Mute Group has appointed David McGinnis to Head of Mute Song, the Group’s publishing division. McGinnis takes over from Andrew King who is moving into a consulting capacity.
Mute Song was founded in 1982 by Daniel Miller to provide a home for Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds who needed a publisher at the time. Mute Song continues to publish Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, and has gone on to sign writers such as Max Richter, Simon Fisher Turner, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Dinos Chapman, Public Service Broadcasting, Sir Bob Geldof, Underworld, Josh T. Pearson and Ben Frost.
Mute Song provides synchronisation marketing and licensing services to the whole Mute Group. The division is dynamic, discerning and provides a vibrant home for new and well-established writers. Mute Song continues to expand its roster and market reach and this year announced a partnership with House of Hassle as the company’s UK sub-publisher.
The division has seen success in film, television, computer game and advertising synchronisation. Under McGinnis’ guidance Mute has been nominated for four Music Week Sync Awards this year, including two nominations for Best Sync Team.
McGinnis joined Mute Song in 1999 as Head Of Licensing. His role soon expanded to cover A&R in which capacity he expanded the composer roster and secured significant sub-publishing deals.
McGinnis takes over from Andrew King, who, after 22 years at the helm of the publishing division, moves into a consulting capacity. King will continue to advise on key strategic projects for Mute Song.
McGinnis will be based in Mute Song’s London office and will report to Shirin Foroutan, Group Managing Director. In his new role, McGinnis will continue to work with Simon Ballard, Licensing Manager and Rob Scillitoe, Copyright & Royalties Manager.
Said McGinnis of his new role, “I am excited and honored to be leading Mute Song’s creative development and global expansion with the support of my colleagues and a truly inspiring roster of composers.”
Added Foroutan, “We’re delighted to announce David’s promotion. This is a well-earned move and fits within our plans for expansion. Mute Song is a young, fit and exciting company. We represent some very bright stars, and we continue to push forward, always looking for ways to expand our reach. We’re flexible in the way we think and work with artists and writers, and the service that David and his team provide is second to none. David is a deal maker who puts the interests of writers first – this is what sets us apart from others.”
“We’re also very lucky to be able to keep Andrew King on board as a consultant. Andrew has an unwavering commitment to the writers he has helped develop and has been a pioneering force at the helm of Mute Song. The combination of David and Andrew positions us well for continued growth and expansion in key markets, whilst continuing to nurture our current roster.”
For more information, contact [email protected].
