UK-based publishing administrator Sentric Music Group has formed a global administration deal with Rough Trade Publishing (RTP) covering the latter’s roster that includes Alvvays, Chelsea Wolfe, The Magnetic Fields and Beau Young Prince.
The deal comes a year after Sentric Music Group was acquired by Switzerland-headquartered fintech company Utopia Music, with Sentric founder Chris Meehan joining Utopia as Vice President of Royalty Management Services.
RTP’s roster, which also includes The Tallest Man On Earth, Fugazi, Against Me!, Built To Spill, Mission of Burma and Black Lips, will gain access to Sentric’s administration infrastructure and technology and its teams in the US and other markets.
Founded in 1991 at the Rough Trade record store in London, RTP was later acquired by New York-born indie publishing heavyweight House Of Hassle, the publishing arm of Bank Robber Industries, in 2016. The deal saw the combination of their catalogs to form Rough Trade Publishing.
RTP’s affiliates includes Bank Robber Industries’ other units including synch licensing firm Bank Robber Music, and custom music house Academy Fight Songs.
RTP now runs out of its main office in Hoboken, New Jersey, and a satellite office and recording studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
In 2017, Primary Wave Music Publishing bought an equity stake in RTP for more than $5 million, and agreed to provide the company with future financing.
Meanwhile, the agreement with Sentric follows the latter company’s expansion into the US last year and its acquisition by Switzerland-headquartered fintech company Utopia Music.
Liverpool-based Sentric has since formed a team across London, Hamburg and New York.
“I look forward to seeing where Sentric powering this iconic powerhouse of indie music can take us all.”
Simon Perry, Sentric
Sentric’s North America team is led by Simon Perry, who was appointed President and Head of A&R for North America.
Speaking about the latest deal, Perry says: “The newly formed team in the US have been working tirelessly to bring the Sentric brand and ethos to a wide and diverse range of US clients. I’m delighted to see Sentric grow so quickly in this territory, particularly with institutional brands such as Rough Trade Publishing, entrusting us with the administration of their incredible catalog.
“I look forward to seeing where Sentric powering this iconic powerhouse of indie music can take us all. It’s been a pleasure working with Gandhar, AJ and Lyle to create this partnership, and I’m looking forward to supporting the entire Rough Trade Publishing team and their writers.”
“This new partnership with Sentric will simultaneously give RTP’s writers access to industry-leading reporting technology and allow the company to focus their efforts on what they do best; finding and supporting the best artists and writers on the planet.”
Matt DuFour, Sentric
Sentric US A&R Director Matt DuFour added: “I am beyond excited to be able to work alongside Gandhar, AJ and Lyle and the whole of the Rough Trade Publishing team. RTP is an iconic brand with an amazing A&R track record.”
Added DuFour: “This new partnership with Sentric will simultaneously give RTP’s writers access to industry-leading reporting technology and allow the company to focus their efforts on what they do best; finding and supporting the best artists and writers on the planet.”
“Now more than ever, independent publishers need to engage in the process, and provide 360 degree support for their writers. RTP has a proven track record with A&R, music licensing and creative services.”
Gandhar Savur, Rough Trade Publishing
Sentric claims to represent more than 4 million works and over 400,000 songwriters directly or through industry partners including music publishers, independent labels, management companies and distributors.
Rough Trade Publishing partner and SVP Legal Affairs, Gandhar Savur, also commented on the deal with Sentric, saying: “Now more than ever, independent publishers need to engage in the process, and provide 360-degree support for their writers.
“RTP has a proven track record with A&R, music licensing and creative services; now being able to combine those strengths with Sentric’s excellence in administration and collections, we believe we can offer our writers the best of both worlds.”
Added Rough Trade Publishing partner and Head of A&R, AJ Tobey: “We are immensely proud of the roster of artists and writers that we’ve built at RTP.
“Bringing Sentric’s expertise in administration into the fold only makes us even more confident that we are offering our roster incredible service, across all aspects of publishing.”
Music Business Worldwide
