Publishing
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The ASCAP Foundation has announced the recipients of the 2025 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards. Established in 2002, the program recognizes gifted young jazz composers, defined as up to the age of 30. It carries the name of music legend and ASCAP member Herb Alpert in recognition of The Herb Alpert Foundation’s multi-year financial commitment to the program. The recipients, who receive cash awards, are selected through a juried national competition.
“With The Herb Alpert Foundation’s unwavering support, the Young Jazz Composer Awards continue to elevate emerging voices of jazz, one of our most vital art forms,” ASCAP Foundation president Paul Williams said in a statement. “These gifted young composers are the future of the genre, and we are honored to be a part of their musical journey.”
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“The ASCAP Foundation has been dedicated to nurturing the musical talent of tomorrow for 50 years,” added ASCAP Foundation executive director Nicole George-Middleton. “We are incredibly grateful for the generous support of The Herb Alpert Foundation that allows us to do what we do best — uplift the next generation of music creators.”
The 2025 ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award recipients are listed below with their age, current residence and place of origin:
Jonah Barnett, 25 of Washington, D.C. (Alexandria, Va.); Eli Feingold, 27 of Brooklyn, N.Y. (Marlboro, N.J.); Michael Hilgendorf, 26 of New York (Chesterfield, Mich.); Benedict Koh, 25 of Boston (Singapore); Aditi Malhotra, 27 of Boston (New Delhi, India); Giovanni Martinez, 20 of New York (Jacksonville, Fla.); Alan Montaño, 20 of Brighton, Mass. (Concord, Calif.); Bakhari S. Nokuri, 19 of Los Angeles (Dayton, Md.); Marc Perez, 24 of Los Angeles; Artur Ponsà of Boston (Barcelona, Spain); Jahari Stampley, 25 of Chicago; Katie Webster, 24 of Brooklyn, N.Y. (Seattle); and Alejandra Williams-Maneri (Alejandra Sofia), 26 of Brooklyn, N.Y. (Barre, Mass.).
The restriction that recipients need to be under age 30 keeps the focus on young talent. Alpert reached his career peak at age 30 in 1965 with the release of Whipped Cream & Other Delights, his first of five No. 1 albums (all recorded with his Tijuana Brass ensemble) on the Billboard 200. Alpert and Jerry Moss had formed A&M Records three years earlier.
Additional funding for the program is provided by The ASCAP Foundation’s Bart Howard Fund. Howard, who died in 2004, is best known as the composer of the jazz standard “Fly Me to the Moon.”
The Herb Alpert Foundation, a non-profit, private foundation established in the early 1980s, makes significant annual contributions to a range of programs in the fields of arts, arts education, and compassion and well-being. Its funding is directed toward projects in which Herb and Lani Alpert and Foundation president Rona Sebastian play an active role. [The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.]
Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education, talent development and humanitarian programs.
Electronic music producer Anyma has signed a global publishing deal with independent music publishing company Kobalt. The deal encompasses the artist’s catalog (including some of his work as part of the duo Tale of Us), along with future releases. The deal announcement follows the conclusion of Anyma’s buzzy residency at Sphere Las Vegas earlier this […]
From its new headquarters in Milla de Oro in San Juan, Rimas Publishing is redefining what it means to champion music from Puerto Rico for the world. Celebrating one decade of success as an independent publishing house — and with more than 150 authors in its catalog, including major names like Bad Bunny and Eladio Carrión — the company has established itself as one of the most influential indie players in the Latin music industry. This includes ranking at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs Publishers year-end chart for 2021 and 2022.
The story of the publishing house began in 2014, when its founders launched an innovative idea that initially seemed “crazy” at the time, explains Rimas Publishing president Carlos Souffront, who was involved since its inception. “It’s a concept born from two partners who had a vision,” he tells Billboard Español. From the beginning, Rimas Publishing was tied to Rimas Entertainment, but in 2023, it became a completely independent entity. According to Souffront, “The decision was based on a change in equity within the group of companies.” From that moment, they relocated to their new offices in Puerto Rico.
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This independence has allowed them to explore new territories and expand their global approach beyond the Caribbean, reaching markets like Chile, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. “It was in 2020 that we signed our first talents in Chile. Today we represent six of the top 10 artists in Chile, which I consider a significant responsibility, even with the Chilean society. This reflects our global commitment,” says the company’s CEO, Emilio Morales.
In addition to its geographic expansion, Rimas Publishing is also diversifying its catalog — signing 12 new authors in the past year — moving beyond its roots in urban music to explore genres like pop, regional Mexican music, and Christian music. “Our commitment is to creators, regardless of genre,” Morales emphasizes. “We were born in urban music, but today we work with writers in various styles who are making a difference in the industry.”
Billboard Español spoke with president Carlos Souffront and CEO Emilio Morales to gain insight into the company’s journey and its vision for the years ahead.
10 years have passed since the beginnings of Rimas Publishing. How has the journey been from its creation in 2014 to now? Could you also share a little about the origins of the company?
Carlos Souffront: I had the pleasure and opportunity to be here in 2014 when this idea was created. It’s a concept born from two partners who came together with an idea that initially seemed crazy to me. But clearly, they both had a vision, and from that vision came the publisher and the record label [Rimas Entertainment], which grew together — up until 2023, when we separated.
The decision was based on a change in equity within the group of companies. This week (week of March 17), we are inaugurating the new offices, completely separating operationally from everything that was previously connected. We were integrated in areas like human resources, accounting, legacy marketing, and now we’re fully separated both physically and operationally.
You’ve worked with renowned artists like Bad Bunny and Eladio Carrión, as well as emerging talent. How has the process of supporting both established artists and new generations been, and what kind of impact has this had on Rimas Publishing’s international expansion?
Emilio Morales: On the creative side, the company’s beginnings were very closely tied to artists shared between Rimas [Entertainment] and Rimas Publishing. Originally, we supported a group of Puerto Rican artists led by Eladio Carrión, Lyanno, Súbelo NEO, and Bad Bunny, who was part of that initial phase. Between 2016 and 2017, the company began expanding beyond those initial artists, reaching talents from Colombia and eventually Chile. If you look at it from the point of view of urban and pop music, when we started, it was that 2016 generation — Bryant Myers, Anonimus, Bad Bunny — that were all the talk.
In 2019-2020, with Carlos’s help, we extended the company’s footprint internationally, focusing especially on Chile and Medellín, Colombia, where we now have an established presence. In 2020, we signed our first Chilean talents, marking an important step in Rimas Publishing’s evolution, which had previously been primarily Caribbean-focused. In the early days, we worked with creatives like Amenazzy and La Manta in the Dominican Republic, but our focus was largely regional.
With Chile’s connection to other international markets, our agenda became much more global. This led us to build an extraordinary professional team, composed of Puerto Rican local talent, collaborators from regions like Mexico, Colombia (especially Medellín), and the Dominican Republic, and support from our CFO based in Miami. We now represent six of the top 10 artists in Chile, which we view as a significant responsibility, not just to the artists but also to Chile’s society.
In Puerto Rico, musical talent has always been abundant, but many artists signed with companies based in places like Miami. For us, it’s been special to witness how this new generation of creatives has fostered an extraordinary scene, with songs like “Gata Only” and “Una Noche en Medellín.”
In Mexico, we’ve also observed a major movement, particularly in regional Mexican music. Michelle Maciel, who writes for artists like Carín León and is part of our roster, exemplifies the way we’ve expanded in the last five years. Beyond entering new territories, our focus has always been on broadening the repertoire and supporting creatives’ dreams.
You’re opening a new office in Puerto Rico. What strategic role does this location play in Rimas Publishing’s global operations now that you have this new headquarters?
Souffront: Although we are based here, as Emilio mentioned, we continue serving clients worldwide, and that will always be a key part of our approach. Not only are we expanding globally, but we’re also diversifying into other genres, such as Christian music, where we’re investing heavily in the talent we’ve signed and continue looking to sign. Why Puerto Rico? Because the team is Puerto Rican, the company was founded here, and our roots are here. Almost exclusively, with one or two exceptions, everyone on our team is Puerto Rican, and we take great pride in that. In addition, many of the artists we represent are based here. We want them to understand that they don’t need to hold Zoom meetings or travel to Los Angeles; we’re just 15 minutes from their homes, ready to welcome them with our full team. That’s something that sets us apart from many large publishing companies.
Rimas Publishing Office in Puerto Rico
Courtesy of Rimas Publishing
Morales: Being in the Caribbean is strategically a huge advantage. It allows you to travel to Colombia in two hours, which is challenging for large companies based in Los Angeles. For us, it’s much more efficient. We can move quickly to South America, North America, or even Europe directly. Additionally, Puerto Rico has immense talent and individuals who, unfortunately, often end up in industries unrelated to music. Someone had to take on the challenge and create jobs here, especially in something as dignified as music publishing. Today we are proud to serve as a business model for our city and our country. We believe this represents a new economy for Puerto Rico and a new chapter for our company. We chose to invest in families who needed opportunities the most. Many talented people here have been educated in prestigious institutions like Berklee College of Music or Loyola University Museum of Art, and were perfectly prepared. However, they couldn’t find jobs aligned with their true passions. We’re proud to welcome them, provide opportunities, and support Puerto Rican families.
What are some of the most important plans for Rimas Publishing in this new phase as an independent publishing company?
Morales: First, we are undergoing a strategic expansion of our business, as I mentioned, into places like Chile, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic, where we’re increasing talent investments. Second, we have a very important project called Faith Sounds. It’s a program in which we support the best composers from our roster and aim to impact the region with faith-based and Christian music. Featured artists in this project include Shammai, Gabriel EMC, Lizzy Parra — a Dominican artist with an impressive career trajectory — and Barajas, with a presence in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and other countries. The goal is to enhance their creations and strengthen our licensing efforts because we see significant opportunities in this space.
Over the past 18 months, we’ve hired key personnel to optimize our synchronization and commercial licensing operations. This includes everything from Christian films and positive music to broader markets aligned with that philosophy. Furthermore, we’re making strategic alliances with important brands like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Films, and others we’ve historically collaborated with.
Souffront: From a broader perspective, our vision rests on three main pillars. First, growing responsibly. We currently have 150 artists under contract, and our goal is to maximize their output — their art. Current technology provides tools that allow us to further amplify their work and optimize their impact. Second, expanding into other genres. While our roots are in reggaeton, and we will never abandon that essence, our aspirations extend far beyond being just a reggaeton publisher. Third, we are actively exploring the acquisition of existing catalogs, which is critical for our future. Our growth plan is clear and systematic.
Rimas Publishing Office in Puerto Rico
Courtesy of Rimas Publishing
Looking ahead to the next five to ten years, what is your vision for the publishing company? What impact do you want to have on Latin and global music?
Morales: Our goal as a company is to become a worldwide leader in service and technology for our clients — a core part of our DNA that we embody daily in our mission and vision. We want to be recognized not only for the success of working with the biggest Latin artists in the world but also for delivering the best technology, service, and attention. We aim to take that to the next level, increasing our cultural impact and creating opportunities to connect with the global movement. We’re investing heavily in developing our authors, taking them to places like Brazil, France, and other destinations to collaborate with companies of all sizes—from major American record labels to companies in China, Africa, and beyond. Our goal is to build a sustainable and successful ecosystem for authors in Latin America and the world. We’re getting closer to achieving the milestone where people say: “They’re not the biggest, but they’re the best.” That’s our true aspiration, and we’re on the right path.
Souffront: Beyond the plans I mentioned earlier, within the next ten years, one of my aspirations is for us as an independent Latino company to provide services to other small independent publishers in Latin America or Spain. We want them to join the family of this publishing house, letting us provide them with services. That will only come when people continue to know and recognize us as the best.
Originally in Spanish, this interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Welcome to Publishing Briefs, our semimonthly bulletin of recent signings, deals and doings in the wide world of music publishing. Since we last spoke, Primary Wave bought a stake in a Notorious catalog, Eslabon Armado frontman Pedro Tovar inked a deal with Kobalt, reggaetón star Ryan Castro signed with Warner Chappell, BMI said it will no longer charge an application fee when new songwriters seek to join, Sevdaliza signed her first-ever publishing pact with Sony Music Publishing, Word Collections launched a royalty collection service, and Joaquina signed a global deal with WCM.
Caught up? Here’s what else is going on:
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Reservoir Media signed a new publishing deal with five-time Grammy-nominated R&B artist El DeBarge. The agreement covers his solo catalog and hits from his time with the family group DeBarge, along with future projects. El DeBarge’s career began in the 1980s when Berry Gordy signed him and his siblings to Motown Records, leading to hits like “You Wear It Well,” “Time Will Reveal,” “Love Me in a Special Way” and “All This Love.” His solo career took off in 1986 with the hit “Who’s Johnny,” which reached No. 3 on the Hot 100, and he continued to release successful albums, including 1994’s Babyface-assisted Heart, Mind and Soul. Over the years he has collaborated with legends like Dionne Warwick, Quincy Jones, Al Green and the Isley Brothers. “I’ve been a fan of DeBarge and El in particular since I was 16 years old, so I’m incredibly humbled to welcome him and his evergreen hits to the Reservoir family,” said Reservoir evp of A&R and catalog development Faith Newman. “His music has touched generations, and we are excited to work with him to further amplify his incredible catalog.”
Artist House signed award-winning songwriter and producer Sam Hollander to an exclusive global administration deal. Known for hits with Panic! At The Disco, Weezer, Katy Perry, Fitz and the Tantrums, Cobra Starship, One Direction and more, Hollander is “one of the best topliners of the last 20 years and one of the highest-quality people you’ll ever meet,” said Artist House co-founder Gregg Wattenberg. In the early 2000s, Hollander gained recognition as one-half of the production duo S*A*M and Sluggo, alongside Dave Katz. Together, they played a key role in shaping the pop-punk sound of Fueled By Ramen’s golden era. His work has also appeared in films and TV, and he notably held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Rock Songwriters Chart for nine weeks. In 2022, Hollander released his memoir, 21 Hit Wonder, providing an insider’s look at his journey through the industry. Hollander, with 23 U.S. Top 40 hits to his name, said joining Artist House “feels like coming home,” adding that “their vision for the future of the music business and their dedication to revitalizing the New York songwriter community align perfectly with my passion for this city’s rich musical legacy.”
Billy Steinberg and his son Ezra Steinberg signed new global publishing deals with Sony Music Publishing. This expands SMP’s partnership with Billy, which began in 1992, and introduces Ezra to SMP’s roster. Their works will be under Steinberg Music, their newly formed company. The elder Steinberg’s latest deal with SMP covers his newer catalog, including hits like “I’ll Stand by You” by The Pretenders and “Give Your Heart a Break” by Demi Lovato. This move consolidates his newer catalog with his original SMP catalog, featuring Hot 100 No. 1s like Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” and The Bangles’ “Eternal Flame,” among others. Billy was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011. Brian Monaco, president and global chief marketing officer of SMP, expressed excitement about expanding their partnership with Billy — “an extraordinary songwriter whose music speaks to all generation” — and welcoming Ezra. “Representing Billy’s catalog continues to be one of our greatest privileges and we are honored that he’s entrusted us to champion these treasured songs,” he said.
SMP president and head of US A&R Katie Welle, Ezra and Billy Steinberg, and chairman/CEO Jon Platt
Sony Music Publishing
Raleigh Music Publishing and the ICM Crescendo Music Royalty Fund have partnered to acquire a majority interest in the Cal Mann publishing catalog, which includes such songs as Chubby Checker’s “Let’s Twist Again,” The Dovells’ “Bristol Stomp” and House of Pain’s “Jump Around.” The latter song is in the Mann catalog through sampling Mann’s co-written song, “Popeye the Hitchhiker,” also by Checker. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquired catalog includes over 200 songs in all, according to the announcement. Besides the above songs, Mann also was involved in writing songs for Elvis Presley Bobby Rydell, Pat Boone and Charlie Grace, among others. Raleigh Music Group co-president Peter Raleigh expressed excitement about the partnership, highlighting the potential for new opportunities through sync placements and creative initiatives to “introduce these classics to new audiences.” –Ed Christman
Sony Music Publishing UK signed singer-songwriter Freya Ridings to an exclusive global publishing deal, covering her future works, including her upcoming third studio album. Ridings rose to fame in 2018 with “Lost Without You,” earning a BRIT nomination and leading to her debut album. Her sophomore release, Blood Orange, featured hits like “Castles” and “Weekends” and helped her accumulate nearly 4 million monthly Spotify listeners. Sony Music Publishing UK president David Ventura lavished praise upon Ridings’ songwriting and voice, calling it a long-awaited partnership. “For almost a decade, I have been trying to work with Freya, simply because her songwriting and voice are hypnotizing,” he said. “After all this time, it is exciting to have the opportunity to finally be in her team. Freya’s songwriting is inspired – she has many things to write about and her work ethic is incredible.” For her part, Ridings said “it’s been a dream of mine since 19 to sign” with Sony.
Concord Music Publishing has signed Nashville-based singer-songwriter Zachary Knowles, with the deal including all Knowles’ future works. In 2021, Knowles released his debut album, tendency to be a loner, and this past July issued his latest EP Look Mom, No Hands. “When I first met Zachary, I felt an instant creative connection,” said Melissa Spillman, vp of A&R at CMP. “He is a multi-faceted songwriter and artist who can create great music in so many different genres, and I am thrilled to have him join the Concord family.” –Jessica Nicholson
Melody Place signed singer-songwriter Melody Federer as the first standalone writer under its publishing arm, Melody Place Publications. Melody Place president Sandy McGraw, who has long admired Federer’s work, highlighted her innovative songwriting and said he’s thrilled to have her on board. Federer will play a key role in artist development, collaborating with artists like Katharine McPhee. Federer has worked with major artists such as Pink, Michael Bublé, and Kelly Rowland, and co-written with legends like Burt Bacharach. Federer has also released solo material, including “This Town” and “The Wonder Years,” featured on “Elton John’s Rocket Hour” radio show. Her latest release is the indie-pop track “Knocked Up.”
Centricity Music, an indie Christian music company, signed indie-rock/alt-pop artist and California native John Allan to a recording and publishing contract. Allan’s music is inspired by artists including The National, Gang of Youths and The Killers, and he’s set to release his debut single via Centricity later this month. “People are going to believe something about God based on what the song is saying,” said Allan, who released a pair of EPs in 2022. “I really believe it’s about stewarding what He’s planted and chasing the idea until it’s healthy enough to thrive in someone else’s life.”
Last Publishing Briefs: Reservoir Makes a ‘Key’ Move in Egypt
Primary Wave said on Thursday it partnered with The Notorious B.I.G.‘s estate to acquire a stake in the Brooklyn rapper’s music publishing and recordings, as well as certain name, image and likeness rights.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Thursday that Biggie Smalls’s late mother, Voletta Wallace, reached the deal with Primary Wave shortly before her death earlier this year, and that it valued his estate at $200 million.
The celebrated MC was born Christopher Wallace on May 21, 1972, in Brooklyn, and while he was killed in 1997, his influence on hip-hop and rap and his role in launching the careers of artists like Lil Kim and Junior M.A.F.I.A. has led to the sale of more than 28 million albums in the United States and a steady rise in the value of his works.
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Biggie’s albums Ready To Die, Life After Death and the posthumously released Born Again spent the combined equivalent of more than 3 years on Billboard‘s top album sales chart, with Life After Death and Born Again both hitting No. 1.
The rap icon had 15 songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Mo Money Mo Problems” featuring Puff Daddy, Ma$e and Kelly Price, which was No. 1 for two weeks in 1997, “Hypnotize,” which spent three weeks at No. 1 the same year, “One More Chance/Stay With Me,” “Big Poppa/Warning” and “Juicy/Unbelievable.” Biggie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
Primary Wave’s portfolio of songs includes works by Whitney Houston, The Doors, James Brown, Stevie Nicks, Nirvana, Prince and Bob Marley. The company and estate described this as a “panoramic partnership that will encompass The Notorious B.I.G.’s music publishing and recordings, as well as his name, image and likeness.”
Name, image and likeness rights are needed to license an artist’s work for films. Known for its role in licensing music for biopics, like Bob Marley: One Love and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Primary Wave is currently involved in biopics about Boyz II Men and Boy George—both of which are in production.
“The estate and Primary Wave will collaborate on all business moving forward in an effort to continue the incredible and innovative ork done thus far with one goal in mind, to keep the legacy of The Notorious B.I.G. alive,” the company said in a statement.
Eslabon Armado‘s frontman and songwriter Pedro Tovar has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Kobalt, the company tells Billboard. The agreement was done via Tovar’s Armado Publishing; Kobalt will administer the Mexican-American artist’s entire catalog and future songs globally.
“I’m excited to join the Kobalt Music family in this new career stage,” Tovar said in a statement. “As a songwriter, I have always sought a company that values creativity and provides the necessary support to elevate my music to a global audience. I know that with Kobalt, I’ll continue growing and sharing my stories through my songs.”
Since having a major breakthrough in 2020, the sierreño act has been on a winning streak and fueling the música mexicana movement along the way.
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Over the course of four years, Eslabon released six consecutive chart-topping albums — all of which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart. In 2022, the group made history, with Nostalgia becoming the first top 10-charting regional Mexican album ever on the Billboard 200. A year later, Eslabon released its blockbuster hit “Ella Baila Sola” with Peso Pluma. The song was a runaway success and made history when it entered the Billboard Hot 100‘s top five. Last week, Eslabon released its eight studio album, Vibras de Noche II, a follow-up to the band’s 2020 set Vibras de Noche.
“Pedro Tovar is one of the most exciting artists and songwriters making music today,” added Nestor Casonu, president of Kobalt Music Latin America. “Through this partnership, we’ve had the privilege of understanding the values of an extraordinary family, led by Doña Nelly, with whom we’ve built both a professional and personal bond. I’m excited about the great things we’ll achieve together in the future.”
“At Kobalt, we want to sign songwriters who have singular voices that resonate with a wide audience,” said Teresa Romo, Kobalt’s senior creative director for Latin America. “Our partnership with Pedro Tovar represents an exciting new phase in his songwriting career, and we’re honored to support his creative independence and nurture new opportunities.”
Armado Publishing was represented in the deal by Christopher Navarro, partner at Singh, Singh & Trauben LLP.
Colombian reggaetón star Ryan Castro has signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music, the company tells Billboard. Born in Medellín, Castro released his debut album El Cantante del Ghetto, a nod to his journey from street busking to bona fide hitmaker, last year. “Joining Warner Chappell is a big step in my career as an […]
BMI is making a two-fold move to help music creators improve their career and lifestyle opportunities. First off, the PRO has created Spark, a program that will offer creators special discounts on music creation and technology tools while also providing educational content and health and wellness resources. Secondly, BMI will no longer charge an application […]
Iranian-Dutch singer, songwriter and producer Sevdaliza has signed her first-ever publishing agreement with Sony Music Publishing. Known for releasing boundary-pushing music for the last decade, beginning with her EP The Suspended Kid in 2015, Sevdaliza reached new heights last year with her viral single “Alibi” featuring Pabllo Vittar and Yseult, which became her first Billboard […]
Word Collections is enhancing its capabilities by offering a new service that will provide global royalty music publishing collections from digital service providers (DSPs) via direct deals.
As part of this new service, called Songwriter Collections, Word Collections is expanding its potential client roster by offering collection capabilities to DIY indie songwriters. It’s an apparent attempt by the firm’s founder/CEO, Jeff Price, to duplicate his earlier successes with TuneCore and Audiam, two digital platforms he co-founded and subsequently sold.
Word Collections currently administers the publishing catalogs for Metallica, Eight Mile style (Eminem), Greta Van Fleet, Jason Mraz, Grace Potter, Silversun Pickups, John Oates, Songwriters Guild Of America, The Offspring’s Bryan “Dexter” Holland, Shriekback, George Carlin, Margaret Cho and Jerry Seinfeld, among others.
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Word Collections says it has direct licensing, data exchange, auditing and royalty collections from digital platforms like Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer and Qobuz, which generate over 90% of digital royalties.
The DSP licensing deals facilitate the payment of digital mechanical and performance royalties directly to Word Collections, thus bypassing all the intermediary administration fees deducted by collection societies around the world as the royalties flow through the system back to songwriters and publishers, according to Price.
While Word Collections will charge an administrative fee for this service, Price claims it will provide “faster and higher payouts” than if the songwriters’ digital royalty payout had remained in the traditional global collection system of waiting for payouts from local societies. That’s because freeing digital royalties from the traditional system “untangles it from what’s cumbersome and inefficient” and the retained administration fees that system has. “Besides, the traditional societies are very good at non-digital collections,” Price says.
What’s more, Price says that Songwriter Collections’ proprietary systems reduce “inefficiencies, fraud, inaccurate data, and the possibility of losing royalties” through the black box mechanisms employed by some societies of making distribution payouts by market share when a recording is not matched to the song’s publishers.
Price says that songwriter collections from around the globe go through a number of intermediaries, each taking a fee, before the royalties reach the songwriters and publishers. “In the end, those fees could collectively amount to songwriters losing out on about 30% in Europe; and as much as 50% from royalties flowing from territories outside Europe,” he says. While Word Collections will charge a 20% administration fee, he points out that’s lower than what normally happens when collections are made by other entities, pointing to the cited percentages for Europe and territories outside Europe.
“The existing system is so incredibly complicated and complex and it just doesn’t have to be that way, and that’s what Songwriter Collections does, it eliminates those issues,” Price says. “You get paid all the money; and you can see everything,” due to the removal of all the middlemen in collecting performance and mechanical royalties for digital plays.
While Price says his new service bypasses collection societies around the globe, for the U.S., Word Collections will still need to collect royalties from the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) due to the blanket compulsory license. And while the MLC doesn’t charge a fee for its administration in collecting royalties from U.S. digital services, Songwriter Collections will charge a fee on royalties from the MLC.
But he says songwriters and publishers who sign up with Word Collections will benefit from its “bespoke technology stem called Concello, which is a real-time tracking and audit system built specifically for the MLC.” He adds that this system recovers and extracts all the money the MLC collects for songwriter’s songs.
Other differences that Songwriter Collections offers:
A six-month term, with a 30-day notice after the six months that allows the songwriter to terminate if they are unhappy with the service;
Songwriters/publishers can pick and close the countries they would like to use the service for.
Songwriters/publishers can also choose what songs they want the service to cover. In other words, they don’t have to assign their entire song catalog to the service.
“This project began at TuneCore as I figured out how things worked and how to get this done,” Price says. “This has been my Moby Dick. It took me 14 years to get this done.”