SoundExchange Welcomes Mitch Glazier, Alasdair McMullan, Laurie Soriano, and Jeff Walker to Board of Directors

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Apr 24, 2019, 10:00 ET

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SoundExchange today announced the addition of Mitch Glazier, the Chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Alasdair McMullan, Senior Vice President for Business and Legal Affairs at Universal Music Group, Laurie Soriano, a leading entertainment attorney, and Jeff Walker, Executive Vice President and Head, Business and Legal Affairs, Global Digital Business at Sony Music, to its board of directors. The announcement follows important milestones for the company that include a record $953 million royalty distribution in 2018, and its entrance into the publishing space through the acquisition of the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA).

Laurie and Jeff were recently appointed to SoundExchange's Board of Directors, and Mitch and Alasdair were appointed at the beginning of the year. Jeff and Alasdair have previously served on SoundExchange's board.

SoundExchange's 18 board members represent a broad cross section of the music industry, including representatives from both major and independent labels, recording artists, and music organizations, ensuring that SoundExchange remains an organization by and for the industry.

"I am pleased to welcome Mitch, Alasdair, Laurie, and Jeff to the SoundExchange Board of Directors. Their experience and perspective about our rapidly growing industry combined with the deep respect of their peers, will be a tremendous addition to our board and I am looking forward to working with them," SoundExchange President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Huppe said.

"I have worked with Mike and the SoundExchange team for years and I know the positive impact they have made as advocates for music creators. We worked closely together on the fight to pass the Music Modernization Act, and I am honored to join SoundExchange in this capacity," Glazier said.

"While many aspects of the music industry continue to change and evolve, one constant during my career has been to focus on supporting the rights of music creators," McMullan said. "I'm proud to bring that same emphasis to SoundExchange's board and the company's mission of providing royalty solutions for labels and recording artists."

"SoundExchange and its subsidiaries, SXWorks and CMRRA, have developed important tools that benefit recording artists and songwriters alike. I look forward to helping SoundExchange as they continue to deliver new solutions for all creators in our industry," Soriano said.

"Digital royalties like those administered by SoundExchange enable our industry to continue investing in new music. SoundExchange's services are more important than ever to recording artists and to companies that support recording artists. I appreciate the opportunity to serve on its Board once again," Walker said.

About SoundExchange

SoundExchange provides royalty solutions for sound recordings and publishing, serving as a critical backbone to today's digital music industry. The organization collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of more than 185,000 recording artists' and master rights owners' accounts. Its technology solutions help turn massive amounts of data into accurate revenue for creators and include: Music Data Exchange (MDX), International Standard Recording Codes (ISRC) Search, and the Notice of Intention to Use (NOI) LOOKUP. To date, SoundExchange has paid out more than $6 billion in royalties. For more information, visit www.SoundExchange.com.

About Our New Directors

Mitch Glazier is Chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Chairman of the Board of Musicians on Call, and serves on the Boards of IFPI, Leadership Music, and the Lutheran Church of St. Andrew in Silver Spring, Maryland. For more than 20 years, Glazier has been at the forefront of building the new music ecosystem. He helped build the unprecedented coalition that mobilized to enact the Music Modernization Act (MMA). As a senior House Judiciary Committee counsel, he helped pass pioneering legislation that paved the way for the streaming economy, including the Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act to assure that music creators are compensated for use of their music by digital partners.

Alasdair McMullan is Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at Universal Music Group. In this role, he oversees a team of attorneys who are responsible for the maintenance and supervision of litigation globally on behalf of the company. Alasdair is known for finding legal solutions that advance the creation of music, and he was recognized as one of Billboard's 2018 Top Music Lawyers. He joined Universal Music Group after its acquisition of EMI Music, where he was Executive Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs for EMI Music North America. Prior to EMI, McMullan was an attorney at the law firm of Cowan Liebowitz & Latman in New York, where he specialized in copyright and entertainment litigation.

Laurie Soriano is a partner in the Los Angeles law firm King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano, LLP. She represents a multitude of clients including recording artists, composers, songwriters, music supervisors, producers, record companies, publishing companies, and various others in the music, entertainment and digital fields. Previously she was a partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, where she chaired the firm's music department and co-chaired its entertainment group, and at Davis, Shapiro. She is an accomplished poet whose work has been widely published. She has written and spoken extensively on entertainment and marketing topics.

Jeff Walker is Executive Vice President and Head of Business and Legal Affairs for Sony Music's Global Digital Business where he oversees worldwide Business Affairs for the digital group. Walker is an adept business leader and has helped Sony Music and its artists thrive as the industry has shifted to streaming services. He also manages Sony Music's Content Protection team, developing strategy and enforcement policy. Mr. Walker previously held various positions at Sony Music and BMG Entertainment, including as Head of Business & Legal Affairs for the Columbia/Epic Label Group and Head of Business Affairs for RCA Records. Before entering the music business, Jeff worked as a corporate associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York.

SOURCE SoundExchange