November 10, 2011
Independent music publishing company pigFACTORY Music has just signed Phil Collen of Def Leppard to a worldwide publishing administration deal. The announcement was made today by Keatly Haldeman, CEO, pigFACTORY Music.
The new deal allows pigFACTORY to exclusively administer the publishing for all songs that Phil Collen writes with songwriting partner CJ Vanston. Earlier this year, pigFACTORY signed Vanston, a multi-Grammy Award nominated producer, film composer, keyboard player and songwriter. Among many accomplishments, Vanston produced the music for Spinal Tap and serves as the keyboardist in the band.
Together Collen and Vanston penned the song "It's All About Believing" on Def Leppard's recent release "Mirrorball' and they have an upcoming cut on Risa Hirako's new album on Avex Records. In addition, Vanston's song "Telephone" has been released on Japanese superstar TVXQ's new album "Tone," which recently sold over 200,000 units in its first week of release.
Said Haldeman, "Phil Collen is a world-class superstar musician and songwriter in every sense of the word. His success with Def Leppard holds him in rarefied air. We are thrilled to be collaborating with him as he and CJ continue to co-write terrific material covered by a variety of artists around the world."
ABOUT PHIL COLLEN:
Influenced by such guitar players as Ritchie Blackmore, Jimi Hendrix and Mick Ronson, Phil Collen developed a flashy, aggressive style of guitar playing at a young age. He joined Def Leppard in 1982, during the group's "Pyromania" album recording sessions, playing guitar solos on the hits "Photograph," "Foolin'," and "Rock of Ages." "Pyromania" was Def Leppard's breakthrough album and turned the band into rock superstars virtually overnight. "Pyromania" sold in excess of 10 times platinum. Def Leppard's next album "Hysteria" was their best seller to date, with seven singles being released including "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Love Bites." The album sold over 12-million copies in the U.S. alone, placing Def Leppard in the album sales category at the level as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Eagles and Van Halen. During 1992, the Def Leppard album "Adrenalize" was the top album in the U.S. for a time. Other '90s top sellers from the band were "Slang" and "Vault," Def Leppard's greatest hits album, which achieved quadruple platinum status. Expanding their reach, Def Leppard later collaborated with two country superstars: Tim McGraw was featured on their "Sparkle Lounge" single "Nine Lives," and Taylor Swift teamed with them on CMT's "Crossroads." Collen also performs as lead vocalist and lead guitarist with the band Manraze. That band's debut album "Surreal" was released to rave critical reviews. Manraze has released its second album 'Punkfunkrootsrock' earlier this year and contains a Vanston produced track "I, Superbiker." Collen was the only artist to play twice during 2009's Download Festival, having performed with both Manraze and Def Leppard.
July 15, 2011
pigFACTORY’s writer Ali Pierre, who is exclusively signed to the company, has co-written the new Jordin Sparks single “I Am Woman,” which she recently performed on “American Idol.” This was a co-write with multi-platinum artist/writer Ryan Tedder and producer Inflo.
ABOUT ALI PIERRE:
One of today's newest and most inspiring songwriters & recording artists, Ali Pierre was born in Palma De Mallorca (Ibiza Islands), and was raised in many parts of the world. From Paris to London and Austria to Brazil, he learned many different cultures and styles of music at a very young age. He moved to Denver at the age of 9, and was introduced to the sound of American pop culture and Hip-Hop. As Ali grew older, his hobby for listening to music turned into a passion. He decided to become a recording artist and songwriter. Because of his cultured background, Ali wanted to embrace everything he picked up as a young boy traveling around the world. Currently Ali is working with some big names, including artist and Grammy Award nominated Songwriter/Producer Ryan Tedder (One Republic, Beyonce, Leona Lewis), David Bal4 (T-Pain) and Dapo (Justin Bieber, John Legend, David Archuleta). Ali’s single “Live It Up” is charting in Brazil after being included on the top-selling dance compilation “Electro Hits Vol. 7” which features hits from artists such as Katy Perry, Flo Rida and Ke$ha.
pigFACTORY writer CJ Vanston and Def Leppard’s Phil Collen have co-written a song called “It’s All About Believing,” which has just been released on Def Leppard’s Walmart exclusive album “Mirrorball.” Long time songwriting partners, Vanston and Collen also work together on their digital music label, moodahmusic.com, which will debut in the Fall 2011.
ABOUT CJ VANSTON:
CJ Vanston is a multi-Grammy Award nominated producer, film composer, keyboard player and songwriter. He has written with songwriters such as Desmond Child, Paul Williams, Barry Mann, Bernie Taupin, Tony Jo White, Kool Kojak, Amy Powers, Michael Jay and Chesney Hawkes, along with a wide range of other co-writers. CJ has attended many writer camps around the world, including Miles Copeland's Marouatte Castle and Icefusion in Iceland. CJ has composed music for all four of Christopher Guest's suite of movies; "Waiting for Guffman," "Best In Show," "A Mighty Wind," and "For Your Consideration," in addition to scores for "Almost Heroes," "Slingshot," and songs for "Sweet Home Alabama," and many others. He is the keyboard player in the legendary group Spinal Tap.
April 14, 2011
Every year, songwriters, composers and music publishers around the world lose tens of millions of dollars in unclaimed royalties. This is unfortunate for the bank accounts of the copyright owners, and made even more so because this situation is avoidable.
Why is this happening? Why do so many royalties go unclaimed? The primary reason is the lack of or improper song registration with the international societies. When foreign societies cannot identify or locate the publishers or composers of a song, the money remains unallocated until a publisher claims the royalties. This process occurs according to the laws, customs and infrastructure of each territory and there are often dramatic differences in the way countries outside of the United States conduct their music business. Royalty rates and the processing of income are unique to each country in which the use of the song occurs.
Technically, the majority of societies throughout the world have reciprocal relationships with each other with long-standing mechanisms to filter unclaimed royalties in one particular territory back to the “home” society of the writer and/or publisher. However, with millions of copyrights it is an impossible job for the societies to proactively seek international royalties on behalf of all of their members. It is the responsibility of the copyright owner to ensure the accuracy of its royalty distribution.
One reason rights holders don’t receive royalties is because foreign societies often insist on having an affiliated publisher submit cue sheets before releasing money for television and film uses. Another cause of lost royalties is human error. Even though we live in the “Digital Age,” much of the data submitted to societies is paper based and must be entered manually. Various language translations and unfamiliar writer names lead to spelling errors, which can break the vital link between the royalty source, the song and the interested parties. For example, my name “Keatly Haldeman” is misspelled at the best of times, so I anticipate that foreign societies will incorrectly log information relating to me more often than not.
Here are 5 ways to collect more royalties:
1) Get competent representation – here and abroad. If you don’t have a publisher on the ground in each territory that is minding the store and protecting your interests, you are losing money.
2) Help them help you. Send your administrator and/or sub-publishers your copyright information and song activity in an organized way, complete with cue sheets and a list of album releases.
3) Talk to your sub-publishers on a regular basis. Point out special activity and areas of interest -- i.e. a placement in a blockbuster film -- and follow up (but be patient) until the royalties start to flow.
4) If you change sub-publishers stay on your new representative until the royalty societies have updated your song registrations.
5) Although it sounds obvious, make sure to keep your contact information current and up to date. If a society or administrator can’t find you, they can’t pay you.
Accurate international royalty collection is tricky. The basics seem easy enough -- international societies collect royalties for songwriters, composers and publishers and either pay a locally registered publisher or send the money to the writers’ and publishers’ affiliated societies. Yet beneath the surface lurk significant obstacles to actually receiving all the money you’re due. So if you’re a copyright owner, now might be a good time to re-evaluate your publishing administration scenario on a global scale. Even superstars generate a decent amount of money they may never see. For them a few thousand dollars may not be a big deal, but for most of us, those pennies quickly add up!
For more information, please visit Music Week
December 10, 2010
Sheer Publishing , which has forged a strong identity in the world of South African music since its inception in 1995, is headed by music publisher David Alexander, in conjunction with his partner Karabo Motijoane. The Sheer catalogue is comprised of Pan-African music, including many of the biggest titles in the history of modern Africa.
Alexander said, “ In Sheer Publishing's partnership with Sindee Levin Music and pigFACTORY we are tapping in to an organisational framework that already exists to assist us in the development of a targeted and tailor-made entry to the North American marketplace. Sheer Publishing will continue to work on and develop this framework in partnership with Sindee Levin and Keatly Haldeman. The capacity, expertise and institutional knowledge of these partners are a vital component of the success of this new venture. These partnerships allow Sheer Publishing to focus on strengthening its own services to our composer and publisher clients in Africa and we look forward to improved export results from our new music offering .”
Regarding the deal, Haldeman said, “Last year pigFACTORY placed two songs from the Sheer Publishing catalog into the hit film ‘District 9.' On the heels of this success, we were fortunate enough to have expanded our dialogue with Sheer, which has now led to a more comprehensive, administration deal for North America. By combining forces with Sindee, we will jointly be providing to Sheer both well-established administration services, along with strong creative services, particularly in the areas of film, television, videogame and advertising placements.”
Adds Levin, “This interesting arrangement provides Sheer Publishing with the ‘best of both worlds.' While my company provides over 25 years of expertise on the business side, especially in dealing with foreign publishing entities, Keatly and pigFACTORY provide a tremendous creative staff brimming with energy. Between us, we are certainly well versed in any and all situations that Sheer Publishing may encounter here. Also, since the World Cup event, more and more people in North America have become familiar with South African artists and their music. Sheer Publishing represents many of these wonderful performers and their material.”
ABOUT SHEER PUBLISHING:
The provision of sound and music and FX to the creative industry is the business and pleasure of South Africa-based Sheer Publishing. These two elements are the lifeblood of the company – their ever changing dimensions creating new possibilities and opportunities for the industry. Production music and sound effects are a frequently sought after element for broadcasters, TV, film and radio production houses and advertising agencies. Sheer Publishing supplies the widest selection of music and effects from its many and varied libraries – the largest of its kind in the world. For more info, please see: www.sheerpublishing.co.zaABOUT SINDEE LEVIN MUSIC:
Sindee Levin is a veteran entertainment attorney whose credentials include business affairs at major film studios, music publishing and mechanical collection rights. A noted expert who speaks at conferences, panels and seminars nationwide, she is a well-versed authority on international as well as domestic business models. Levin, a 30+ year Hollywood veteran, has invaluable contacts, education and expertise; she is a powerful advocate for songwriters, composers, recording artists, music publishers and record labels. For more info, please see www.sindeelevinmusic.com
Read more about it here:
August 6, 2010
In tandem with Jackie Subeck, CEO of the independent music rep company Footprint Worldwide, pigFACTORY worked on behalf of their joint client BBDO, Beijing, in placing "Happy Together" in the TV spot, which was produced in China and is now airing on Chinese television. pigFACTORY and Subeck also worked in association with Bug Music and Carlin Music, the co-publishers of "Happy Together," to fulfill this placement.
Said Adam Wolf, Senior Creative Director, pigFACTORY, "This is a huge step in the right direction for China, the world's most populated country, to stop infringing on copyrights. We are confident that our company's placement of 'Happy Together' in China will help further establish better communication between that massive market and music companies such as ourselves, who can offer the Chinese virtually unlimited quality music, across all genres, for any media project."
Adds Subeck, "When BBDO China approached me, I knew that the key to this license was to make it very easy for the Chinese to move through the administrative process. China is starting to recognize how respecting international copyrights can open up an abundance of new opportunities to add great music to their creative productions. Adam Wolf at pigFACTORY immediately embraced this concept and quickly made the process as uncomplicated as possible."
In the Smart Car spot, entitled "Open Your Mind," we see a number of very attractive young men and women of all nationalities admiring more than a dozen Smart Cars in a dazzling range of colors as they whisk along against the a number of picturesque cityscape backgrounds. Everyone who drives, hugs or simply admires these Smart Cars is "happy" simply to be "together" with them. The end tag reads, "Smart. Open Your Mind. China.Smart.Com"
pigFACTORY is one of the few independent publishers in the international marketplace to affiliate directly with a large number of royalty societies throughout the world. Via its direct memberships and partnerships and by using state-of-the-art royalty software, pigFACTORY quickly and accurately registers its client's song catalogues with the publishing rights societies and collects ‘at source' in most major international territories.
“It's exciting to be a part of such a rapidly growing and forward-thinking company. I look forward to sharing my experience with pigFACTORY and working with their great roster of artist, writer and publisher clients,” says Surace-Perrone.
Surace-Perrone has over 18 years experience in music publishing administration. Prior to joining Pigfactory, Surace-Perrone held the position of Director of Copyright Administration at Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Famous Music Publishing. Most recently she facilitated the transfer of copyrights from the legendary ARC Music catalog to Opus 19 Music.
“We are very pleased to welcome Anita to the team. pigFACTORY is already known for our top-notch creative services and now with the addition of Anita as Director of Copyright, our music publishing administration services will be equally sought after,” says pigFACTORY CEO Keatly Haldeman.
*Note: pigFACTORY will represent The BPA songs and masters non-exclusively until May 2010, at which time they will become exclusive.
At launch, Pacifica Music will feature over 6,000 tracks of music across numerous genres, including hip hop, rock, pop, orchestral and electronica, with an additional 4-5,000 new tracks being added every six months. Pacifica Music, which will be deliverable through its innovative website’s Search and Download engine, a variety of popular digital asset management systems and on hard drives, offers a collection of works from a global network of composers, musicians and producers. New music is being acquired and created at an aggressive rate.
The status of parent companies RipTide Music and pigFACTORY gives the Pacifica Music catalog instant credibility. These two companies have recently enjoyed success with high profile music placements in films and trailers including “Inglorious Basterds,” “District 9,” “Public Enemies,” “The Ugly Truth,” and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” in TV programs “Entourage,” “True Blood,” “Mad Men,” and “90210,” in videogames “Guitar Hero 5,” “Tony Hawk: Ride” and “MLB 2009,” and in commercials for “Nestle,” “PlayStation 3” and “E*TRADE,” to name some.
Rich Goldman said, “For anyone needing a diverse collection of modern music, Pacifica is a ‘must have’ alongside your current music sources. This catalog is comprised of indie artists and composers whose music has been featured in countless high-end projects. All of the rights to these tracks have been vetted and pre-cleared, and our sales and administrative teams will be providing our clients with the same high level of service that RipTide Music and pigFACTORY have long built their reputations on.” Adds Keatly Haldeman, ”Pacifica Music is a direct answer to the demands of the audio/visual production community. With the collective brain power, musical talent and industry knowledge that pigFACTORY and RipTide bring to the table, we have designed our catalog and web interface to provide an exceptional user experience.”
Bob Kaminsky, EVP, RipTide Music and Pacifica Music, adds, “With a very simple and musically intuitive search engine, music supervisors are just a few clicks away from finding great music fast. A section of pre-made play-lists for many common uses called “Scenes and Situations” offers a great place to go when you need a presentation in a hurry.” While Pacifica Music, LLC, is a new joint venture between RipTide Music and pigFACTORY, this new venture will not affect the daily operations of either of its parent companies. Pacifica Music has been designed as an independent entity, with client service being fully administered by its own dedicated staff.
For more information: www.pacificamusic.com
