NEWS FROM BRUSSELS – MAY 2017
CREATORS‘ ROUNDTABLE – LOS ANGELES
On 28 April 2017, an ECSA delegation consisting of ECSA President Alfons Karabuda, Vice-President Bernard Grimaldi, Secretary General Patrick Ager and SKAP’s Executive Manager Mårten Karlsson met with European and American game composers and game production representatives to review current practices in the composition, production and licensing of music for video games. The meeting was hosted by Executive Director of the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund, Dennis Dreith. The aim of the meeting was to discuss remuneration models and best practices of one of the fastest growing sectors in the music industry. In 2016, Americans alone spent almost 25 billion USD on games whilst the worldwide game industry hit 91 billion USD in revenues the same year. The Roundtable participants included: Johan Söderqvist (Battlefield 1, Kon-Tiki) , Ashley Irwin (President of SCL), Russell Brower (World of Warcraft, Starcraft II), Inon Zur (Power Rangers: Turbo, Men of Valor), Garry Schyman (BioSchoch, Dante’s Inferno) and Jonathan David Neal (SNL, Tonight Show) . The meeting session was followed by an evening reception in the home of Dennis Dreith, which allowed the participants to mingle and continue the exchange of views from earlier in the day.
From the left: Bernard Grimaldi (ECSA), Ashley Irwin (SCL), Dennis Dreith (AFM & SAG-AFTRA IPR Distribution Fund) and Alfons Karabuda (ECSA). Photo by Coi Nguyen and Brian Stewart.
WELCOME HUB ESTABLISHED IN LOS ANGELES
In line with ECSA‘s Creative Europe activity plan, a Welcome Hub for ECSA music writers was established in April 2017 in Los Angeles. The Hub was set up in partnership with the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund and The Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL) and will provide a first contact point and a possibility to exchange with peers and provide composers and songwriters with information and assistance how to localize concert venues and recording studios. ECSA music writers using the Hub will also benefit from local social events and networking opportunities with their peers in Los Angeles. Furthermore, the Hub aims to broaden the horizons of creators and in turn generate network possibilities and enhance European creators’ chances in reaching new and wider audiences. Further Welcome Hubs will be established in the course of the year.
RE-LAUNCH OF THE COMPOSERS’ DIRECTORY
Following a collaboration with French based tech platform Lalo (Les Auteurs et leurs Œuvres), ECSA is excited to present an updated and improved version of the Composers’ Directory. The online platform, which was launched by ECSA last year, now makes it possible for composers and songwriters to upload their sheet music and lyrics to the platform. The Directory works as a digital distribution tool and the aim of the platform is to empower creators by facilitating the digital distribution of their works and ensure fair remuneration in return. In order to promote the platform, ECSA and Lalo have created an official Composers’ Directory LinkedIn page to reach not only composers but also conservatories, music schools and music enthusiasts in general. Whilst the Directory initially was an ECF (ECSA’s committee for classical and contemporary art music) project, the Directory now makes it possible for composers and songwriters within all of ECSA’s genres (audio-visual and popular music) to use the platform and digitally circulate their works.