The administration of mechanical and performance copyright royalties in songs generates huge amounts of money every year. This makes Music Publishing a vital source of income for most professional songwriters and many musicians.
This module will familiarise songwriters with the fundamental issues in music publishing. It will begin with the history of the industry, the key concepts of music copyright, and the collection societies and music publishing companies that administer the royalty streams generated therein.
As the module progresses it will cover more complex topics, including a detailed evaluation of music publishing contracts, before moving on to other advanced subjects including sub-publishing and synchronisation.
The module will conclude with a comprehensive analysis of contemporary issues in publishing, including online exploitation of copyright and new business models. Digital copyrights issues, including the impact of file sharing systems, licensing arrangements between IMRO, PRS for Music and YouTube, or the impact of ad-supported music sites such as Spotify will be analysed and discussed using the latest news sources.
This module will encourage musicians to apply their knowledge in real world situations with their own material and is an essential module for all songwriters who want to make a living from their music.
The evolution of copyright
n/a
Copyright protection
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Songwriting splits
n/a
Moral Rights
n/a
Music publishing company structures – majors and indies
n/a
Music publishing writer agreements
Exclusive, non-exclusive, single-song assignment, admin and sub-publishing, assignment of copyright, obligations, minimum commitments, options and reversions
Public performance collection societies
IMRO, PRS For Music, ASCAP etc
Mechanical collection societies
MCPSI, The Harry Fox Agency, The MLC etc
A&R in music publishing
n/a
Sectoral analysis
Broadcast, live, online
Synchronisation
Licensing music into television, film, advertising and video games
Production Music Libraries
n/a
Copyright infringement
n/a
Contemporary developments in publishing: digital publishing issues and new business models
n/a
- Teaching will be via lectures, Q&A, audio and video material, internet resources, discussions and debates, small group exercises, the BIMM VLE and independent study.
- Teaching material will include examples from real world contemporary legal agreements, important music industry media sources and leading texts on the subject.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Formal Examination | 50 |
| Other Assessment(s) | 50 |