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Universal Music’s US production music business announces new alliance with SESAC
By Chris Cooke | Published on Friday 1 April 2016
Universal Music Publishing’s US production music business has shifted its performing rights alliance from ASCAP to SESAC for some royalty collecting good times. And why not? The move of the production music works previously repped by collecting society ASCAP to its smaller rival SESAC only affects royalty collections in the US.
Confirming the new deal, the Worldwide President of Universal Publishing Production Music, Gary Gross, told reporters: “We’re proud that this agreement provides greater value to our songwriters and pleased to expand our relationship with SESAC. Today’s announcement reflects our commitment to maximise writers’ revenues and bring them as many creative opportunities as we can”.
Fans of song rights administration technicalities should note that “the agreement removes a specific universe of works from the ASCAP repertory and does not affect a songwriter’s decision to continue overall membership in ASCAP”. Also, Universal Publishing’s relationship with ASCAP “remains close”, Gross insists, despite this monumental “fuck you”. I mean, small change in administrative emphasis.