ASSOCIATIONS
Frances Moore CHIEF EXECUTIVE, IFPI
With the global recorded-music market growing by 9% in 2022, according to IFPI’s latest report, Moore emphasizes pockets of rapid international expansion — subSaharan Africa was the fastest-growing region of the year. To boost the trend, IFPI opened new offices in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam; appointed a new regional director in Latin America and the Caribbean; and helped establish national groups in Kenya and Nigeria. “We have continued to expand our reach and activities around the world,” says Moore.
John Phelan
DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
As director general of ICMP, a trade group representing both major and independent publishers worldwide, Phelan is steadfast in his efforts to defend creators’ rights across six continents. After a few years of “consistent” growth in music publishing year over year for ICMP members around the world, “copyright is back with a bang,” he says. Why? He suggests a few factors: European Union efforts to address “the value gap in Europe” (the difference between what free user-upload sites and subscription services pay creators for their music), limitations on the spread of “safe harbors” in Asia (territories that limit the copyright infringement liability of online companies) and the growth in digital consumption of music.
Jeremy Sirota
CEO, MERLIN
Marking its 15th anniversary in 2023, digital music licensing organization
Merlin welcomed 33 new member companies, bringing its total to more than 500, including 38 in Japan and another 24 across Southeast Asia. Sirota says Merlin now represents 15% of the global recorded-music market share. “Merlin now has premium deals with over 40 digital platforms, as it has expanded recently into some exciting areas across a variety of digital mediums,” says Sirota, highlighting pacts with Pinterest, short-form video platform Kuaishou, gaming music platform STYNGR and the virtual reality fitness app Supernatural. Among its new members are Giri (India), Al Oud for Art Production and Distribution (Iraq), Fole Publishing (Kosovo) and Silent Roar Productions (Pakistan).