{"id":1450,"date":"2018-09-29T18:19:40","date_gmt":"2018-09-29T18:19:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uoesterl.expressions.syr.edu\/?p=1450"},"modified":"2018-09-29T21:22:11","modified_gmt":"2018-09-29T21:22:11","slug":"sony-atv-music-publishing-the-story-behind-the-worlds-leading-music-publisher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uoesterl.expressions.syr.edu\/?p=1450","title":{"rendered":"Sony\/ATV Music Publishing: The Story Behind the World’s Leading Music Publisher"},"content":{"rendered":"

Take a second to imagine your favorite songs\u2014classics, hit singles, deep tracks, guilty pleasures\u2026 Got them? Sony\/ATV Music Publishing<\/a> probably owns them. As the leader in music publishing, this giant owns a massive catalog of copyrights to over 3 million songs by nearly every big name you could think of including classics like The Beatles and Michael Jackson, as well as current artists like Taylor Swift and Kanye West (Sony\/ATV Music Publishing, 2018). For the entirety of 2017, Sony\/ATV songs topped Billboard\u2019s list of the Top 100 songs at Number 1<\/a> (Lewis, 2018), but titans are not made overnight, and Sony\/ATV has quite a storied history.<\/p>\n

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Martin Bandier, Chairman and CEO of Sony\/ATV Music Publishing (Halperin, 2012)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lew Grade, an English businessman founded Associated Television (ATV) in 1955. This company went on to buy Pye Records, which owned such valuable assets as the copyrights to The Beatles songs.<\/em> Michael Jackson acquired ATV in 1985 and merged with Sony ten years later, forming Sony\/ATV Music Publishing in 1995 (Sony\/ATV Music Publishing, 2018). In 2012, the company acquired EMI<\/a> Music Publishing for $2.3 billion, making it the biggest music publisher in the biz in terms of market share (Beech, 2018). This acquisition was monumental for Sony\/ATV, as it gave them the rights to songs by other major artists and put many iconic artists under one company. In 2016, Sony bought out Jackson\u2019s 50% <\/a>share for $750 million and became the sole owner of the company (Christman, 2016). Today, Sony\/ATV is headed by Chairman and CEO, Martin Bandier, who previously ran EMI and bought it for Sony in 2012 (Sony\/ATV Music Publishing, 2018).<\/p>\n

Martin Bandier has held his post as Chairman and CEO of Sony\/ATV since 2007. If his name sounds familiar, it is because he endowed a music program here at Syracuse University, his alma mater, called \u201cThe Bandier Program<\/a> for Music Business and Entertainment Industries\u201d (Lewis, 2018) so that kids who share his passion can pursue a career in the music business too. He is also known for fighting for songwriters\u2019 rights. At the 2017 National Music Publishers\u2019 Association Centennial Annual Meeting, he gave a speech<\/a> and said, \u201cWithout the songwriters coming up with the words and music in the first place, there would be nothing for the artist to record and no music to stream\u201d (Christman, 2017). With Bandier at the helm of the company, Sony\/ATV has experienced many years of success.<\/p>\n

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Martin Bandier (left) with a Syracuse University Bandier Program student (right) (Suchar, 2016)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"'Music
Martin Bandier (center) with recording artists, Alicia Keys (left) and Jay-Z (right) (Lewis, 2018)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Though its headquarters are in New York City, Sony\/ATV operates out of 37 offices, in 29 cities, across 22 countries (Sony\/ATV Music Publishing, 2018). Sony\/ATV is a company built on licensing songs. While a record label owns the rights to the master recording of a song, the music publisher owns the song itself\u2014the music and lyrics. Anytime a song is made available in some way, it has to be paid for by the party (record label) that is supplying it to consumers. These are called mechanical licenses (Passman, 2003). For each unit (song), Sony\/ATV is paid 9.1 cents, if the song is less than 5 minutes long. If it is longer than 5 minutes, the rate is raised to \u201c1.75 cents per minute, or fraction thereof\u201d (Oesterle, 2018). This may not seem like a lot of money to make per song may but as Bandier has said, it is \u201ca business of pennies and nickels\u201d (Creswell, 2009).<\/p>\n

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Taylor Swift’s wildly successful “Speak Now” album (Vick, 2010)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Let\u2019s take a specific example from one of Sony\/ATV\u2019s own artists, Taylor Swift. Her critically acclaimed song, \u201cMine\u201d was on the Speak Now<\/em> album<\/a>, released in 2010 by Big Machine Records (McKenna, 2017). This album sold 1,047,000 copies in the first week and Big Machine was responsible for paying Sony\/ATV 9.1 cents for every copy of that song; that amounts to $95,277, and that\u2019s just for one<\/em> song off the album (Oesterle, 2018). There were fourteen in total (Vick, 2010). If we multiply that amount by the number of songs on the album, that comes out to $1,333,878 in licensing royalties to the publishers.<\/p>\n

Synchronization licenses are also a major source of revenue for Sony\/ATV.\u00a0 A synchronization license is one that allows for the use of a song on television or in a movie. Fees for these licenses can typically range from $25,000 to $1 million (Passman, 2003). Numbers this high can mean a huge payout. Is there a Christmas movie in existence that does not include, \u201cHave Yourself a Merry Little Christmas?\u201d Guess who owns it (A Guide to, <\/em>2017)?<\/p>\n

With the shift from purchasing albums to streaming songs, the music publishing industry is doing very well. Sony\/ATV still makes money from everyone who actually buys albums, but instead of just getting paid for one-time purchases, Sony\/ATV rakes in revenue every time someone streams a song.<\/p>\n

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Sony\/ATV had the highest percentage of Top 100 Radio Songs of 2017 in the 4th Quarter (Christman, 2018a)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2017, Sony\/ATV Music Publishing accounted for 27.3%<\/a> of the revenue made globally in the music publishing industry. In comparison, one of its biggest competitors, Universal Music Publishing Group, made up only 19%. That 27.3% equates to $1.34 billion of the total $4.92 billion made in 2017. In 2016, streaming service licenses accounted for 44% of the revenue, physical sales- 30.2%, downloads- 11.2%, and other (use of lyrics, for example)- 11.4%. Last year, Sony\/ATV and Sony Corp\u2019s other publishing company in Japan totaled $670.5 million<\/a>, an increase of 11.8% from the previous year (Christman, 2018b). Sony\/ATV is flourishing, and hopefully its success will persist throughout the transformation the company is about to undergo.<\/p>\n

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Jon Platt (left) and Martin Bandier (right) at the UJA-Federation of New York’s Music Visionary Kick-Off on April 13, 2011 in New York City (Busacca, 2011)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It has recently been announced that after 11 years as the head of the company, Martin Bandier will be leaving his post<\/a> at the end of March 2019 (Aswad, 2018). Jon Platt, the previous Chairman\/CEO of Warner\/Chappell Music Publishing, will succeed Bandier<\/a> (Halperin and Aswad, 2018). Bandier and Platt worked together for 17 years at EMI (Aswad, 2018). Like, Bandier, Platt is known for his charitable endeavors. He is set to receive the City of Hope\u2019s Spirit of Life Award<\/a> at the City of Hope Gala next month. According to Billboard, \u201cThe award is the City of Hope\u2019s highest honor, presented each year to a philanthropic leader whose work fundamentally impacted music, film or entertainment\u201d (Billboard Staff, 2018). In addition to sitting on the Boards of the Songwriters\u2019 Hall of Fame, the Motown Museum, and the Living Legends Foundation (Billboard Staff, 2018), Platt founded the Big Jon Platt Scholarship Program<\/a> in 2005 to help send deserving high school students from his hometown to college (\u201cColorado High School Students,\u201d 2018). His opinion on songwriters mirrors Bandier\u2019s as well. In talking about his reaction to the Spirit of Life Award win, Platt said, \u201c\u2018It\u2019s no secret that I don\u2019t like being the center of attention, that\u2019s for the songwriters\u2019\u201d (Billboard Staff, 2018). A change in leadership will definitely be an adjustment, but given the flourishing state of the Sony\/ATV\u2019s business, and the similarities between Bandier and Platt\u2019s business styles, it seems safe to say that Sony\/ATV will continue to thrive.<\/p>\n

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Sources<\/p>\n

A Guide to the World’s Greatest Song Collection<\/em>. Sony\/ATV Music Publishing, 2017.<\/p>\n

Aswad, Jem. \u201cSony\/ATV Chief Martin Bandier Confirms Departure in Letter to Staff.\u201d\u00a0Variety<\/em>, Variety, 17 Sept. 2018, variety.com\/2018\/biz\/news\/sony-atv-chief-martin-bandier-confirms-departure-in-letter-to-staff-read-1202944055\/.<\/p>\n

Beech, Mark. \u201cHow Sony’s $2.3 Billion EMI Buy Goes Beyond Beyonc\u00e9, Presley And Jackson.\u201d\u00a0Forbes<\/em>, Forbes Magazine, 6 June 2018,\u00a0www.forbes.com\/sites\/markbeech\/2018\/06\/05\/how-sonys-2-3-billion-emi-buy-goes-beyond-beyonce-elvis-and-jackson\/#16e2fe6e2b3d.<\/p>\n

Busacca, Larry. \u201cMartin Bandier and Jon Platt Photos Photos: UJA-Federation Of New York’s 2011 Music Visionary Kick-Off.\u201d\u00a0James L. Brooks Matt Groening Pictures, Photos & Images – Zimbio<\/em>, 2011, www.zimbio.com\/photos\/Martin+Bandier\/Jon+Platt\/UJA+Federation+New+York+2011+Music+Visionary\/kFHJVsWed5E.<\/p>\n

Christman, Ed. \u201cDavid Israelite, Pharrell Williams, Martin Bandier, Steve Boom, Yoko Ono Kick-Off NMPA’s Centennial Meeting.\u201d\u00a0Billboard<\/i>, Billboard, 15 June 2017, www.billboard.com\/articles\/business\/7833018\/david-israelite-pharrell-williams-martin-bandier-steve-boom-yoko-ono-kick.<\/p>\n

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Christman, Ed. \u201cHow Much Is Sony\/ATV Worth? A Deep Dig Into the Financials of the ATV Buyout.\u201d\u00a0Billboard<\/i>, Billboard, 24 Mar. 2016, www.billboard.com\/articles\/business\/7263906\/sony-atv-value-deep-dig-michael-jackson-buyout.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Christman, Ed. \u201cPublishers Quarterly: Sony\/ATV Reclaims No. 1 Spot in Fourth Quarter of 2017.\u201d\u00a0Billboard<\/i>, Billboard, 1 Feb. 2018, www.billboard.com\/articles\/business\/8097545\/publishers-quarterly-sonyatv-reclaims-no-1-spot-in-fourth-quarter-of-2017.<\/p>\n

Christman, Ed. \u201cSony’s Music Operations Had a $7 Billion Year, On Strength of Streaming, Publishing and Mobile Gaming.\u201d\u00a0Billboard<\/em>, Billboard, 27 Apr. 2018,\u00a0 www.billboard.com\/articles\/business\/8395354\/sony-music-revenue-income-2017-\u00a0 streaming-physical.<\/p>\n

\u201cColorado High School Students.\u201d\u00a0Denver Foundation<\/em>, 2018,\u00a0 www.denverfoundation.org\/Scholarships\/For-High-School-Students.<\/p>\n

Creswell, Julie. \u201cMarty Bandier of Sony\/ATV, a Guru of Music Publishing.\u201d\u00a0The New York Times<\/em>, The New York Times, 22 Aug. 2009, www.nytimes.com\/2009\/08\/23\/business\/23marty.html.<\/p>\n

Halperin, Shirley, and Jem Aswad. \u201cJon Platt to Officially Succeed Martin Bandier at Sony\/ATV Music Publishing.\u201d\u00a0Variety<\/em>, Variety, 26 Sept. 2018, variety.com\/2018\/music\/news\/jon-platt-martin-bandier-sony-atv-music-publishing-1202957550\/.<\/p>\n

Halperin, Shirley. \u201cSony\/ATV’s Martin Bandier on Acquiring EMI Publishing, Breaking From ‘Record Company Vagaries’ and Why He Said ‘No’ to Apple (Q&A).\u201d\u00a0The Hollywood Reporter<\/i>, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Nov. 2012, www.hollywoodreporter.com\/news\/sony-atvs-martin-bandier-acquiring-389209.<\/p>\n

Lewis, Randy. \u201c’Music Is a Growth Business Again’ – Sony\/ATV Music Publishing CEO Martin Bandier.\u201d\u00a0Los Angeles Times<\/em>, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2018, www.latimes.com\/entertainment\/music\/la-et-ms-martin-bandier-sony-atv-music-publishing-20180515<\/p>\n

McKenna, Brittney. \u201cWhy Taylor Swift’s ‘Speak Now’ Is Her Best Album: Critic’s Take.\u201d\u00a0Billboard<\/em>, Billboard, 9 Nov. 2017,\u00a0www.billboard.com\/articles\/columns\/country\/8030047\/taylor-swift-speak-now-best-album.<\/p>\n

Oesterle, Ulf. \u201cTRF 635 Music Business.\u201d Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 11 Sept. 2018. [Powerpoint Slides]. Retrieved from \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 https:\/\/blackboard.syracuse.edu\/webapps\/blackboard\/content\/listContent.jsp?course_id=_\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 392953_1&content_id=_5067583_1&mode=reset<\/p>\n

Sony\/ATV<\/em>, Sony\/ATV Music Publishing, 2018, www.sonyatv.com\/en\/about.<\/p>\n

Staff, Billboard. \u201cJAY-Z Will Present Jon Platt With City of Hope’s Spirit of Life Award.\u201d\u00a0Billboard<\/em>, Billboard, 4 Sept. 2018,\u00a0www.billboard.com\/articles\/business\/8473335\/jay-z-presenting-jon-platt-city-of-hope-spirit-life-award.<\/p>\n

Suchar, Leanne. \u201cBillboard Ranks SU’s Bandier Program among Best Music Industry Programs in US.\u201d\u00a0University of Warwick<\/i>, University of Warwick, 10 Oct. 2016, thetab.com\/us\/syracuse\/2016\/10\/10\/billboard-ranks-bandier-program-amongst-best-music-industry-programs-country-7787.<\/p>\n

Passman, Donald S.\u00a0All You Need to Know about the Music Business<\/em>. 5th ed., Free Press, 2003.<\/p>\n

Vick, Megan. \u201cTaylor Swift Reveals ‘Speak Now’ Track List.\u201d\u00a0Billboard<\/em>, Billboard, 22 Sept. 2010, www.billboard.com\/articles\/news\/956160\/taylor-swift-reveals-speak-now-track-list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Take a second to imagine your favorite songs\u2014classics, hit singles, deep tracks, guilty pleasures\u2026 Got them? Sony\/ATV Music Publishing probably owns them. As the leader in music publishing, this giant owns a massive catalog of copyrights to over 3 million songs by nearly every big name you could think of including classics like The Beatles and Michael Jackson, as well as current artists like Taylor Swift and Kanye West (Sony\/ATV […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":1484,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7],"tags":[62,59,61,56,57,60,58],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uoesterl.expressions.syr.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1450"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uoesterl.expressions.syr.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uoesterl.expressions.syr.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uoesterl.expressions.syr.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/69"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uoesterl.expressions.syr.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1450"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/uoesterl.expressions.syr.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1450\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1452,"href":"https:\/\/uoesterl.expressions.syr.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1450\/revisions\/1452"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uoesterl.expressions.syr.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uoesterl.expressions.syr.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uoesterl.expressions.syr.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uoesterl.expressions.syr.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}