CEO
COO
Managing Director, PMLL
Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Chief Policy & Public Affairs Officer
Policy & Public Affairs Special Advisor
Senior Legal Counsel
Finance Manager
MCPS International Project Delivery Manager
MCPS Project Delivery Manager
Corporate Secretary
Membership Manager
Marketing and Communications Manager
Marketing Assistant - PMLL
Partnerships & Events Assistant
Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Officer
Data Admin Assistant
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1979 Virgin Music (Publishers) Variety of roles but finally General Manager.
1992 EMI Music Publishing, Commercial Affairs Manager Ran the Copyright Dept, created the Sample Dept and ran the UK Re-engineering project with the US.
1996 V2 Music Publishing, Co-Founder and Director of Commercial Affairs Set up the music publishing operation of Branson’s second foray into music. Including a UK & International office structure supported by admin systems for the devised One World Environment.
2000 MusicState, COO Brought in to establish this online source of pre-cleared commercial music for sync. Whilst this is a model that has been replicated since, UK technology was not developed enough to support this endeavour.
2002 Sanctuary Music Publishing Established the structure and administration of the music publishing arm of the Sanctuary Group, Including the Air Edel Group. I worked directly on the copyright and royalty administration.
2006 Maria Forte Music Services Ltd. The company offers music related rights management skills and expertise to a widerange of clients. I work directly with companies, organisations, artists, writers and individuals if my skillset is needed and appropriate to help them achieve their goals and/or help resolve issues.
BA Hons: Music Industry Management PRS For Music – Snr Copyright Officer Universal Music Publishing – UK Copyright Kobalt Music Group Ltd. – Global Head & SVP, Writer & Publisher Relations 235 Music Publishing Ltd. – COO
Skills/industry experiences in summary – Proven experience in building, organising and directing multiple teams within a global department. Deal negotiation with music publishing partners. Improving operating procedures for optimal efficiency. Supporting executive management with objectives and vision. Commercial awareness of the market, competitors and technology. Leading and motivating staff to achieve organisational objectives and align with management vision. Project management. Assisting in leading company DEI initiatives. Department budget holder. Student mentor.
I have worked in the Music industry for over 25 years, primarily in Music Publishing having begun my career at the MPA and EMI Music Publishing. I then moved on to other majors including Warner/Chappell where I led the licensing team & business for 11 years.
I went on to form part of the senior management team leading the company strategy alongside the MD and CEO amongst others. I have extensive experience in international affairs as well as domestic and am currently responsible for a high volume of international licensing & activities across the ABKCO catalogues and roster including The Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, The Animals, Bobby Womack & many others.
As well as management within the corporate world, I was responsible and main client contact for licensing & creative across multiple iconic catalogues and songwriters. I actively participate in mentorship roles in programs across the music industry internationally.
Ahnaf graduated with an LLB in Law with Business and then went on to study an LLM in Corporate Governance and Law. Whilst completing his LLM, he started a governance role with The Law Society. Between then and now, Ahnaf has done several roles, not all entirely governance related.
Ahnaf believes in the concept of good governance. He is excited to develop himself in his role at the MPA.
As well as listening to music, Ahnaf enjoys organising weekly football sessions with the local youth of his area. He also cherishes strong family and community relationships.
Emily is the MCPS Project Delivery Manager at the MPA. Emily has eight years of experience in the music industry and holds a Master’s degree in Musicology from the University of Oxford. Previously, Emily was Editor at Faber Music responsible for managing the company’s educational publications. She has also worked as an Executive in the BBC’s Music Copyright team.
Her experience within the publishing and broadcasting arenas inspired her move to the MPA, where she is motivated in her role to champion the rights of the composers, songwriters and publishers who underpin the music industry.
I started my journey in the music industry around three years ago at the NPO Small Green Shoots.
From there, I interned at Sony Music’s 4th floor in creative strategy and as a marketing intern at Warner Music.
In both roles, I expanded my music industry knowledge and gained many skills like blog writing, intensive research, organising files and assisting with events.
I am a lover of all things in the creative industry.
Florian Koempel is a qualified German lawyer. He obtained a Law Degree from the University of Regensburg in Bavaria; in 1998, he passed the bar exam in Munich and has worked for the Regional Court and in private practice. He holds an LLM in Intellectual Property from Queen Mary and Westfield and a Competition Law Diploma from Kings College.
He advises a variety of clients in the creative sector including UK Music, the Music Publishers Association and the British Copyright Council; he also convenes post-graduate courses on international copyright law and music industry contracts at Queen Mary, University of London.
Urszula Nowik is the Finance Manager for the Music Publishers Association Group. She is responsible for transactional and management accounting for the company. She has nearly 15 years of experience of working in various finance roles in London-based businesses across many sectors like property maintenance, advertising and technology. She is very passionate about music and is excited to be working in the music industry.
Peter has over 35 years’ experience in the music industry, most of which was in the employment of Carlin Music. Having started out in 1986 as Office Junior, he learned the industry through various departments and positions, eventually taking the helm as Managing Director in 2014.
Having left Carlin as a result of their sale to Round Hill Music at the end of 2017, Peter started his own Music Rights Management company, Sentient Music Limited. Sentient currently administers approaching 15,000 songs, including songs written and performed by Prince, Dean Martin, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Mike d’Abo, Faith No More, Fiction Factory, Warren Zevon and many other well-known acts. Sentient also owns a small record label comprising around 1,000 masters and re-mastered recordings. In addition to running Sentient, Peter also consults on a regular basis for a wide variety of companies including publishers, labels, and industry accounting specialists.
As well as serving on the boards of MPA and IMPEL, Peter has worked on many key Publisher/Society committees, sub-committees and working groups including the PPC (now PMPC), the PRS/MPA Ops Group and the MPA legal & Business Affairs and Anti-Piracy committee.
Natalie Kassner has led the promotional and operational development of the Kassner Music Group, one of the UK’s longest established independent music companies, since 2017, having joined from Estée Lauder UK where she ran multi-channel marketing programmes as well as headed up the Asian consumer task force. Prior to her time at Estee Lauder, Natalie created and pitched advertising campaigns to brief for Condé Nast and spent several years on the marketing and media team at Harrods, where she worked with some of the world’s foremost luxury brands and was selected for the company’s leadership programme.
Having forged a career outside of the family business, Natalie is now responsible for sync and the international promotion of the Kassner Music songwriter roster, working closely with recent signings such as Charlotte Haining, Chuks Chiejine, Reef, Charlie Simpson and Robin Taylor-Firth, while also contributing significantly to the day-to-day running of the overall business.
Natalie has served on the MPA Futures Group since 2018 and is currently Co-Chair of the Committee. She is also a member of the newly formed MPA Sync Action Group.
Nicky began her role for the MPA in January 2022. Having previously interned with trade body PRS for Music as Marketing Assistant within their PR and Comms department.
Prior to this Nicky spent the last 2 years working as a Project Assistant at music charity, Small Green Shoots, co-managing various far-reaching projects designed to expose unsigned UK artists to industry professionals, as well as writing bids to support up and coming creatives.
Nicky has a love for music and all things creative.
Paul is an experienced senior level executive in the music industry with a strong commercial background in licensing and administering intellectual property rights. After graduating with a Bsc (Hons) degree in Mathematics & Management Studies from Queen Mary London University, Paul worked for a short period of time at Thomas Cook’s headquarters, where he worked in the foreign currency trading team before embarking on a 22-year career at PRS for Music.
While working for PRS for Music, he worked on MCPS business for 15 years, before focusing his efforts on Performing Rights licensing, Membership and International.
He is renowned as an astute, dynamic and a highly skilled negotiator and has a proven track record for delivering significant revenue growth through expert negotiations, business transformation and the establishment of strategic joint ventures with industry partners.
Paul became CEO of the MPA Group on 1 February 2019 and is thrilled to be leading the MPA, MCPS and PMLL at a time in which we face as many opportunities, as we do challenges.
Steve graduated from Liverpool University in 1987 with a music degree before joining the printed music company, IMP, as a music editor – many of his published arrangements are still in print today. During his 10 years in print, Steve rose through the ranks to head up all production, copyright and licensing, before joining Warner Chappell Music as Head of Copyright.
Steve’s responsibilities at WCM were extended to oversee all copyright and royalty administration across Europe before being appointed EVP, Global Operations (taking in IT), during which time he led the build and rollout of the Company’s new global contracts, copyright and royalty system, which allows writers to view statements and other metrics online and via their mobile phones. After spending over two decades at WCM, Steve joined Round Hill Music as their Global Chief Operating Officer in the summer of 2020.
Steve is passionate about metadata standardisation in the global music industry, along with constantly raising the bar on operational efficiencies to better serve the writer community. He is often called to speak about these challenges internationally and share thoughts on how the industry can move forward together, with particular focus on digital music consumption.
Steve has been influential on many industry committees, having sat on the UK’s MPA Board, the ICMP and IMPA Boards. In December 2019, he was awarded the MPA’s Tony Pool Award for his outstanding contribution to administration within the music industry.
Aside from work, Steve loves spending time with his family outdoors, has a private pilot’s licence, continues to play trombone and piano while serving as a Director of a local charity.
Jeremy began his role as a Marketing Assistant for PMLL in May 2022.
Prior to this, he graduated with an International Business degree from Brunel University London. He started his marketing career doing volunteering work as a content creator and event coordinator for a gospel choir that he was part of. Parallel to this, Jeremy worked for small non-profit organisations such as The Youth Group, which helps enable young adults to thrive in work; and also Club Soda, where they help promote being mindful about drinking habits.
Jeremy has a passion for music and is prepared to strive in PMLL; Not only to enhance his skills but to also learn new ones.
John is a composer/producer and a passionate advocate for music rights and the equitable distribution of royalties. As well as his position on the board of the MPA, John is a (writer) board member at PRS and also serves on the boards of the Association for Electronic Music (AFEM) and IMPEL.
John founded Truelove Music in 1992 to represent his own output as composer following his successful first release, The Source’s “You Got The Love”. Throughout the 1990’s he built up the company signing single songs which were mostly released on his own underground dance labels or through the labels comprised in his own ground-breaking label management company, Truelove Label Collective. Since that time Truelove Music has developed into one of the world’s leading independent boutique publishers of electronic music with a catalogue (as of Sept 2020) of 50,000+ compositions. With direct membership of more than 25 collection societies and agencies worldwide, Truelove Music now boasts significant bargaining power across the globe. It is able to maximise returns for its composers and its administered publishers without the need for sub-publishers or other intermediaries.
Through his hands-on approach John has gained many years’ experience in all aspects of the publishing industry, from A&R to data management and copyright through to sync licensing.
Accordingly, he is personally well-versed in the manifold issues facing songwriters and publishers, and leverages that experience to provide support and guidance both to his own clients and the wider industry.
John is fervent in his belief that we need a more diverse industry with significantly more representation from minority backgrounds and gender equality in all fields of the music business.
A keen proponent of the use of technology to benefit publishers and composers, John has successfully campaigned for PRS to implement Music Recognition Technology (MRT) in festivals and clubs. He continues to campaign for technological solutions across the global community.
Having worked across the wide-ranging backbone of the music business over a couple of decades, Jackie Davidson MBE is a multifaceted entrepreneur. Her early beginnings saw Davidson interning at Bunny Wailer’s record company Solomonic. Following this, Davidson made a leap into marketing, where she founded the award-winning firm Hardzone Marketing & PR. Through Hardzone, Davidson consulted for reggae stars Buju Banton, Shabba Ranks and Patra, as well as labels including Columbia, Def Jam, Epic, BMG, Universal and Sony Music, across artist campaigns that were orientated within black music, for the likes of (but not limited to) Jay Z, Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, Destiny’s Child, Groove Theory and Brownstone. Despite these inimitable milestones, it is through her role as a manager that Davidson has made a perennial mark on the industry. Through her company JD Management, she has managed songwriters Wayne Hector and Ali Tennant amongst a range of incredible talent. Davidson continues to represent Wayne Hector today, who remains one of the world’s most coveted songwriters, having amassed over 30 International Number One singles, and earning awards at the Grammys, BRITs and Ivor Novello Awards. Together, Davidson and Hector have formed publishing firm Art Music, where they develop and nurture young writers and composers. Beyond her day-to-day, Davidson has remained a constant in the development of young people within the business, serving as a mentor and lobbyist. Her passion and drive for a fairer, more diverse and transparent industry is evident in her position in the Custodians Council for Music Managers Forum (MMF), in addition to being recently elected to the Music Publishers Association (MPA) board in 2020. As recognition for Davidson’s revered work, she has attained multiple awards, including Urban Music Seminar’s Respect Due Award, MMF’s 2015 Writer/Producer Manager Of The Year, and The Ivors Academy’s Gold Badge Award in 2018. A year later, she was honoured with the prestigious MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) on the Queen’s Birthday List for her services to the music industry – an acknowledgement that Jackie Davidson undeniably deserves.
Laura May founded independent music publishing company May Music in 2017 after many years working in different roles around the industry. Beginning her career at Eaton Music after being chosen from the MPA job seekers list, Laura moved into auditing, forensic royalty tracking and royalty accounting at an accountancy firm five years later. After a break due to illness Laura returned to work part time as a finance manager at Rewind Festival while simultaneously starting her own business providing royalty analysis services for auditors and royalty accounting for producers, small labels and publishers including Turnfirst Artists. Laura joined Turnfirst Artists full time in 2015 to work in the finance team, also joining new venture First Access Entertainment when it launched at the end of that year.
Laura consulted for The Music Royalty Co, running the finances and co-ordinating royalties for the Cooking Vinyl group, one of their biggest clients for 18 months before joining fashion brand Casablanca to help set up their finance department.
Laura still consults for a variety of independent labels, publishers and producers on their royalties however is focused on expanding the May Music roster whilst developing opportunities for her diverse network of writers and juggling the needs of her small business.
Bella comes from a magazine and graphic novel print publishing background with an MA in Publishing and Creative Writing. She has worked on marketing for licensed titles such as Star Wars Insider Magazine, Tank Girl and various Marvel specials. This work also included creating content and strategies for top brands like Citizen watches and DK Publishing. Additionally, Bella was previously a Project Coordinator at the disability charity and social enterprise, Enhance the UK managing a variety of large scale, far-reaching projects designed to give physically disabled people a voice.
A love of all things music drew her to the MPA and she is incredibly excited to bring her skills to the industry.
I am delighted to be taking up this new position of Head of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion for the MPA. Having worked in the Diversity, Inclusion and human rights field for many years, I joined the MPA because I share their belief in respect, integrity and fairness:
Mission
The MPA exists to protect and enhance the rights of music publishers and the creators we represent, using education, collaboration and communication.
Vision
We strive to be the catalyst for positive change in the music publishing community, by empowering our members to achieve their goals and by advocating on behalf of our industry to the world at large.
Values
We do this with passion, integrity and respect for others and with the creator at the heart of everything we do.
After seeing both good and bad practices within the workplaces, I strive to create an inclusive working environment for everyone. Encouraging colleagues to have open and honest discussions and creating development opportunities and platforms which allows seldom heard voices to be listened to. This raises awareness about diversity, making sure that nobody is left out.
I have learned that focusing on diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging allows an organisation to help their employees more effectively.
Our personal background has an impact on how we feel at work, how we feel we are treated, and how we can be supported. Creating a positive and just environment in the workplace can help colleagues to feel confident speaking up, to feel listened to and to help promote respect.
We all want to feel like we belong!
Creating a sense of belonging is also important. We have a collective responsibility to ensure that everyone feels welcomed and supported enough to bring their true self to the table. Until we fully understand what is standing in their way, we should not be surprised if people choose not to bring their true selves to work. It takes a lot of energy and emotional effort to mask part of our identity and full disclosure only happens when we feel safe.
I will be introducing a number of new and exciting initiatives, and I will need the support of you, our members, to make these successful. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues at the MPA and with you to continue creating an environment where everyone can be their true selves at work.
Gavin first studied Music Business Management at Stow College before graduating from Paisley University with a BA in Commercial Music in 2006. It was during his studies he gained his first experience in mechanical licensing through a work placement with Duncan McCrone at the MCPS Scottish Office. He gained a real interest in licensing from this placement which led him to apply for a role at PRS in London, firstly working in the member admissions team before quickly moving back to mechanical licensing in the Recorded Media department. In his initial role as licensing agent he gained experience licensing mechanical and synchronisation rights to a wide variety of music users across every conceivable media, the ideal role to learn the trade for many in the UK industry. He went on to become a Key Accounts Consultant and was later promoted to a management position in the licensing team where he built on his licensing expertise and developed his skills in negotiation and business development. Gavin joined the Music Publishers Association Group of Companies towards the end of 2019 as MCPS Project Delivery Manager.
Eddie began his role as a Data Admin Assistant for PMLL in June 2019, having previously worked as a Content Manager for WhoSampled.
With a background in Sound Engineering and music production, he studied Sound Engineering at Birmingham City University and graduated in 2016. This led to him working as a freelance engineer and producer, which he still does around his role at the MPA.
Working within PMLL as an admin assistant, Eddie handles various tasks across the PMLL business, including dealing with data input and queries for distributions and administration for current and newly launched licences.
Jonathan studied Business Studies and European Philosophy/Literature at Anglia Ruskin University. His final year dissertation was on music in advertising titled ‘Darling, They’re Playing Our Advert’. Whilst researching this subject (music in advertising) Jonathan met with The Soundlounge (formerly Songseekers International) and upon finishing University, Jonathan was offered an internship and was soon promoted to the position of Licensing Manager and was responsible for negotiating music rights for campaigns including GO! Airlines, Adidas, Hugo Boss, KFC, Guinness and Ford and after 2 years was made Creative Licencing Director. In 2002 Jonathan joined Bucks Music Group to run the Sync Department and work creatively placing the catalogue into Film/TV/Commercials/Computer Games and Digital Media. The team has twice won the Music Week Independent Publisher Sync Team of the Year award.
Jonathan has also signed several bands and catalogues to Bucks Music Group including Record Kicks, No Hats No Hoods, Echobelly, Pop Will Eat Itself and Heart Kill Giant.
Jonathan has been a moderator for the MPA Induction Course and has been a speaker at various industry events including Midem, In The City, Sensoria Pro, The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City, Norwich Sound & Vision, Red Bull Music Academy.
James Eggleston is Vice President, Publishing at Boosey & Hawkes. Elected to the MPA Board as a Publisher Director in 2018 he now represents the parent company Concord as a Designated Director and also chairs the Printed Music Publishers Committee.
With over twenty years’ extensive experience in predominantly contemporary classical music publishing, James joined Music Sales (now Wise Music) to work with the renowned Chester and Novello catalogues and their composers. A move to Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers (Concord) followed in 2010 to head the Publishing Department with an international remit for the development and management of the catalogue working with some of the leading composers of our time.
James completed undergraduate and postgraduate studies in music at Royal Holloway, University of London and remains a practising musician. He is a passionate advocate for the value of music copyright and that wider value of music in society – particularly its often fragile place in education. James is a Council member of the Association of British Choral Directors, Trustee of the Sir George Dyson Trust and Honorary Patron of the Herbert Howells Society.
Blair is a founding partner of AMLOR Music Publishing.
His career in the industry started over 30 years ago in the mail room of Virgin Records. Talent scouting for the Virgin label soon led to a creative role for Virgin Music Publishing, where Blair signed artists and worked with the roster of songwriters. In 1992 Virgin Music Group was sold to EMI and Blair moved to Sony Music Publishing as Director of A&R before becoming Managing Director three years later overseeing the integration of the Northern Songs/TV catalogue
In 1999 Blair took the position of MD at Columbia Records UK working across their UK and international roster.
Since leaving Sony in 2003, he has worked in the world of independent music publishers establishing his own business before launching and overseeing the Nettwerk One Music catalogue.
Throughout this time Blair has served various stints on the MPA Pop Publisher’s Committee and has spoken on numerous panels and in the UK and internationally relating to the creative and logistical challenges faced by independent music publishers.
Mike Box is the Chief Financial Officer of Reservoir/Reverb Music Ltd. Mike joined Reverb Music in 1999, having worked in the industry since 1982 at a variety of labels and publishers including WEA Records, PRT, Sonet Records & Publishing and China Records. Whilst overseeing all aspects of Reverb’s finance and business affairs operations, Mike had a pivotal role in the company’s sale to Reservoir Media in 2012. Reservoir/Reverb
Music are now one of the industry’s leading independent publishers with a succession of worldwide hits over the past few years.
Mike was elected on to the MPA Board in July 2017. He has also served on the IMPEL Board since its inception in 2014 and is the chair of the IMPEL Advisory Group. Mike has also been a member of the MPA’s Pop Publishers Committee for over 10 years and regularly sits on Operational Groups for the MCPS and MPA.
Viki began her role as General Manager at Printed Music Licensing Ltd (PMLL) in April 2017. She is responsible for managing all aspects of the PMLL business including areas such as membership, governance, licence management and development.
After graduating from the University of Northampton in 2000 with a degree in Law & Business, she started her career at the Educational Recording Agency. ERA licences the use of broadcast materials (from television and radio), on behalf of its members, to educational establishments such as schools, universities and colleges. During her time there she worked her way up from Licensing Officer to the Head of Operations.
Since Viki’s background is in educational copyright in broadcast media, she sees a great opportunity in the role at PMLL. Not only so can she use her experience and skill set for the benefit of PMLL, but also to expand her copyright knowledge in a sector she is passionate about.
Steve Burton is Director Of Operations for the Music Publishers Association Group of Companies. He graduated with a degree in Business Studies in 1992 and went on to study accountancy. After a four year stint working in an accountancy practice Steve realised he wasn’t suited to the life of an auditor and in 1996 promptly moved to Belfast where he worked for Ortus, a cross community enterprise board on the peace line in West Belfast. He began first as assistant accountant and finally as financial controller.
In 2002 he moved back to Dublin and worked for Crunch Fitness, a high end leisure group, as financial controller and general manager. In 2007 he made the ill-advised move to work for himself designing and building health centres and leisure clubs around Ireland; Ill- advised because he began this part of his career in the lead up to the greatest financial crisis Ireland has ever suffered. Faced with an unsurprising lack of opportunities for new health clubs in a newly bankrupt Ireland Steve finally found an industry where he was completely at home, music.
In 2008 Steve started working for MCPS Ireland as financial controller. After a couple of years harassing Irish record labels and publishers Steve took on the role of Director of Compliance and Corporate Governance in IMRO where he stayed until 2014. In August 2014 Steve left IMRO and made the jump across the channel to work with Jane in MCPS, IMPEL and PMLL, along the way he picked up an MSc in Corporate Governance and Management at the University of Ulster. As Director of Operations Steve is responsible for all operational and financial aspects of the Music Publishers Association Group of Companies, he also sits on the MCPS Ireland board.
Paulette Long OBE has 38 years experience within music publishing and the wider music industry working as a publisher, consultant and Director. She has served as a Board director of the MPA, PRS for Music and has been included in Music Week’s Women in Music Roll of Honour amongst many other accolades.
Andy is the Vice President of Copyright at BMG UK
Jackie Alway is Universal Music Publishing’s SVP International Legal and Industry Affairs. Jackie joined UMP in 2007 following the acquisition of BMG Music Publishing, where she was Director of Commercial Affairs. Jackie’s current role includes multi-territorial digital licensing and society, industry and public policy issues for the world ex-North America. She has 25 years’ experience as a music publisher and is a Solicitor having graduated in Law from Cambridge University.
Jackie replaced Paul Connelly as Universal’s Designated Director on the MPA Board in 2013 and was elected by the board as the Chair of the MPA board in 2015, taking over from Chris Butler. Jackie is also a Board member of PRS, MCPS, PMLL, IMPA and UK Music.
Jackie was awarded an OBE for her services to the Music Industry in the Queen’s Birthdays Honours in June 2019.
Jackie stepped down from Chair of the MPA in July 2019 but will remain a board Director.
Gary started his career at the PRS in the late 1980s where he worked in Repertoire Research, Licensing and Membership. In mid-1997 he moved to the then Sony Music Publishing as an Income Tracker and in 1998 he had his first taste of corporate expansion when further to the Joint Venture with Michael Jackson, Sony Music Publishing became Sony/ATV Music Publishing. In 2004, Gary was promoted to run the UK Administration Department, in which time he has seen the 2013 merging of the EMI catalogue.
Gary has been a designated Director on the MPA Board since 2013.
David McGinnis is a broadly experienced music publisher with a specialist background in synchronisation and A&R.
McGinnis is the General Manager of Mute Song, a leading independent music publishing company attached to the eminent Mute record label.
Following a decade learning the legal and technical foundations of music rights management and licensing at PPL and MCPS, McGinnis joined Mute Song in 1999 in the creative and marketing role of Licensing Manager. Over time McGinnis’ role with the publisher developed and expanded to cover all areas of operation. He was appointed General Manager of the Company in 2014.
As General Manager of Mute Song David McGinnis manages all of the company’s A&R, creative and business affairs activity, supervises the copyright, royalty and sync teams and directs the company’s future development and growth.
Mute Song publishes many internationally renowned recording artists and a very successful roster of composers working in film, television, opera, theatre and ballet. McGinnis was personally responsible for bringing the artists Max Richter, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Gabriel Prokofiev, Ben Frost and Public Service Broadcasting to Mute Song.
David McGinnis is a regular public speaker, moderator and interviewer on music publishing and other music matters at events and conferences around the globe. In 2015 McGinnis was elected to the UK Music Publishers Association Board of Directors.
David was born and raised in Canada and has lived in London for thirty years.
Chris Butler has worked in the music publishing industry since leaving Durham University with a music degree in 1984. He held a succession of positions at Chappell Music (later Warner Chappell), before joining Novello in 1989. Four years at the classical independent ended when Novello was acquired by the Music Sales Group in 1993. Over the past 25 years the Music Sales Group has become one of the world’s largest independent music publishers with offices in London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Madrid, Berlin, Copenhagen, Sydney and Tokyo.
In tandem with being the leading player in the business of printed music, Music Sales owns and administers an extensive portfolio of copyrights through a network of wholly owned companies throughout the world. In addition to Novello these include J & W Chester, G. Schirmer, Edition Wilhelm Hansen, Union Musicales Ediciones, Editions Alphonse Leduc, Bosworth & Co, Sparta Florida and Campbell Connelly. The Music Sales Group currently has an active roster of over one hundred living composers creating new music in all genres.
Chris first joined the MPA board in 1992. In 2011 he was appointed as a director of the MCPS and Chairman of the MPA Board which he stepped down from in 2015 to be replaced by Jackie Alway.