Words &music

NMPA'S INTERNATIONAL SURVEY: The National Music Publishers' Assn. (NMPA) as issued its 10th annual International Survey of Music Publishing Revenues, offering details on the publishing income from 53 territories in 1999. The report shows that total publishing revenue, which increased 4.6% in 1998, rose by 2% in 1999 to $6.57 billion. But the group's president/CEO Edward P. Murphy notes that based on flat exchange rates, global publishing revenue actually increased 6.9% in 1999 to $7.59 billion.

"We look at the numbers on a constant basis," Murphy says, noting the continuing global publishing growth—but also the "illusions" that result from reporting to the NMPA survey details in the territories in U.S. dollars, which are usually subject to fluctuations in exchange rates. By applying flat exchange rates when comparisons are made between years, these fluctuations are partially eliminated. "So we see what the performance really is overall in a territory—without it being moved up and down by currency swings that may have nothing to do with performance. Thus, a 6.9% increase is encouraging."

Murphy singles out Brazil—Latin America's largest market—as a "bright star" that experienced a "very encouraging turnaround" (reversing a three-year decline by registering 9.3% growth in value and 7.6% in units). Mexico, the region's second-largest territory, also posted a significant 5.2% improvement in value.

Eastern Europe's smaller countries exhibited "big improvements and obviously real promise," Murphy notes. The Asian market, on the other hand, "is disappointing, of course. All of us had greater hopes that aren't sustainable there for the near future.

"Economic conditions have ravaged [Asia] from Indonesia to the Philippines, [from] China even to Japan—and it will be a very long haul," Murphy adds. "So our attention is on the major markets—as it has been: the U.S. market, which continues to be strong, Japan, the U.K., France, and Italy. Talk about a watcher: Look at the changes the government has made [in Italy] that have changed the entire operation. We look at monitoring [the country] more closely and hope for stability after so much turbulence."

The sixth-largest market for music-publishing revenue in 1999, Italy is reorganizing its efforts at local performance- and mechanical-rights collection society SIAE, whose government-appointed special commissioner, Mauro Masi, is the government's adviser on publishing issues; he reports directly to the prime minister.



$2.2 MILLION WRITER AWARDS: ASCAP's ASCAPlu$ Popular and Standard Awards panels have distributed to writer members approximately $2.2 million in cash awards for 2001-2002. The awards, which have been presented annually since 1960, reward both writers whose works are considered uniquely prestigious but inadequately compensated and writers of works that are extensively performed in media not surveyed by the society.

ASCAP president/chairman Marilyn Bergman cites the awards program as one of "the most meaningful ways" that ASCAP serves its membership: "I can personally attest to how much this honor can mean, because at an early stage of my career, I was a Special Awards recipient."



PROMO PIECES: ARC Music Group has a fab publishing promo CD in Django Reinhardt 101, a collection of music composed by the great gypsy jazz guitarist and performed by the likes of Chet Atkins, Mark Knopfler, Claude Bolling, Stephane Grappelli, and Charlie Byrd—as well as the maestro himself. And Helene Blue Musique is beating the December holiday rush with Music for the Holidays, featuring songs by such roster writers as Charles Strouse, Paul Winter, David Matthews, Jay McShann, Annie Dinerman, and Kathy Sommer.



AWAKE, ARISE, GO FISH: Being an unabashed Badger, please indulge me by letting me note a few favorite song titles from Rounder's just-released Library of Congress/Archive of Folk Culture '40s compilation album, Folk Music From Wisconsin: "How Happy Is the Sportsman," "Awake, Arise, You Drowsy Sleeper," "Pig Schottishe," "The Milwaukee Fire" (responsible for at least 71 deaths in 1883), and that old Jackson County favorite, "Cranberry Song." Makes me want to go home and fish again in Lake Michigan.