Prime executives at 10 of the largest impartial publishers within the enterprise weigh in on the challenges and alternatives dealing with the sector proper now.
From left: Al “Butter” McLean, Jim Selby, Jeannette Perez, Ralph Peer II and Natasha Nastaskin.
Illustration by Lyanne Natividad
Few sectors of the music enterprise have come to the forefront with extra drive than music publishing in recent times, as catalogs have begun to vary arms, artists have turn into extra open to promoting their works and new gamers have entered the sphere trying to capitalize on the regular returns that top-shelf songs can present for buyers of every type.
However whereas the most important publishers stay among the greatest gamers, with expansive catalogs and loads of energy, the impartial music publishing world has additionally been thriving, with loads of capital and the kind of ingenuity and artistic considering that many have come to count on from the impartial group.
Nonetheless, there are many challenges, not only for indies particularly, however for publishers of all sizes — from fragmented metadata, to the specter of AI, to the upheaval on the U.S. Copyright Workplace, to the Copyright Royalty Board battle that continues to simmer, all of which is able to form the way forward for this flourishing enterprise. And that enterprise does proceed to succeed — new world market alternatives, technology-based options, cross-genre and cross-territory collaborations and extra all depart room for songwriters, publishers and producers to proceed to develop their horizons and discover new methods to push the bounds of creativity.
At this pivotal second — and as a part of Billboard’s Indie Power Players package deal for the primary time — we requested 11 prime executives at 10 of the largest impartial publishers to handle essentially the most pressing challenges and the largest alternatives dealing with their sector of the enterprise proper now.
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Alex Heddle, senior vp of publishing, Massive Machine
Picture Credit score: Alex Ferrari What are the largest alternatives within the impartial publishing world proper now?
The chance for indies is the place it’s all the time been: offering extra time, focus and repair to songwriters. The impression that indies with experience and relationships can have on a author’s profession is unbeatable as a result of excessive degree of private consideration that they will present.
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Marian Wolf, senior vp of music publishing, North America, BMG
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of BMG What’s the most pressing subject dealing with the impartial music publishing group proper now?
The highest precedence is defending and maximizing the worth of songwriters’ rights. Meaning taking a proactive, multipronged strategy: optimizing present income, embracing new tech and enterprise fashions and fiercely advocating for truthful therapy. The important thing areas of focus embrace AI, royalty reform and stronger copyright laws.
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Jim Selby, chief publishing government, Harmony Music Publishing
Picture Credit score: Holly Tutor What’s the most pressing subject dealing with the impartial music publishing group proper now?
The imbalance in streaming royalties for songwriters. Songwriters are the muse of our trade and deserve truthful compensation and their rightful share of the pie. Harmony is dedicated to advocating for structural modifications for songwriters that may higher match their true worth — modifications which can be, at this level, lengthy overdue. We’ll proceed advocating for that so long as mandatory.
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Vinny Kumar, senior vp/world head of enterprise, EMPIRE Publishing
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of EMPIRE What are the largest alternatives within the impartial publishing world proper now?
Capitalizing on new and quickly rising world markets. With the expanded attain of digital platforms, we will now join with creators in territories that had been as soon as arduous to entry, bridging cultures and tales within the course of. Unbiased publishers can transfer rapidly, construct genuine native partnerships and assist writers seize worth in these fast-growing music ecosystems.
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Al “Butter” McLean, government vp of world artistic, EMPIRE Publishing
Picture Credit score: Connor Clayton What’s the most pressing subject dealing with the impartial music publishing group proper now?
Making certain correct rights administration and collections. Because the impartial enterprise isn’t based mostly on market share, it’s necessary to keep up a private contact and diligent enterprise practices within the metadata whereas offering clear companies for our purchasers’ copyrights.
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Jeanette Perez, president/chief business officer, Kobalt
Picture Credit score: Aya Mac What’s the most pressing subject dealing with the impartial music publishing group proper now?
As the most important impartial writer dedicated to artistic growth, we’re seeing firsthand how fragmented metadata, lack of transparency and the undervaluing of songwriting in income fashions are squeezing the very creators who energy this ecosystem. Notably with the potential risk that AI poses to the songwriter group, we want systemic change — stronger world rights infrastructure, higher information interoperability and a collective push for songwriter fairness.
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Ralph Peer II, government chair, peermusic
Picture Credit score: Melody Rae What are the largest alternatives within the impartial publishing world proper now?
As a world impartial, we’re in a position to mix the advantages of being an impartial — nimble, shut relationships with our writers, a powerful working group — with the worldwide alternatives that exist at this time reminiscent of cross-genre and cross-territory writing alternatives. Right this moment, there are increasingly alternatives to develop impartial artists exterior of the major-label distribution channels, and we’re in a singular place to help writers who’re doing this efficiently on a world foundation.
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Tyler Bacon, president/CEO, Place Music
Picture Credit score: Grant Mohrman What are the largest alternatives within the impartial publishing world proper now?
Expertise has direct entry to constructing a big viewers. The trade is much less gatekept than ever and looks like an enormous playground. There may be so little stopping us. Do the work! Go get it! Help songwriters and create alternatives!
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Natalia Nastaskin, chief content material officer, Major Wave
Picture Credit score: Gorn Photograph What are the largest alternatives within the impartial publishing world proper now?
A possibility could be an AI-powered centralized system of metadata-tagged compositions enabling straightforward search and rights-holder identification, establishing rights clearances parameters and pricing predictability. A suggestion system must also be imple- mented to cowl situations the place a status composition could also be unavailable however different becoming songs from the rights holders’ catalog might be really helpful as a substitute. A centralized database not solely helps to scale the enterprise, it additionally enhances workflow.
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Rell Lafargue, president/COO, Reservoir
Picture Credit score: Becky Yee What are the largest alternatives within the impartial publishing world proper now?
AI offers numerous efficiencies within the precise administration of our enterprise, managing huge quantities of knowledge with ease. There are additionally areas of the artistic course of that AI could assist facilitate, giving creators the flexibility to discover new sounds or extra time to concentrate on their imaginative and prescient on a music. What’s extra, if — and provided that — we will successfully defend creators’ works from being utilized in generative AI coaching fashions with out permission and/or compensation, there might be a large licensing frontier for the trade.
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Jon Singer, chairman, Spirit Music Group
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Spirit Music Group What’s the most pressing subject dealing with the impartial music publishing group proper now?
The most important matter in entrance of us is the upcoming [Copyright Royalty Board] combat, which is able to decide U.S. mechanical royalty charges for publishers sooner or later. Songwriter royalties shouldn’t be decided by an antiquated, 100-year-old system. We need to be certain that a music’s worth is appropriately acknowledged and work to pursue truthful compensation for songwriters.
This story seems within the June 7, 2025, subject of Billboard.
