Jon Glass of Warner Music Group (WMG) and Alasdair McMullan of Universal Music Group (UMG) have joined the SoundExchange Board of Directors.
Glass and McMullan will lend business development expertise and legal acumen to the nonprofit, it says.
Jon Glass is Senior Vice President and Head of Digital Legal Affairs at Warner Music Group (WMG).
He leads the company’s business and legal affairs efforts in support of WMG’s digital initiatives, working with WMG’s business development team.
In 2021, he was named one of Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers.
McMullan is Executive Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at Universal Music Group (UMG).
He oversees a team of attorneys responsible for the maintenance and supervision of litigation globally on behalf of the company.
McMullan joined UMG after it acquired EMI Music, where he was Executive Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs for EMI Music North America.
Current board members at SoundExchange, Jeffrey Harleston of UMG and Paul Robinson of WMG, stepped down after 13 and 19 years with the organization, respectively.
“Jon Glass and Alasdair McMullan are world-class business and legal affairs experts and proven industry change-makers.”
Michael Huppe, SoundExchange
Michael Huppe, SoundExchange CEO and President, said: “Jon Glass and Alasdair McMullan are world-class business and legal affairs experts and proven industry change-makers.
“Each will be a key counselor and collaborator as we continue to enhance SoundExchange’s role as a champion for fair pay and a music-tech leader in today’s digitally-driven creator economy.”
“Jeff Harleston and Paul Robinson each made an indelible impact on our organization.
“We’ve achieved so much during their tenure, and I appreciate the support and guidance they provided along the way. Each has been instrumental in helping SoundExchange achieve the position that it now occupies.”
In December, SoundExchange secured a legal victory in a royalties battle with US television service Music Choice.
The court decided that the case will be referred to the Copyright Royalties Board (CRB), rather than it being heard in Federal court.
SoundExchange launched a lawsuit against Music Choice to recover underpaid royalties in April 2019, following an audit of Music Choice’s royalty statements.
At the time, SoundExchange claimed that “Music Choice systematically underreported its Gross Proceeds”, leading to underpayment to SoundExchange for statutory royalties related to its business establishment service (BES).Music Business Worldwide
