Sony/ATV Music Publishing, UK collection society PRS for Music and German society GEMA have announced that they have entered into a new agreement to administer licences for Sony/ATV and EMI’s pan-European digital rights for Anglo-American repertoire. The move builds on the success of current licensing vehicles CELAS and PAECOL to provide a one-stop shop for licensees wishing to access both repertoires, which include some of the world’s most iconic songwriters and composers.
The joint venture called SOLAR will administer a single new licence to cover the exploitation of the combined Anglo-American catalogues of Sony/ATV and EMI Music Publishing. SOLAR will provide administration services for online and mobile licensing across Europe and other regions.
The new arrangements will replace existing solutions where Sony/ATV and EMI Music Publishing’s respective Anglo-American catalogues have been subject to separate arrangements for pan-European digital exploitation. To date, the digital licensing of Sony/ATV’s Anglo-American catalogue has been managed by PAECOL, a subsidiary of GEMA, and the digital licensing of the EMI Music Publishing Anglo-American catalogue has been managed by CELAS, a joint venture between PRS for Music and GEMA.
The launch of SOLAR follows the 2012 acquisition of EMI Music Publishing led by Sony Corporation of America, which brought the Sony/ATV and EMI Music Publishing catalogues together. This consolidated offering ensures that licensees have easy access to both repertoires.