Music Markets in Asia, Copyright & AI Organisation Growth

ICMP's Global Board - comprised of 20 Directors from across ICMP’s global membership of Majors, Indies and national trade bodies (‘Music Publisher Associations’ or ‘MPAs’) across 6 continents – has met in Singapore to tackle the latest and future issues for the music industry and our creative partners.

Asia is one of the fastest growing music regions in the world. There are also markets which are persistent sources of piracy. Licensing practices are changing fast. Many governments are putting in place laws ranging from AI, to copyright law reform, to collective management. ICMP’s staff and board met to tackle these and more.

Some headlines:

- Rell Lafargue (Chief Operating Officer, Reservoir Media) elected Vice Chair of ICMP’s Global Board. - Bob Bruderman (Chief Digital Officer, Kobalt) joins Board for ICMP member company Kobalt Music.
- Damian Rinaldi (General Manager, Australasian Music Publishers Association Ltd. (AMPAL)) steps up to the Global Board on behalf of MPA Australasia.

- ICMP’s Board met with high levels of Singapore’s government and AI authorities to discuss:
-  avoiding risk to the music sector via proposed AI measures
-  ensuring conditions for growth in Asia.
-  Singapore’s role in Asian regional markets

- International advocacy: Delegations from ICMP’s Board and senior staff including Chair Jackie Alway, Vice Chair Rell Lafargue, Director General John Phelan and Directors from France, The Netherlands and USA met with various government representatives including the Singapore, USA, EU, Hong Kong and Sweden.

- Organisational growth: ICMP will onboard 2 new national industry associations (Singapore and Malaysia).

- AI and music: how to ensure rights of music companies worldwide are safeguarded.

- Rights Enforcement: ICMP launching new Rights Enforcement projects for our industry. Will tackle digital piracy, including an extensive evidence study on systemic infringement on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

JOHN PHELAN / ICMP Director General
“Asia is peppered with robustly growing markets, each with digital music to the fore. As copyright underpins everything our industry does it is vital for ICMP to engage several governments on modern licensing and AI, to ensure present and future growth for music publishers and songwriters worldwide.
ICMP is also growing as an organisation - we’re delighted to welcome in our new national trade association representatives in Asia. Congratulations are also due to our new Vice Chair Rell, and Directors Bob and Damian.”

JACKIE ALWAY OBE / ICMP Chair, Universal Music Publishing EVP Int. Legal & Industry Affairs
“Our recent board meetings in Singapore tackled national, regional and global issues for the music publishing industry and our songwriter partners. We are also delighted to deliver very notable growth of ICMP’s national industry association membership by bringing in new Music Publisher Associations from Singapore and Malaysia.
“We’re also placing an ever increasing emphasis on rights enforcement, tackling unlicensed music sources at the root with the latest legal and technological tools.”

RELL LAFARGUE / ICMP Vice Chair, Reservoir Media President & COO
“It is an honor to be entrusted with a new position as Vice Chair of the Executive Board for the ICMP. I have proudly served on the Board of Directors for the last two years, bringing an independent voice to the table as we advocate for policy across the global publishing industry. I look forward to continuing that work in a new capacity, ensuring that all publishers are represented as we meet the challenges facing the songwriter community head on.”

BOB BRUDERMAN / ICMP Board, Kobalt Music Chief Digital Officer
“I am looking forward to working closely with the ICMP team and Global Board members as we continue to navigate the always-changing music publishing landscape to forge the best possible environment for songwriters all over the world."

DAMIAN RINALDI / ICMP Board, AMPAL General Manager
“After 3 years as a Director of AMPAL and recently taking on the role of AMPAL General Manager, I’m honoured to now have the opportunity to play a role internationally through the ICMP Global Board. Already, AMPAL and ICMP are fully engaged on developments in AI legislation both in Australia and abroad, and I look forward to further contributing directly to ICMP, particularly on matters affecting Australasia and the broader APAC region.”