Global Music Rights (GMR) has signed a deal to represent the catalog of songs written by Prince, including “Purple Rain,” “1999,” “When Doves Cry” and “Raspberry Beret.” A long-time advocate of artists’ rights, Prince left ASCAP in 2014 seeking an alternative to traditional public performance licensing practices. The Estate, represented by Bremer Trust, their music industry advisors, Charles Koppelman and Londell McMillan, and attorney Jason Boyarski, concluded that GMR’s philosophy of providing an elite group of writers with heightened customer service and control was most consistent with Prince’s values. As of Oct. 1, 2016, GMR is responsible for licensing for all of Prince’s catalog--both released and unreleased tracks--on a worldwide basis.
Commenting on the signing, Irving Azoff, founder of GMR, said, “I couldn’t be happier that Prince, who, during his lifetime, I worked with at various times over the last 30 years, will have his incredible roster of works represented by GMR. Prince was an iconoclast, who never settled for second best, and now his Estate has ensured that the public performance rights are protected in a way befitting their significance.”
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GMR CEO, Randy Grimmett said, “Prince was a musical genius. It is a privilege to represent his vast catalog which has influenced, informed and inspired fans for decades.”
Estate advisor Koppelman stated that, “Uniting Prince with GMR was a no-brainer. He has always advocated for artist rights, and GMR is on the forefront of protecting performing rights for writers and composers. We are thrilled that we are part of Global Music Rights for worldwide representation.”
For more information, visit globalmusicrights.com.
