IMPEL - a new era in digital licensing

24 April 2018 - Press release

In a radical, even revolutionary way, independent publishers have grouped together to form a new collective licensing agency to represent their digital rights. Since 2010 IMPEL has acted as an umbrella organisation for a group of substantial independent publishers to collectively license their digital rights on a multi-territory basis. They are now launching a new company called IMPEL Collective Management Ltd which will be an organisation 100% owned and controlled by its members, independent of any trade association or collection society. It has been self-funded initially by some of its members and will undertake a similar role to that which Merlin carries out for the indie label community. 

IMPEL required to partner up with a society to track, capture and distribute the value of online music. A spokesperson commented that this was by far the most time consuming and important element of the process. After many months of considering alternatives and seeing presentations and tools from all the major players, IMPEL chose SACEM because of their acknowledged expertise in online licensing, continued focus and investment in the most innovative technology, (such as URights, their on-line processing platform), combined with their strong knowledge and expertise in streaming, which helps to provide a highly efficient and completely transparent service.

“Frankly SACEM blew us away with their level of understanding for our wish to represent our own interests. Being indie, our perspective is different, we are of course very commercial people and SACEM’s approach was by some margin more commercial than their competition. It is essential that top line digital growth is as great as possible and, in that regard, SACEM’s digital revenues have grown more strongly than their peers. Furthermore, SACEM were excited about the future of indie publishers and have gone out of their way to assist in all the issues that indie publishers face allowing a parity of analytics that the majors have. IMPEL also decided that SACEM provided the speediest and most reliable invoicing and distribution systems, which again in turn plays into the commercial approach.”

Uniquely, IMPEL will be free to negotiate its own multi-territorial licences with online players anywhere in the world or be included in SACEM’s deal. In this way the members of IMPEL will have far greater transparency of those terms and can expect to conclude and process those deals in a speedier and more efficient manner. It is the only organisation with the sole brief of enabling the indie publisher to navigate and succeed in the digital environment.

IMPEL have hired Matt Bolton as Head of Publisher Relations and Integration (previously Matt was Head of Digital, Europe at Universal Music Publishing). Matt will take charge of the implementation of the deal with SACEM, with whom he has longstanding experience and usher new publishers into the fold. Matt can be reached on matt.bolton@impel-music.com

The new organisation is open to members from anywhere around the world and will be licensing in all territories and not be confined to the EU. 

Charles Caldas of Merlin commented
“A new-generation music industry needs new-generation solutions, which I’m proud to say Merlin has become. WE applaud the forward thinking companies behind the formation of IMPEL who have understood that efficiency, transparency and innovation are crucial to allowing independent companies to compete in this fast evolving market. I wish them all success in shaking the world of publishing up to deliver their members the best possible solution in enhancing the value of their rights.”

Jean Noel Tronc of SACEM commented
“IMPEL’s role as a platform aggregating a variety of independent publishers to to ensure that publishers are fairly remunerated in the rapidly evolving digital environment is fully in line with SACEM’s own approach to providing services to all our publisher partners in international licensing deals, due to our deep expertise and innovative, industry leading technology 

Andy Heath quoted
“I have watched with admiration the impact that Merlin has had on the global community of Indie labels. IMPEL will follow that lead and inspire the Indie publisher community to realise the full value of their rights and compete with the international majors”

David Kassner commented:
“Being an independent has advantages which include being able to adapt more quickly to the market and to discover and develop new opportunities. IMPEL provides a great chance for independent publishers to work together and support an initiative that will enhance our capability to maximise those advantages. We believe that SACEM fully appreciates IMPEL’s goals and Cécile Rap Veber (Executive Director, Licensing & International) and her team, recognising the potential for growth that the independent sector carries with it, met and exceeded our expectations in terms of the levels of service they have offered. We are delighted to be working with them.”

Rell Lafargue, President and COO of Reservoir commented:
“We feel it essential that independent publishers will have the opportunity to obtain the best value for their digital rights, regardless of size. This new IMPEL collective will provide just that while also allowing a path forward for growth by controlling our own licensing, similar to the model that Merlin has proven to be so successful. We are also delighted with our new partner in SACEM that is supportive of our vision and has the technology to collect and distribute royalties accurately and efficiently.”

John Truelove adds:
“I’m thrilled to be involved in the launch of IMPEL’s next exciting chapter. The dream of independent publishers achieving single worldwide licensing of the major digital platforms comes one step closer to realisation, to the ultimate benefit of all stakeholders. The collective repertoire and global ambition of the IMPEL publishers together with the vision and technology of SACEM feels like a positive and winning combination. We are ready!”

Jody Klein added:
“We support the independent music publishers and are excited by the opportunities this new initiative provides”

André de Raaff of CTM Publishing added:|
“We are experiencing one of the most exciting, but also challenging times for independents in the music space. Having been active in the entertainment world of independents for decades, I am pleased to join the board of Impel and contribute to the right vision and direction and achieve the best for the united independent sector of our business.”

 

IMPEL are confident that this new initiative will attract indie publishers from around the world who wish to benefit from a licensing organisation from whom complete transparency is possible and also to have control over the licences which will dominate their revenues in the future. The founding members of IMPEL include Bucks Music, Reservoir Music, Kassner Music, Legs Music, Inc., CTM Publishing, Truelove Music and Beggars Music.