Creatives tune in for Music Publishing Masterclass

Jack Russell Music, a notable success in publishing, was founded in 2007 by Clare Ram with a handful of songwriters on her roster. Nearly two decades later, there are more than 1,300 signed writers and catalogues. On Tuesday, Ram hosted a free Music Publishing Masterclass workshop at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, and had an overflowing house of interested music practitioners inside the William Gordon Room. The event also featured testimonials from practitioners such as Mikey General, Blaqk Sheep, and Italee, who all spoke glowingly of the entity.

Ram told The Gleaner that Jamaica was not a random choice for the Masterclass. In addition to being the birthplace of reggae and dancehall, she noted, it is “one of the most culturally influential music nations per capita in the world”.

“Jamaica is a territory whose sound is sampled and reinterpreted globally ... artistes such as Drake and Rihanna have drawn heavily from Caribbean rhythms. Vybz Kartel, Koffee and Chronixx have demonstrated how Jamaican artistes can win on the global stage. Yet publishing administration in Jamaica has not kept pace with its creative output. Jack Russell Music is here to close that gap,” Ram declared.

This workshop, which was co-hosted by Cimone Coleman, came on the heels of the Island Music Conference, which closed out Reggae Month, and Ram stressed the importance of workshops such as these, especially because “the global music publishing industry has never generated more income than it does today, yet millions of uncollected royalties are still being left on the table, particularly in reggae and dancehall”.

She told industry movers at the masterclass that each year, royalties to the tune of US$2.4 billion globally go unclaimed, with the money placed in what is mysteriously referred to as “a black box”. Various territories worldwide operate under different laws, however, “owners” have between one and three years to make a claim on the portion that is rightfully theirs. This was the catalyst for one of the many robust discussions that energised the Masterclass, which went far beyond its allotted time.

Ram outlined that Jamaican songwriters and producers are globally influential, but too many are not structured to collect performance royalties, mechanical royalties, international streaming income, synchronisation (film, TV, advertising, gaming), neighbouring rights and sample clearances. She shared that rights collection organisations such as PRS/MCPS, JACAP, MLC, and BMI collect royalties, “but collection without strategy is incomplete”.

With regard to streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, and Bandcamp, she pointed out that they pay royalties to artistes and labels based on usage (e.g., US$0.003–0.008 per stream). Although this is meagre, the cents add up, and the message was that no money should be left unclaimed.

“Streaming services have transformed music publishing revenue, however, without proper registration, metadata accuracy, and international royalty administration, writers do not get paid correctly,” Ram shared.

CRITICAL GAP

Tuesday’s seminar addressed what Ram termed “a critical gap”, namely that Jamaican creativity is world-leading, but the publishing infrastructure is not. This, she said, is where Jack Russell Music steps in.

“Jack Russell Music is built on over 40 plus years of music industry experience at the highest level of reggae and dancehall publishing, whilst covering all genres of music,” said Ram, who worked for 25 years at Greensleeves Records, the largest reggae label in Europe, where she built and grew the publishing catalogue from inception into a globally administered rights portfolio.

This seminar was specifically designed for professional songwriters in reggae, dancehall, Afrobeats, and crossover genres; producers and beatmakers who control publishing shares; recording artistes who write or co-write their music; artiste managers and A&R executives; independent label owners; and gospel and church writers generating performance income.

Many Jack Russell Music writers are from a reggae and dancehall background, and some of the most recognised names associated with the catalogue include Vybz Kartel, Mavado, Sly and Robbie, Masicka, Mortimer, and Cutty Ranks.

“Global publishing catalogues are now recognised as major financial assets,” Ram said. “Bob Dylan sold his publishing catalogue for hundreds of millions ... Stevie Nicks sold a majority of hers. Why? Because publishing is recurring, predictable, long-term income. Unlike touring, publishing pays long after the stage lights go out. The real question is not whether money exists, the question is whether you have the right publisher to collect it properly,” Ram stated.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com