Fairwood and EMI sign Mideast music royalty deal

EMI Music Publishing is looking to be actively present in the region to collect royalty fees for synchronisation uses including TV, film and advertising, through an agreement with Fairwood Music (Arabia).

The two companies had signed an exclusive sub-publishing deal in the UAE, where Fairwood will pitch EMI Music Publishing repertoire for synchronisation as well as working with EMI to establish a mechanical and performance licensing framework in the UAE.

The music publishing company is estimated to hold along with Universal, almost 50 to 60 per cent market share in the United States, and is one of the four largest music publishing companies in the world.

The agreement marks the first time that EMI Music Publishing has contracted with a sub-publisher based in the Middle East.

Fairwood Music (Arabia) has worked with EMI Music Publishing over the past 18 months, initially acting as a clearance service for advertising agencies and other commercial users of music. This new agreement will now see Fairwood offer comprehensive music publishing services as EMI seeks to place more emphasis on the region.

EMI Music Publishing UK Head of Business Affairs Jo Smith commented: "The UAE is still a relatively new market for music publishing, but we're seeing tremendous growth potential and vitality and want to make sure that our songwriters are able to take advantage of the huge opportunities that are beginning to emerge.

"The team at Fairwood Music Arabia have years of experience in the region, and we are delighted to be able to work with them in developing our business there."

Hussain Spek Yoosuf, Managin Director of Fairwood, who spoke to Emirates Business earlier said: "This region is becoming a hub for attracting content creators and media companies who have an interest in protecting intellectual property that they have created."

He said that advertisers in the region needed to have bigger awareness of copyright and the process involved in acquiring clearance, in addition to the legal implications involved.

"Music rights holders didn't wish to be present in the region before because music rights haven't been protected. Yet, the UAE Government has gone a long way in enforcing copyright law, fighting piracy and laying the framework for protecting royalty fees. Performance rights, however, are still pending. There is a need for a performance rights society, and so far the government hasn't approved any of the proposals presented for the establishment of such a society," said Yoosuf.

Fairwood Music (Arabia), the music publishing operation in the Middle East and North Africa, pioneered the protection of music copyrights in the region and worked consistently to cultivate licensing opportunities in the Middle East for music publishers and songwriters since it's launch in January last year.

In addition to EMI Music Publishing, the company also represents Universal Music Publishing Group, Cherry Lane Music, Stage 3 Music, RZO (David Bowie), Reverb Music and Roy Orbison Music amongst others.

EMI Music Publishing is the world's leading publisher of popular music, with more than one million copyrights including some of the best known songs ever written. Its current hit-making writers and producers include Arctic Monkeys, Beyoncé, James Blunt, Duffy, Norah Jones, Kasabian, Alicia Keys, Pink, Prodigy, Scouting For Girls, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Amy Winehouse.

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