This morning Sony/ATV Music Publishing chairman/CEO Martin Bandier confirmed he’s stepping down and leaving the corporate on the finish of his contract, which expires in March 2019, in a letter to his workers.
The memo comes on the heels of the information that Warner/Chappell chairman/CEO Jon Platt will leave that company earlier than the tip of this yr, in preparation to exchange Bandier.
In the memo to staffers, Bandier notes that in his 12 years with the corporate, it has grown from being the fourth-biggest music writer on its strategy to turning into the most important, when it comes to income, if it completes its acquisition of EMI Music Publishing.
Below, learn Bandier’s full letter to his workers.
Dear all,
I need to let you already know that I’m planning to depart Sony/ATV on the finish of my contract in March of subsequent yr, after what can have been 12 unimaginable years with the corporate. I can say with out hesitation that my time right here has been absolutely the spotlight of my profession, and I’m extraordinarily pleased with all the pieces that we now have achieved collectively.
On this journey, we now have grown from being ranked the world’s fourth greatest music writer to turning into the clear No. 1. As I’ve at all times stated, being and staying No. 1 shouldn’t be a magnificence contest, and we now have grown into this place by being the most effective throughout the board — creatively, administratively and financially. This was underpinned by our most up-to-date monetary yr, which was our finest ever.
During my time right here, I’ve had the pleasure to get to know and work with so many gifted songwriters, together with Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Pharrell, Pink, Sting, Carole King, Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy and Sara Bareilles. The record might go on and on, however there are merely too many phenomenal writers to say everybody by title. I’m nonetheless proud to have advocated for all of them.
Further, it’s outstanding to suppose that after I first joined Sony/ATV in 2007 the corporate had by no means received an ASCAP or BMI Pop Publisher of the Year award. It was not lengthy thereafter that we received ASCAP Publisher of the Year, and I bear in mind how proud Michael Jackson (who then nonetheless owned half of Sony/ATV) was that we had acquired this main award. Since then, I’m happy to say that Sony/ATV and our writers have received many different Songwriter and Publisher of the Year titles, in addition to many different honors all around the world.
Of all of the awards and achievements which have occurred throughout my time right here, nevertheless, there are two private highlights. One is successful a GRAMMY, turning into the primary ever writer to obtain the President’s Merit Award. The different is the unimaginable success of the college that I endowed to Syracuse University. The Bandier Program has change into one of many main music enterprise colleges within the United States, and I’m inspired and proud to know that the scholars who’ve graduated from it at the moment are working at lots of the finest corporations in our business. Thanks to them, I do know that the way forward for the music enterprise is in terrific arms.
It can also be vital to notice that, whereas we now have been profitable in rising our enterprise and sustaining our place as the most important music writer on this planet, we now have by no means overpassed the truth that our precedence is to combat tirelessly on behalf of our songwriters and to make sure that they’re totally compensated for his or her work, each by streaming corporations and different music providers that use their songs. Rankings matter, however our songwriters and their music matter probably the most. I feel we now have made nice progress in that regard, and I’ll proceed that combat for songwriters after I depart Sony/ATV.
I’d additionally prefer to thank Sony for giving me the chance to guide this firm by the music business’s complicated and ever-changing panorama, and at a time when representing the rights of songwriters has by no means been extra vital and vital. It has been extremely satisfying to develop the corporate to be the main music writer on this planet, and I’m assured that Sony/ATV and its writers are set for even extra successes sooner or later.
Finally, I want to take this chance to thanks all for all the pieces that you’ve got contributed to Sony/ATV throughout my time right here. It has been an incredible expertise working with you. And we nonetheless have six extra thrilling months collectively, in what’s already proving to be one other nice yr for Sony/ATV and our songwriters. I’m decided that, as nice as final yr was for us, this one might be even higher.
I sit up for sharing what’s forward for me with you quickly, and I’ll be following all of your successes lengthy after I’ve left.
Warmest regards,
Martin Bandier
