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Former Warner/Chappell exec to lead MCPS

By | Published on Thursday 28 November 2013

Jane Dyball

The good old Mechanical Copyright Protection Society has appointed former Warner/Chappell exec Jane Dyball to the newly created job of CEO, and she’ll start work in the new post from 1 Jan next year. The CEO role was created as part of a previously reported rejig in the never dull world of song right collective licensing earlier this year.

Traditionally the music publishers have had two societies to represent them in those areas where they collectively licence organisations who use their songs and compositions, one to provide licences to companies that want to make ‘mechanical copies’ of songs (MCPS in the UK), and another to provide licences to companies that want to stage performances of songs in public (Performing Right Society, or PRS). Though in the UK these two bodies have been allied for quite some time, and these days operate under one brand, PRS For Music.

But behind the scenes PRS and MCPS remain separate institutions; and while the former has seen the royalties it collects boom in recent years, the latter’s success is linked to that of the record industry (the labels being its main customers), so as the record industry’s income has declined, so has the money MCPS collects.

In a bid to overcome various financial challenges, earlier this year the PRS/MCPS alliance was restructured, so whereas the PRS For Music operating company was previously a joint venture between the two organisations, it is now basically a subsidiary of PRS selling its services to MCPS. You’re keeping up right?

Anyway, Dyball will be charged with the task of overseeing the new relationship between MCPS and PRS For Music, as well as “finding new opportunities to develop the business”. She will also oversee the running of the Independent Music Publishers’ European Licensing group, which offers multi-territory mechanical right licences for digital service providers on behalf of various indie music publishing firms.

Confirming hew new job, Dyball told CMU: “This is certainly an interesting time to be running a mechanical rights collection society but I relish a challenge and look forward to making sure no stone is unturned in looking for new ways to deliver value to our writer and publisher members, so that they can continue to invest in creativity. I also can’t wait to rejoin the world of the indie publishers where I started my career, and I know I will love helping them ride the ups and downs of the exciting digital roller coaster”.



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