Publishing

Administration-Partner for world-wide publishing

Rolf Budde Musikverlag GmbH

What makes Piranha a successful publisher?

Know-how, gained from over 20 years of publishing experience
Meticulous data maintence
Synergy between our label and publishing activities
In-depth knowledge of and passion for our music catalogue
Individual service to fit individual client needs
Strong partnerships throughout the world
Pro-active lobbying and networking

Which services does Piranha offer?

Administration worldwide
Information about all aspects of world wide publishing
Efficient hand-over of royalties
Access to a network of sub publishers in 25 countries
Rights deals for television, film, sampling and remixes
Marketing (with MusicScout, our user-friendly catalogue database, promotional CDs plus other publicity activities)
Legal advice (expert guidance through the global rights jungle)
A "one-stop-shop" for all publishing needs

Piranha, the publisher

Publishing has been a central pillar of our work since the very beginning and was never simply a side activity to our label. Piranha is an official, full member ("ordentliches Mitglied") of GEMA (Germany's copyright collective), an exclusive level of membership accessable only after years of profitable business experience (for reference - as of 31 December 2007 there were 53,310 "normal" members and only 3,026 "full" members). We've also been a member of the the DMV "Deutscher Musikverleger-Verband e.V." for many years, an association representing the interests of music publishers throughout the Germany which represents over 500 music publishers.

From the very start, Piranha aimed to give artists a portion of the usage rights for their compositions. Christoph Borkowsky Akbar founded the Piranha label in 1987 together with a publishing department, displaying foresight unusual for the time. For artists from the USA, Africa and the Balkans, this represented a chance to benefit from profits gained through concerts, radio and televsion play. For Piranha, it offered strength for rights negotiations. In the ensuing 20 years, Piranha Musik & Publishing has developed an efficient structure with worldwide reach, with sub publishers in 25 countries, precise, expert administration and well-maintained data. Since 2007 we also offer our services to foreign publishers in the role of sub publisher. For example, London-based World Music Network/Riverboat uses us exclusively for their titles in all German-speaking countries.

Daily Business - How do we work?

The chief foundation of our successful, worldwide work as a small team is the thorough documentation of all titles and the data associated with each (i.e. Metadata, contractual details, etc.)

Copyright and Publishing Administration:

This is the point of intersection between contractual partners (musicians, composers, lyricists, sub publishers) Piranha and GEMA. Agreements made in the Legal Business Affairs department are set down in a contract. In order for a composer to reap profits from the use of his or her music, each individual title must be registered with GEMA as well as internationally. To achieve this, we maintain close contact to international sub publishers and our worldwide network. This guarantees worldwide supervision and control.

Sub publishing:

We also look after the works of foreign publishers in our role as sub publisher - we register them and check and transfer royalties that GEMA collects. These royalty accounts are regularly, systematically balanced with the original foreign publisher each half-year. Semi-annual royalty invoices are also issued for authors/composers. All international publishing and licensing partners are regularly provided with new releases and, upon request, any additional CDs.

Licensing:

Thanks to our international reputation, we receive many enquiries (for example, for so-called "sync" licenses) from potential customers around the globe. But this doesn't keep us from actively offering our music to targeted markets. For more information, see Licensing and MusicScout.