Some today claim to equate music with a commodity. Proponents of this theory, including certain lobbies, would like to see copyright disappear, deeming it obsolete and unsuitable for recent technological advancements. More pragmatically, these views rely on purely economic reasoning. However, even though the creative work that is music contributes to what is commonly referred to as “consumer society,” which largely appeals to emotional power—especially in advertising—it cannot be considered an ordinary product. On the contrary, its very nature demands that it be subject to different rules.
Musical creation today faces a major and fundamental challenge: the preservation of copyright values in Europe and copyright laws in Anglo-Saxon countries. In this regard, we must commend the European Union for adopting the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Age on February 20, 2019, which provides for fair remuneration for authors and their publishers when their works are exploited by internet service providers.
Yet, despite the interests and rights of creators, will we see in the future the emergence of outsourced editions that rely on composers producing music in bulk to allow audiovisual producers to acquire it at a lower cost? Or will artificial intelligence be able to create music from algorithms? In other words, is a form of publishing without creators—and without publishers in the conventional sense—envisionable? On the other hand, is it possible to have audiovisual productions in which music plays a negligible or even non-existent role?
We must hope that music production companies will establish themselves and foster the emergence of new talents with a constant concern for quality. These companies, through the services they provide, could become reference brands akin to those in other sectors where originality and quality of creation make all the difference.
In the digital age, the prospects for music production are considerable. In the current context, its potential is particularly promising if we consider it from the perspective of creation combined with technological performance. In a field where the volume of works in circulation is increasingly significant, it is likely that, in the near future, the question of indexing works in search engines will prove crucial. In this context, a new and essential profession in music publishing should emerge: that of the indexer. Alongside the advisors responsible for guiding users, this role will be vital for enhancing repertoires within websites.
But beyond the performance of communication tools and marketing techniques, it is creation that remains the keystone of any editorial activity. “Publishing cannot happen without authors,” said the famous literary publisher Gaston Gallimard. In this domain, the role of the production music publisher, like that of any other form of publishing, is to facilitate the dissemination of the expression of creators’ talent. Thus, we can imagine that in the coming years, audiovisual professionals will seek music not only based on their needs but also because it was composed by musicians whose creations they appreciate, just as we listen to our favorite artists for pleasure. These same creations could, alongside their access in the audiovisual network, reach the general public regardless of their original intended use.
A considerable and exciting amount of work remains to be done for production music to become the creative field it has potentially been for so long.
In this spirit, for several years, the Mark Awards presented at the Production Music Committee in Los Angeles have recognized the best albums, tracks, and uses by publishers and creators of production music, while the Production Music Awards take place annually in London.
Frédéric Leibovitz
© 2019 by Cezame Music Agency – Frédéric Leibovitz, Publisher
Representative Organizations:
USA: PMA (Production Music Association)
United Kingdom: LPAG (Library Publisher Advisory Group) – A Committee of MCPS.
France: ULM (Union des Librairies Musicales)
EPMA (European Production Music Association).