PANEL - Know Your Rights: Managing Your Music Licensing Portfolio
With streaming now the dominant global music consumption model, artists and managers must track every revenue stream to fully maximize the value of their intellectual property. Every year, tens of millions of dollars in royalties go unclaimed due to missing registrations, fragmented rights systems, and inaccurate metadata. Whether it’s neighboring rights, performance royalties, or mechanical royalties, failure to register with the relevant collection societies, CMOs, PROs, and rights organizations can leave significant money on the table. Even when registrations are in place, incomplete or inaccurate data can still prevent royalties from reaching the correct rights holders.
Jacob Paul, VP, Platform Growth & Brand Strategy, KOSIGN
Jacob Paul is VP of Platform Growth & Brand Strategy at Kobalt, where he drives development and expansion of the company’s global platforms. He is also a founding team member of KOSIGN, Kobalt’s flexible publishing platform, focused on growth, commercial strategy, and revenue.
Tomas Ericsson, CEO, amra
Tomas is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of extensive experience in the music industry. He has held key leadership roles at renowned organizations, showcasing a strong track record of success and innovation.
His journey began at STIM, where he served in various capacities, including Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Executive Vice President (EVP) of Media Markets, and Deputy CEO. During his tenure, Tomas played a pivotal role in driving strategic initiatives and spearheading collaborations, notably as one of the key architects behind the ICE joint venture between STIM and PRS in 2007. His leadership as ICE Managing Director until 2009 contributed significantly to the venture's success and impact on global music rights management.
Following his impactful contributions at STIM, Tomas transitioned to Kobalt Music Group in New York, where he assumed the role of President, Society Relations. In this capacity, he leveraged his expertise to strengthen relationships with stakeholders across the music industry, further enhancing Kobalt's position as a leader in music rights management and technology solutions.
Tomas's diverse professional journey also includes notable roles outside the music sector, such as Managing Director at Universal Pictures (Scandinavia), Finance Director at Dell Computers (Netherlands), and Vice President of Finance at Skandia America in New York. These experiences enriched his leadership acumen, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of financial management, international business operations, and strategic decision-making.
Throughout his career, Tomas has demonstrated a relentless commitment to excellence, strategic vision, and fostering collaborative partnerships. His multifaceted background and proven leadership make him a valuable asset in driving innovation and success within the music and entertainment industry.
Nick LaPointe, Senior Director of Business Development, Music Services
Nick LaPointe is Senior Director of Business Development at Music Services, a division of SESAC Music Group, where he focuses on YouTube administration, publishing and label administration, and distribution for artists and labels who own their masters. He brings more than 20 years of experience in music licensing, publishing, and business development. Before joining Music Services, he was Senior Director, Business Development at FUGA AVS, held the same role at AdRev, and spent nearly two decades at Warner Chappell Music directing mechanical licensing and YouTube operations.
Hayden Bower, Founder & CEO, AllTrack
Hayden Bower is Founder & CEO of AllTrack, a full-service and CISAC-accredited performing rights organization (PRO) built for independent songwriters and publishers. AllTrack is the only US PRO that also licenses and administers mechanical and neighboring rights, allowing songwriters, publishers, artists, producers, and labels to collect any combination of all three royalty streams. With the company’s proprietary integrated portal, creators and their teams no longer need to juggle separate PRO, MLC, and SoundExchange accounts, and gain access to modern technology that routinely recovers worldwide royalties that would otherwise go uncollected. Before founding AllTrack in 2017, Hayden served on the Board of Directors of SESAC.
Moderator: Neeta Ragoowansi, President of the MMF-US and IMMF
Neeta Ragoowansi is a seasoned music business executive and entertainment attorney with over 30 years of experience. She has served as a strategic advisor, business development resource, and legal counsel to clients across the entertainment and tech industries. Neeta is President of Music Managers Forum – US (MMF-US), President of the International Music Managers Forum (IMMF), Co-Founder of NPREX (National Performing Rights Exchange), and Global Co-Chair of Women in Music. She also serves on the advisory boards of Gritty in Pink and the All About Music Conference (India).
Her past roles include Executive Director of Folk Alliance International; Senior Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs for Global Citizen; founding head of artist-label relations and legal counsel for SoundExchange; Vice President of Business Development & Legal Affairs at Tunesat; and Assistant General Counsel for The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Symphony Orchestra Association. Neeta has also served as a board governor of The Recording Academy (New York and DC Chapters) for over a decade, and as Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force and Sponsorship Chair of the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries.
A sought-after speaker, Neeta has presented at more than 400 music industry conferences on topics including the global music business, artist management, licensing models, legal and copyright issues, as well as diversity, women’s leadership and empowerment.
