Whenever there's lots of announcing going on you can be sure The Orchard will make at least once announcement, and, hey, look, they have. The independent digital aggregator chose MIDEM to announce it had reached a worldwide digital licensing agreement with Academy Recordings, the new record label set up by the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters.
Academy Recordings is basically a new initiative by BACS to allow its members to digitally self-release their own material. The Orchard deal means songwriters who choose to do so will benefit from the aggregator's worldwide distribution and marketing services.
Commenting on the venture Bee Gee Robin Gibb, a 'fellow' of the Academy, told reporters: "This is a landmark opportunity for artists and writers. Unfettered by the demands of the traditional album cycle and label system, I can release any musical idea I choose, in a dialogue with my fans, and actually get paid. This is a serious contender for paving the way of an entirely new approach towards making, marketing and selling music".
High profile BACS members who plan to get involved in the new venture, other than Gibb, include Peter Gabriel, Chrissie Hynde, David Arnold, Peter Maxwell Davies, John Dankworth, Iain Archer and Will Gregory.