MBW’s World Leaders is an everyday sequence by which we flip the highlight towards among the most influential trade figures overseeing key worldwide markets. On this function, we converse to Chris Meehan, CEO of Publishing at Imagine. World Leaders is supported by SoundExchange.
Chris Meehan has spent practically twenty years within the publishing enterprise. He began out by fixing an issue he says the normal trade wasn’t addressing.
In 2006, whereas nonetheless a scholar at Liverpool’s Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), Meehan based Sentric Music with a easy however radical premise: impartial songwriters had been leaving cash on the desk, and no person was serving to them gather it.
“The very first thing you do is write a track, and you then play it stay,” Meehan explains. “So the primary piece of income you’re going to generate out of your music profession goes to be publishing. However there was simply nothing there [to help independent artists collect it].”
Sentric’s reply was then a rolling 28-day, non-exclusive contract providing an 80/20 royalty cut up whereas permitting writers to retain 100% of their copyrights.
The corporate grew from a college undertaking into a world operation representing over 4 million songs and 400,000 songwriters throughout 200 territories.
After a quick stint underneath Utopia Music’s possession following a 2022 acquisition, Sentric was bought to Imagine in March 2023 in a deal valued at €47 million ($51 million).
That acquisition has now culminated in a big milestone. In October 2025, Imagine formally launched Imagine Music Publishing, with Meehan on the helm as CEO of Publishing.
The division operates with 160 publishing consultants throughout a number of markets, constructing on Sentric’s know-how and assortment infrastructure whereas leveraging Imagine’s international footprint spanning 47 international locations.
“We’ve put groups into France, Germany, India and Southeast Asia,” says Meehan. “The status that Imagine has of their markets simply permits us to make the most of the success of Imagine’s journey to speed up our place.”
Right here, Meehan discusses Sentric’s origins, Imagine’s publishing ambitions, the know-how powering their assortment infrastructure, and what he’d change concerning the international music enterprise…
WHEN YOU FOUNDED SENTRIC IN 2006, THE DIY DISTRIBUTION MODEL WAS JUST EMERGING WITH COMPANIES LIKE TUNECORE. WHAT GAP DID YOU SEE IN THE MARKET FOR PUBLISHING?
On the time, TuneCore and the like had simply launched, so you may get your music onto iTunes. It was very a lot the DIY ethos – “I’m gonna do it myself, I’m gonna run my very own label.”
However there was simply nothing there for publishing. The extra we seemed, the extra we noticed that the most important drawback was entry to the infrastructure to gather. There have been plenty of nice A&R individuals and many nice corporations, however they’ll solely work with the identical quantity of individuals they’ll work with. Everybody else is sort of left to fend for themselves.
So we checked out making a mannequin whereby we might assist individuals gather the cash they had been already making that they in all probability didn’t know they had been already making.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN CONVINCING INDEPENDENT ARTISTS THEY NEEDED PUBLISHING REPRESENTATION?
It was convincing them that publishing existed. You needed to educate individuals on what publishing was earlier than you may then inform them how you may assist them. I don’t suppose that’s any totally different as we speak, actually – it’s received extra sophisticated than it was.
Again in 2006, most of your revenue as an impartial artist was coming from stay performances. Now, stay continues to be a bit, however it’s a bit of a a lot greater puzzle.
The most important difficulty was telling individuals they had been leaving cash on the desk. We used to say: the very first thing you do is write a track, you then play it stay to get validation. So the primary piece of income you’re going to generate out of your music profession goes to be publishing.
“PUBLISHING FELT LIKE A DARK ART. THERE’S A LOT MORE EDUCATION NOW THAN THERE WAS 20 YEARS AGO.”
In case you play sufficient reveals – the Simply Introducing levels, the stay circuit – perhaps that means that you can gather the cash to fund the subsequent recording, the subsequent a part of your profession. It was very a lot schooling into how issues work. It felt like a darkish artwork. There’s much more schooling now than there was 20 years in the past.
SENTRIC PIONEERED THE NON-EXCLUSIVE APPROACH TO MUSIC PUBLISHING. WHY WAS THAT SO IMPORTANT?
We checked out all of the the explanation why a songwriter wouldn’t have interaction with the ecosystem that’s going to pay them cash, and we tried to do away with all of the obstacles.
One of many obstacles – very a lot spoken about on the time – was copyright possession and management. We didn’t need to put that as a barrier. We didn’t need long-term contracts. We didn’t need to put punitive phrases on the desk.
We checked out: how can we assist individuals in the best means? And it was eliminating all the the explanation why they wouldn’t have interaction.
The way in which we checked out it was that if we do what we are saying we’re going to do, then we offer an alternative choice to a conventional publishing deal. We’ve nonetheless received among the very first writers that we labored with as we speak. In case you do an excellent job and also you do what you say you’re going to do, why would somebody depart? What does exclusivity and long-term actually matter should you’re doing the precise factor?
BELIEVE ACQUIRED SENTRIC IN 2023. WHAT MADE THEM THE RIGHT PARTNER FOR SENTRIC’S NEXT CHAPTER?
We had been at a degree the place we’d been going for 17 years. One of many issues we knew we had been actually good at was our skill to gather royalties on a world foundation and place ourselves to supply worth to purchasers.
One of many issues we struggled with was learn how to roll that out internationally. We had a world income base, we had a world shopper base, however we weren’t actually a world firm.
Imagine has grown tremendously over the identical time interval. It made sense for us to take a look at how we could possibly be in markets that we in all probability didn’t learn about. With Imagine’s digital focus and digital management, and digital royalties collections rising, they had been very uniquely positioned with their relationships with the DSPs and their international market share.
“IN TWO AND A HALF YEARS, WE’VE ACCELERATED OUR STAFF AND TEAMS ACROSS THE WORLD IN MARKETS WE JUST WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT.”
In two and a half years, we’ve accelerated our employees and groups internationally in markets we simply would by no means have been in a position to take a look at. The factor we began with in 2006 – entry to assortment – we’re now in a position to carry that to markets the place we are able to make an actual distinction, particularly now that every little thing is much more digital and international.
WHICH MARKETS IN PARTICULAR WERE YOU TRYING TO EXPAND INTO THAT YOU’RE NOW REACHING VIA BELIEVE?
We’ve put groups into France, Germany, India, and Southeast Asia – straight the place Imagine have gotten massive footprints. The status that Imagine has of their markets simply permits us to make the most of the success of Imagine’s journey to speed up our place.
We’ve already seen success in signings reminiscent of Ben Zucker in Germany, French rapper R2, main Punjabi singer-songwriter Garry Sandhu and lots of extra.
Our industrial relationship with Imagine started through TuneCore in 2018. When Sentric began working with them in 2018, we utilized our know-how and assortment functionality to the TuneCore publishing catalogue, and we noticed fast progress from there.
There are a few key purchasers we signed collectively, like Viva Information within the Philippines. It’s actually about ensuring that we are able to gather the cash from the pockets of consumption that occur world wide that is perhaps very unsighted.
TELL US ABOUT THE PROPRIETARY TECHNOLOGY THAT UNDERPINS BELIEVE MUSIC PUBLISHING.
We’re very distinctive as a publishing firm – very tech-focused and tech-enabled. It’s all the time been on the forefront.
Again in 2006, we constructed know-how which suited the enterprise mannequin we had on the time, fairly than suited the aptitude or the ambition for what publishing may turn out to be. Round 2014-2015, we restarted constructing. We introduced our builders in-house and began fascinated with what publishing seems to be like in 15-20 years. What are the issues we’re going to should face? What are the alternatives? What are the weaknesses?
The know-how infrastructure we’ve received now runs guidelines for purchasers in any means they could want – whether or not that’s easy track registrations, augmented ISRC matching, rights accounting. We use it to energy our relationship with CMOs. We additionally use it to ensure we’re enriching information on the shopper facet.
“WE’VE PROBABLY DEALT WITH MORE DATA IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR THAN WE DID IN THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS.”
The place we’re trying now could be changing into an information powerhouse by way of having the ability to match [consumption data to works]. One of many greatest issues we see as a difficulty is the quantity of information that must be matched and what our position is within the chain of management on that information.
We have to supply and management as a lot information as potential and depend on third events as little as potential. We’ve in all probability handled extra information within the first half of this yr than we did within the earlier two years. The route of journey goes a technique, and we should be 5 to seven years forward.
HOW DOES BELIEVE MUSIC PUBLISHING DIFFERENTIATE ITSELF FROM MAJOR PUBLISHERS AND OTHER INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING COMPANIES?
The know-how now we have, the best way we have interaction with information, the best way we current that again to purchasers – that’s undoubtedly one massive differentiator.
We need to ensure we’re translating information right into a consumable means. Simply because we’ve received plenty of it doesn’t imply we must always move plenty of it on. Translating that into what individuals need to see – which might be a well being verify – is vital. Is my track registered? Has it been acknowledged? Is the royalty flowing? Am I getting paid for Spotify in each market, or is there a spot? We see our CMO relationships much less as membership and extra as partnership, as a result of we’re in there to innovate and ensure we’re being an excellent accomplice from an information and registration perspective.
“WE’VE GOT 160 PUBLISHING EXPERTS NOW IN THE BUSINESS ACROSS ALL THE MARKETS WE’RE IN.”
And we’ve received 160 publishing consultants now within the enterprise throughout all of the markets we’re in – a really direct piece of constructing certain we’re there for the writers within the territories we’re signing them. We offer alternatives outdoors of information enrichment that is perhaps by way of sync, or inventive. Imagine operates in over 50 markets, and there’s recordings taking place in each single a kind of, and each recording wants a track. The inventive alternative we are able to carry to the desk for writers may be very distinctive.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST PAIN POINTS IN MUSIC PUBLISHING TODAY, AND HOW IS BELIEVE POSITIONED TO ADDRESS THEM?
There are many information challenges, plenty of scale challenges that all of us want to beat. We’ve seen actual constructive steps from a number of the CMOs to maneuver to faster cost cycles, which once more comes with the necessity to deal with information faster.
Being forward of the curve with DSPs is vital, and that’s the place Imagine is uniquely positioned – now we have these international relationships on the sound recording and the publishing facet. Ensuring we’re taking a look at worth alternatives in addition to making certain we’re being remunerated correctly.
One of many greatest points is licensing offers. We’re nonetheless not absolutely all the time licensed for completely every little thing that pops off, and that reactivity time might be just a little bit too lengthy. We’re having these conversations on each the sound recording and publishing facet so we are able to get forward of the curve and forward of the development.
HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT AI AND ITS IMPACT ON SONGWRITERS AND THE PUBLISHING BUSINESS?
The most important concern for songwriters in all probability stands again to the start of the century, which is the unknown. Something that’s an unknown is one thing we’re naturally fearful about.
Denis [Ladegaillerie] talked about it not too long ago – there’s marginal income alternative and marginal risk from the info he’s checked out. One thing like 34% of tracks uploaded to Deezer are absolutely AI-generated and accounting for 0.5% of streams on the platform. So I don’t actually suppose we ought to be specializing in AI eliminating songwriters.
The way in which we’re taking a look at it at Imagine is round worth safety and worth creation. On the safety facet, we’ve received consent, management, compensation, and transparency as our 4 guiding rules.
“WITH BMI AND ASCAP ACCEPTING GENERATIVE AI REGISTRATIONS, WE’RE MOVING INTO A WORLD WHERE THERE’S A BIT MORE CONTEXT AROUND THE COMPLEXITY OF AI.”
Match that with worth creation – the Spotify initiative we simply turned part of, taking a look at methods to achieve audiences utilizing AI. With many CMOs accepting generative AI registrations, we’re transferring right into a world the place there’s a bit extra context across the complexity of what AI seems to be like. That ought to reassure writers that whereas there may be an inherent risk, there’s additionally alternative. We’re there to assist defend the worth and create extra worth.
From a enterprise effectivity perspective, issues are transferring day by day. We’ve repositioned a few of our growth workforce into innovation squads to take a look at the artwork of the potential. A few of the issues we’ve been in a position to do by way of querying and interrogating information – we simply wouldn’t be capable to do with standard tech. There’s an enormous alternative for enterprise effectivity and processing.
WHAT ARE YOUR LONG-TERM PREDICTIONS FOR THE GLOBAL MUSIC PUBLISHING BUSINESS?
Having been round for 20 years and began once we did, we’ve seen many alternative waves come and go. Consolidation will proceed to occur, and consolidation creates alternative for corporations invested in rising their service enterprise.
From a publishing market perspective, we’re as buoyant as ever concerning the alternative for impartial publishers. We’re going to proceed to have information gaps, points round matching and transparency. Turning into nearer to the DSPs is absolutely going to assist with transparency round funds.
“IF YOU LOOK BACK FIVE YEARS, THEN FIVE YEARS BEFORE THAT, THE THINGS WE’RE TALKING ABOUT NOW WEREN’T EVEN ON THE RADAR.”
In case you’ve been doing this for 20 years, the long-term in all probability isn’t any longer than 5 years. In case you look again 5 years, then 5 years earlier than that, the issues we’re speaking about now weren’t even on the radar.
We should be far more data-focused, tech-focused, global-thinking in the best way we gather. We’re in a singular place at Imagine – very sturdy tech focus, and we are able to deploy that with very sturdy music executives. That places us ready the place we are able to adapt to modifications we would not foresee and capitalize on those we are able to.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
Comfortable songwriters and publishers.
Going again to the philosophy at first of Sentric – if you’ve received somebody on a rolling 28-day deal and so they can depart at any time, it actually focuses you on serving individuals in the best way you’d count on to be served your self.
Ensuring we’ve received that ethos all through the enterprise. And catalyzing on the inventive alternative inside Imagine. What’s been nice coming into Imagine from being an out of doors accomplice is that it appears like one firm, not dozens of workplaces world wide. We’re all aligned from the exec workforce all the best way all the way down to native groups. That’s what’s going to supply extra alternative for the recording and publishing enterprise than we’ve seen earlier than.
IF THERE WAS ONE THING YOU COULD CHANGE ABOUT THE GLOBAL MUSIC BUSINESS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
World alignment from CMOs and publishers. That’s it, actually.
After we have a look at alternatives, they turn out to be threats as a result of we don’t suppose globally. We predict regionally, we predict regionally. The recorded and publishing sides don’t typically have the identical view.
We’d be lots higher at capitalizing on alternatives if there was alignment on each facet of the rights in each market on this planet. That may lead us to have a lot simpler lives.
“WE DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN THE US THAN WE DO IN EUROPE, THAN WE DO IN SOUTH AMERICA. IT CREATES FRICTION AND DELAY.”
We’re beginning to consider multi-territory licensing, however it’s not international. You do one thing totally different within the US than you do in Europe, than you do in South America. It creates friction, and it creates delay.
If we had that international alignment and actually thought globally about how we have interaction with DSPs – who’re international – we’d be capable to move down the advantage of that regionally, in addition to facilitate international careers and international songs.
SoundExchange was independently fashioned in 2003 to construct a fairer, less complicated, and extra environment friendly music trade by way of know-how, information, and advocacy. The one group designated by the U.S. authorities to manage the Part 114 sound recording license, SoundExchange collects and distributes digital efficiency royalties on behalf of 700,000 music creators and rising.Music Enterprise Worldwide
