The Music Managers Forum (The MMF) has published a new report exploring the opportunities and challenges facing managers of songwriters, composers and music producers.
The new report, which can be downloaded here, calls on industry partners to better recognise and support the work of managers, and for all labels and publishers to sign up to the Government’s Prompt Payment Code.
Based on research and interviews with a wide range of writer/producer managers, including Chris Grey (Problem Child), Hannah Joseph (Decibelle Management), Harry S Knyt (Milk & Honey), Jay Mistry (JMC Music Services), Jill Hollywood (Echo Beach Talent), Jordan Jay (Karma Artists), Paul Kennedy (1 2 One), Will Blake (Sound Collective), Will Gresford (TripTik Management) and Zita McHugh (Z Management), the report acts as a follow up to the MMF’s 2019 publication Managing Expectations.
“After publishing our landmark Managing Expectations report in 2019, the MMF felt the work of specialist writer and producer managers was deserving of some specific and additional focus,” said MMF CEO Annabella Coldrick. “These individuals are absolutely crucial to the smooth running of the streaming economy, and yet there’s a real lack of understanding about what they actually do. We hope this report helps demystify their role, and also raise important recommendations to better sustain and support their businesses. At the very least, we’d love every UK label and publisher to sign up to the Government’s Prompt Payment Code and ensure they’re paid on time.”
The new Producer & Songwriter Manager Edition of Managing Expectations arrives at a time of significant focus around this sector of the business, including ongoing debates around streaming revenue splits for songwriters, the rise of new publishing companies, growing investment in AV content, and the increasing recognition by financial markets of song catalogues as an “asset class”.
The report includes key recommendations on how the MMF can further support the diversification of skills development for songwriter/producer management and increase advocacy for their contribution. It also explores how industry partners, such as labels and music publishers, can work towards increasing the sustainability of small businesses and freelancers.
Jordan Jay, director, Karma Artists Music Group, winners of the 2021 Artist & Manager Award for Writer/Producer Manager, commented: “The MMF’s Managing Expectations report raises some incredibly important recommendations that we as a company welcome wholeheartedly. For many writer/producer managers, it's incredibly frustrating how often payments for our clients are delayed for considerable time, and how simple accounting procedures are frequently not present. There’s also a lack of transparency or clear information within royalty statements.
“Ultimately without songwriters and producers there is simply no music business. I really hope that the great work the MMF are doing is taken notice of and reform can happen so we are able to give creatives the sustainable career they deserve, as well as showing developing songwriters and producers that it is possible to make a living for themselves in the music business.”
“It’s obvious to everyone that songwriters, artists and producers are responsible for the success of every aspect of the music business, yet their role is not recognised in the way they are remunerated and the lowly place they sit in the economic equation,” added Merck Mercuriadis, founder and CEO of Hipgnosis Songs. “Those closest to them are their managers that are fighting their corner 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This is important work by the MMF on behalf of those who matter the most. The songwriters, artists and producers.”
You can read Headliner’s interview with Coldrick and FAC CEO David Martin here, in which they discuss this year’s Artist & Manager Awards and the biggest challenges facing the industry today.