Last year, fast-growing US music rights group SESAC made a big play for publishers’ business outside of North America by announcing Mint Digital Services – a transatlantic JV with Swiss authors’ rights group SUISA.
Mint claims to be able to provide a more efficient process of administering license agreements than its rivals for online services, by drawing on a database resulting from the combination of data of SESAC, The Harry Fox Agency and SUISA.
Today, it’s been confirmed that Mint will assume the administration of Warner/Chappell Music‘s online licensing business for iTunes.
The limitation of the deal to a single platform suggests that Warner/Chappell is trialing Mint. If it goes well, we might then see the major publisher’s business on the likes of Spotify and Apple Music follow suit.
“By combining the expertise of the most accurate licensing process in Europe and the largest database of composition to recording links, Mint has created a platform that identifies more revenue from digital providers,” said Alexander Wolf, Delegate of the Board of Directors, Mint Digital Services.
“Mint enables publishers, such as Warner/Chappell Music, to realize more revenue faster and more accurately than ever before, and we’re thrilled to have them as a partner.”
Alexander Wolf, Mint Digital Services
“This also enables publishers, such as Warner/Chappell Music, to realize more revenue faster and more accurately than ever before, and we’re thrilled to have them as a partner.”
The Mint Digital Services database includes approximately 16 million documented musical works and 96 million sound recordings, over 25 million of which are pre-linked to musical compositions.
As a result, Mint Digital Services has one of the most comprehensive international databases for the identification of musical works.
Mint will handle the billing and administration of licenses issued on behalf of The Harry Fox Agency, SESAC Performing Rights and SUISA, and also offers its services to publishers like W/C.
Mint claims that: “Rightsholders will benefit from a more thorough exploitation of the online service providers’ usage reports, which will lead to increased proceeds. Moreover, royalties will be paid more quickly, and transparency regarding their catalogs, licenses and royalty statements will increase.”
Daniel Koehler, CEO of Mint Digital Services, added: “The joint forces of SESAC and SUISA make Mint one of the most attractive multi-territorial online administrators in the market.”
Mint Digital Services is headquartered in Zurich.
Warner/Chappell publishes and administers music from the likes of Beyoncé (pictured), Bruno Mars, Eric Clapton, fun., Gamble & Huff, Brantley Gilbert, Green Day, Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar, Led Zeppelin, Lionsgate Films, Little Big Town, Madonna, Miramax Films, Muse, Katy Perry, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Roc Nation, Stephen Sondheim, Chris Stapleton, and Tove Lo, among many othersMusic Business Worldwide
