A BLOG OF SORTS FROM CHRIS COOKE
Here is some stuff I did in January 2020…
#onbrand
I was in Aarhus today talking digital dollars and song royalties at the Promus Publishing Academy. I got to share all my many diagrams that explain how streaming services license song rights, track what songs have been streamed and (if all goes to plan) pay the songwriters and music publishers what they are due. I even remembered to update the Warner/Chappell logo on this one!
End of an EU-ra
Last time entering another EU country as a proper EU citizen. Quite the end of an era. Now let’s get busy giving up control over British people, British companies, British products and British creativity in 27 other countries. What fun!
Click yeah!
Embarrassingly happy to be reconnected with my clicker, having accidentally left the USB bit at TBF HQ last October (I was finally back there today to talk ‘News Business’). I bought a cheap replacement from Argos but it turns out, no clicker clicks quite as well as a Kensington clicker clicks. I will now celebrate by taking it on a trip to Denmark.
Copyright no directive
After me writing thousands and thousands of words about the European Copyright Directive, of course the UK government isn’t going to even implement it! Though if the copyright industries rebrand it all as the Great British Commonwealth Rights Of The Great British Creator Restoration Act, they’ll probably get it through the current UK Parliament. Then I can just do a find-and-replace and re-run all our old coverage. Here is today’s report.
AIM Connected
If you’ve been too busy (too lazy?) to read the ‘Distribution Revolution’ report we published with AIM last year, don’t worry. [1] I’m not offended, I’m busy too. [2] I’ll summarise it all for you in just 900 SECONDS at AIM Connected next month. And with no thought for my own safety! It’s all happening on 4 Feb at Kings Place in London. Here is some info.
BBC challenges
So who would like to take the top job overseeing the upcoming final phase of the BBC? Sorry, I mean, the next exciting phase as the BBC embarks on its long future ahead, obviously. Here are some brief musings from today’s CMU Daily on the challenges facing whoever becomes the next BBC Director General.
Getting back in
Last time I came to Eurosonic my passport was due to expire on the day I returned to the UK. When I called HM Passport Office they “thought” that was “probably” going to be OK (ie it actually expired at 23.59 and not 00.01). Today the only stress is “will Flybe go bust before take off?”
I’m at Eurosonic!
So I made it to Groningen! Here’s my brilliant panel from earlier today. Thanks to Eurosonic and Buma/Stemra for pulling it all together – it was great to talk through the ‘Song Royalties Guide’ and to discuss the people and projects offering some solutions.
Valencia bound
I’m on my way to Eurosonic in Groningen in the Netherlands taking the super direct route via, erm, Valencia in Spain. Obviously! Looking forward to talking about ‘Distribution Revolution’ at Berklee College Of Music’s Global Career Summit tomorrow. Then it’s all about those ‘Digital Dollars’ at Eurosonic on Thursday.
Eurosonic 2020
It’s the first music conference of the year next week, the one I usually clumsily refer to as “Eurovision… oh, no, sorry, I mean Eurosonic”. I’ll make sure I get it right when I host a session on the MMF ‘Song Royalties Guide’ next Thursday. We’ll explain the complexities around getting songwriters paid their streaming money and how publishers, societies and managers can address, and are addressing, the challenges. Info here.
CMU training galore
We have loads of CMU seminars, speed briefings and other training shenanigans coming up in the next couple of months. And for those of you not in London, we’re doing the copyright and marketing evening courses as webinars this time round. I’ll talk you through the inner workings of the music business – in case you wondered what the cogs were all about. Here is some info.
Definitely 2020
It’s the week of the year when we all get to play the fun game: “On what day will Chris accidentally write 2019 in the CMU Daily subject line?” Weirdly, it’s never on the first edition that goes out, so it’s all still to play for. If you don’t currently subscribe to CMU, get signed up and you can play too: cmusignup.com.
