Liwall's N.y. Royalty Network Thrives: Co. Secures Payments For Hip-hop, Reggae, Ska Acts

NEW YORK-When Frank Liwall left the Harry Fox Agency as an auditor to form New York-based Royalty Network, his mission was to "offer sound accounting practices and protect the rights of writers and publishers."
Little did Liwall realize that six years later he would not only have a thriving operation-one that keeps a watchful eye both on royalty collections in catalog administration and on exploitation of copyrights-but one in which 75% or 80% of its clients would represent such urban sounds as reggae, ska, and hip-hop.
That came about, he says, with success enjoyed by the currently sizzling rapper Shaggy; now there is a roster of some 4,500 songs administered by Royalty Network, whose services also include efforts to secure label deals. Liwall says he charges a 10% fee on revenues for administration and other professional services.
In all, the company represents some 110 publishers and 200 writers or writer/producers. In addition to the administration services, Royalty Network will work to secure label deals. His firm will also "put together collaborations of writer, artist, and producer to create new works."
Besides Shaggy, the Royalty Network catalog of administered songs includes Divine's "Good And Plenty" and "Big Willie Style"; 98…'s "Do You Wanna Dance"; and Eminem's "Any Man"; as well as songs by Pete Rock, Cypress Hill, Black Moon, Marc Dorsey, and DMX.
In other deals, Royalty Network is now the subpublisher of Sundance Music, the Scandinavian independent production and publishing company. It has also made a deal for worldwide representation of Nitra Music, which includes members of Jive Records' group in Liberty City, Fla.
There are enough successes under the Royalty Network banner of administered songs that the company has a thriving business with clearing sampling, Liwall says.
As with traditional publishing operations, Royalty Network has produced a series of eight promo CDs designed to generate covers and film, TV, and jingles exposure.
With six staffers in New York, Liwall-who is also an alumnus of the New York-based accounting firm of Prager and Fenton-has expanded his operation with an agreement with Los Angeles-based Steve Weber, who, in addition to representing Liwall on the West Coast, will also oversee the international market and make deals with new artists and writers.
Liwall and Weber-a former exec at L.A.-based Bug Music, which has a similar administration/exploitation relationship with its clients-had worked on various projects before their formal linkage, including securing licensing and distribution deals.
The six other staffers in New York are Renato Olivari, director of office operations; Stephen Powell, director of media relations; Winston Reynolds, manager of accounting; Kathy Camillo, licensing coordinator; Natalie Moore, administrative assistant; and Donella Frierson, administrative assistant. Olivari and Powell are also involved in securing song and master placements.
Liwall says he views his business as a mission of sorts to fill a gap between royalty collection for mainstream acts, whose collection groups do a professional job, and that of what he regards as the nontraditional artists and writers whose royalties are far more difficult to monitor.
"I was tired of seeing publishers or writers [like those in the world of reggae/hip-hop] whose collection groups weren't trying hard to find them to make sure they get paid. I work with all layers of businessmen, such as lawyers, to come up with amounts that the writer or publisher is owed."
Liwall, who makes two- or three-year deals with his clients, is, of course, looking at the future of royalties stemming from the Internet. "The provider is where the source of licensing will be done. But right now, it's a bull running wild, and there's little protection. It won't happen overnight. Remember, the computer people are about six or seven years ahead of the music industry."
The Royalty Network operates a Web site, roynet.com. Roynet is also the name of the company's ASCAP-cleared music publishing operation, while its BMI-cleared firm, Tenyor, is Roynet spelled backward.