists build a business around their music, and the manager’s role in making that happen. Along the way it covers music revenues, artist companies, business partners, management deals and fan data. Chris Cooke from CMU Insights leads the proceedings with a series of presentations – including insights from the MMF’s ground-breaking ‘Digital Dollar’ work. Plus hear from guests working in management, marketing and deal-making. 

Music Revenues
How do artists make money out of their music and what business partners do they work with to unlock each revenue stream? We put the spotlight on the intellectual property, live performance and fan relationship strands of the music business.

The Artist/Manager Relationship
What role does the manager play in each artist business and how does this impact on the artist/manager deal? We look at how the artist/manager relationship can vary, over time, and depending on who the artist is and the kind of business they are evolving.

Companies & Money
How does an artist go about structuring their business and managing their money? What questions need to be answered and what formalities need to be completed to ensure everything is agreed, legal and secure? Plus how does the manager facilitate this process?

Building A Fanbase
At the heart of every artist’s business is their fanbase. How can artists formally connect with and start to understand the core fanbase, and how does that process drive the business?

Fan Data
As the artist’s business grows, they will start to gather valuable data about their fanbase. Or at least, the platforms and partners they work with will! How can artists ensure that they have access to that data – and how can they legally utilise it to grow their business.

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THE MECHANICS OF MUSIC MANAGEMENT | PART TWO

Date: Friday 25^th October 2019
Time: 11am – 5.30pm
Location: IMRO, Copyright House, Pembroke Row, Dublin 2.
Bookings: FREE Event | Booking Essential | Email: events@nullimro.ie

STREAMING, LABELS & THE DIRECT-TO-FAN RELATIONSHIP

This full day course looks at how artists make money out of their songwriting and recordings, and puts the spotlight on the streaming revolution. It also looks at how digital channels provide other opportunities for artists beyond the streams. Chris Cooke from CMU Insights leads the proceedings with a series of presentations – including insights from the MMF’s ground-breaking ‘Digital Dollar’ work. Plus hear from guests working in management, music rights and streaming.

How Music Rights Make Money
How can artists generate income through their songwriting and recordings? We provide a speedy guide to music rights, and explain what artists need to do to ensure they get paid whenever their music is copied, streamed, performed and played. Plus what should managers be doing to ensure their clients’ rights are properly logged and monetised?

The Digital Music Market
Streaming now accounts for nearly half of all recorded music revenues worldwide. We provide an overview of the digital music market today, and explain how artists and songwriters get paid when their music is streamed. Plus what are the key issues with the current streaming business model, and how can artists and managers get things changed?

The Role of The Label
Artists still need specialist business partners to help them get their music streaming. Labels do that of course. But so do distributors and label services companies. We look at the role labels play in building an artist’s business today, and at the different label and distribution deals that artists and their managers can now choose from.

Building A Direct-To-Fan Business
Beyond the streams, the biggest revolution in music caused by the rise of digital is the online direct-to-fan relationship. How can artists and their managers utilise all the fan data and D2F channels to truly capitalise on that fan connection?

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About Chris Cooke
Chris Cooke is co-Founder and MD of CMU, a company that helps people navigate and understand the music business. It does this through media like the CMU Daily bulletin, Setlist podcast and CMU Trends library; consultancy units CMU Insights and CMU Pathways; and future talent programme CMU:DIY. He also programmes core conference strands at The Great Escape showcase festival and wrote the book ‘Dissecting The Digital Dollar’. CMU is part of Chris’s business 3CM UnLimited, through which he also publishes cultural media ThisWeek London and ThreeWeeks at the Edinburgh Festival; and teaches for PR training charity the Taylor Bennett Foundation.

https://completemusicupdate.com

About the Music Managers Forum (MMF)
The MMF is the world’s largest professional community of music managers. Since its inception in 1992, the MMF has worked hard to educate, inform and represent its members as well as offering a network through which managers can share experiences, opportunities and information.

Its core purpose is to:

• Educate: To support managers’ continuous professional development within an evolving music industry.
• Innovate: To create and highlight opportunities to develop and grow artist businesses.
• Advocate: To provide a collective voice and leadership to affect change for a transparent and fairer music industry for artists and their fans.

https://themmf.net/

The IMRO sponsored pioneering international gender balance initiative, Keychange, has received funding of €1.4million from the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, which will ensure Keychange continues to accelerate change and create a better, more inclusive music industry for present and future generations.

The new programme will span September 2019 to September 2023. More details of the second phase of the programme will be unveiled at Reeperbahn Festival 2019, which takes place Wednesday 18th September – Saturday 21st in Hamburg, Germany. Keychange ambassadors Kate Nash and Joy Denalane, as well as Barbara Gessler (European Commission), Alexander Schulz (Keychange co-founder and CEO of Reeperbahn Festival) will present details of “Keychange 2.0“ on Thursday 19th September at 11.00 am. 

The initiative founded by PRS Foundation has expanded with like-minded European partners and sponsors who believe that the future of music will benefit from a more balanced representation of all genders across all aspects of the industry. Reeperbahn Festival will lead the second phase of Keychange, working closely alongside PRS Foundation (UK), Musikcentrum Öst (Sweden), Iceland Airwaves (Iceland), Tallinn Music Week / Shiftworks (Estonia) and BIME Festival (Spain). The new partners are Ireland Music Week (Ireland), Oslo World Festival (Norway), Linecheck Festival / Innovation Hub (Italy), and SACEM (France). Key sponsors include – Gorwelion Horizons, SOCAN, Soundcloud, STIM, STEF, IMRO, GEMA, Songtrust, Fundacion SGAE, Factor, British Council, Ableton, Smirnoff Equalizer, and Roskilde.

Originally set up as a talent development programme for 60 artists and innovators, Keychange has quickly become a global movement for festivals which want to demonstrate their commitment to achieving a better gender balance across their stages for the next generation of artists and fans. 

Since launching in September 2017, over 250+ music organisations from all over the world  have signed the Keychange pledge towards achieving a 50/50 gender split across line-ups, conferences and commissions by 2022. In  November 2018 the initiative undertook a landmark step towards achieving its goal of encouraging a gender-balanced music industry worldwide. In collaboration with key festival partners, Keychange presented a manifesto for change at the European Parliament in Brussels, with the aim of increasing and sustaining representation of marginalised genders in the music industry.

Earlier this year Keychange extended the initial 50/50 festival pledge to include conservatoires, orchestras, broadcasters, concert halls, agents, labels and any music organisations to encourage a better gender balance in the music industry. Over 60 leading music industry organisations have signed the extended pledge so far, including: Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Southbank Centre, Bella Union and the Barbican as well as German based record label Ferryhouse Productions and radio station ByteFM. Spanning over three years, the second phase of the programme will see Keychange empower a new network of women, trans and non-binary artists and innovators to showcase and collaborate across the music industry, in the UK, Europe and North America.

Keychange stimulates talent development, exchange and innovation by creating new international opportunities for performance, creative collaboration and capacity building amongst women, trans and non-binary musicians and innovative industry professionals who are pushing the boundaries of their practice.  The aim is to lead inclusive debate and action which promotes the role of underrepresented genders in music and the potential creative and economic contribution they could be making to Europe’s music industry.

Having recently spoken out about her previous experiences of the music industry, Kate Nash says: “Pop culture feels so far ahead but the reality of how a lot of people live every day is way behind that. So, it does make sense, that we are dealing with these problems because the archaic structures are so hard to knock down and it changes so much of the way the world is run, so it is like a slow burn really. It is like in the movie “Shawshank Redemption” when he like scratches his way out of that prison and it takes years, because it is just scratch by scratch. I think I would like to be one of the scratches, so eventually someone will burst into the tunnel. But at the moment it’s about being a scratch. Because without each of those scratches we will never get there!”

Christina Schäfers, Head of Reeperbahn Festival‘s programmes in arts, word and film, has recently been appointed Project Lead for Keychange. Having worked on the initiative from the beginning, Christina will now take the lead at a superior level for the mandate of the European Commission, as well as work across tasks and topics that go beyond the EU funded activities. 

Christina Schäfers, Head of Reeperbahn Festival Arts Programme says: “The transformative power of Keychange is visible and increasing: Talented, smart and extremely well connected people and organizations join forces for the shared idea, that diversity is culturally enriching and economically more successful. Within the next four years we’ll focus on concrete aims and measures to keep on creating a better, more inclusive music industry. Since culture has always been a source of inspiration for necessary change, we look forward to inspiring and be part of the future of our society.”

Website: keychange.eu
Twitter: @KeychangeEU
Facebook: @KeychangeEU
Instagram: @KeychangeEU