PANEL - Know Your Rights: Managing Your Music Licensing Portfolio
With streaming being the dominant way in which music is consumed globally, artists and their managers need to capture every micro-payment, every cent to aggregate the value of the intellectual property portfolios they create and manage. Every year tens of millions of dollars are left unclaimed in the U.S. by artists and songwriters. If you aren’t signed to SoundExchange, The MLC and a PRO, you are leaving money on the table. If you are signed, but your data isn't correct, they cannot connect your money to you. If making money whilst you sleep is the dream, is the nightmare of your music rights portfolio leaking revenue whilst you only have half an eye on it?
Featured Speakers:
Omar Paredes, Associate Director of Industry Relations at SoundExchange
Omar Paredes is Associate Director of Industry Relations on the Brand Marketing & Industry Relations team at SoundExchange. Based in Miami, Omar is responsible for establishing and building key artist, management, and content owner relationships. He helps raise the profile of SoundExchange in the music industry and deepen creator engagement in Miami and beyond.
Omar creates strategic alliances with entertainment and brand partners, artist communities, and creator organizations. He participates in the development and execution of programs across the entertainment and music technology space. He also secures artist talent and executives for SoundExchange programs and initiatives and represents SoundExchange at industry events.
Omar is a seasoned music industry veteran with 16 years of experience. He has held roles at ViacomCBS, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment. Prior to joining SoundExchange, Omar was the Director of Artist Services of Latin for The Orchard, a global digital distributor, and founder of Olympus Music Group, an artist services company.
Omar earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland, and his MBA in Marketing & Management from the University of Miami.
Serona Elton, Head of Educational Partnerships at The MLC
Serona Elton serves as Head of Educational Partnerships for The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC). In this role, Elton directs The MLC’s efforts to engage future members of the music industry currently studying music business and related subjects at colleges and universities across the country and around the world.
With extensive experience as a music industry professional and educator, Elton is also a professor, Director of the Music Industry Program, and Associate Dean of Administration at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. She is also a Yamaha Master Educator.
Elton has worked for or with many top music companies including Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Universal Music Group, as an expert in licensing and royalties. She is co-author of the book Music Business Handbook and Career Guide (13th edition), and has contributed to news stories for NPR’s Marketplace, CNN.com, The New York Times, Billboard and other outlets.
Elton has served as a president of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA), as a trustee of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A., as the chair of the Florida Bar Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Section, and on the Recording Academy, Florida Chapter, Board of Governors. She is also an alumnus of the Nashville-based Leadership Music program, and a licensed attorney in New York and Florida.
Karl Avanzini, Associate Vice President, US Latin & Latin America at ASCAP
An executive with an exceptional understanding of music culture and entertainment, Avanzini has been an instrumental member of the U.S. Latin and Latin America membership team at The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) since 2001. He has signed and manages ASCAP’s relationships with some of its most successful members, including Sebastián Yatra, Keityn, Lele Pons, Andrés Castro, Mike Bahía, Manuel Medrano, Cali Y El Dandee, Julio Reyes Copello, Danny Ocean, Paulo Londra, Blessd and more. A passionate music creator advocate, Avanzini has also played a critical role in developing innovative, creator-first programming, including songs camps and showcases, to empower and support creators at every stage of their career. With 900,000 songwriters, composers, lyricists and music publisher members, representing more than 17 million copyrighted works, ASCAP is the world leader in performance royalties, advocacy and service for music creators. As the only U.S. PRO that is founded and governed by its members and the only one that operates on a not-for-profit basis, ASCAP puts music creators first.
Moderator: Neeta Ragoowansi, President of MMF-US
Neeta Ragoowansi –Neeta is Executive Director of Folk Alliance International (FAI) and also serves as President of Music Managers Forum – US (MMF-US), a Global Co-Chair for Women in Music, Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force for the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries, and Co-Founder of NPREX (National Performing Rights Exchange). She has been an attorney and music business professional for over 30 years, serving as a strategic advisor, business development resource, and legal counsel to entertainment, nonprofit, and tech industry clients. Prior to her position as ED of FAI, Neeta was Senior Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs for Global Citizen, founding head of artist-label relations and legal counsel for SoundExchange, VP of Biz Dev/Legal for Tunesat, Asst. General Counsel for The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Symphony Orchestra Association, and a former board governor for 10+ years for The Recording Academy (NY & DC). Neeta also currently serves on the advisory boards of IMMF (International Music Managers Forum), Gritty in Pink, IAFAR, All About Music and SXSW Conference. Neeta has served as speaker at over 300 music industry conferences re: the global music business, legal, and copyright topics, as well as Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility, elimination of bias, and women’s leadership and empowerment.