Bob Wise-founded Music Sales to rebrand as Wise Music Group

The Australian operations of leading independent music publisher Music Sales Group is rebranding to Wise Music Group as part of a global change.

The company has a standalone office in Sydney, along with London, New York, Los Angeles, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris, Tokyo and Berlin.

Jane English, managing director of the Sydney office told TMN that the change will take place on Monday (February 3).

Wise Music Group will continue to operate a global network comprising over 60 publishing houses, 30 imprints, 2 record labels, 2 digital music education companies, a book publisher, and a live concert & theatrical production company.

Company chairman Robert Wise says, “With historic roots in print publishing, we have recently refocused on expanding our already substantial portfolio of copyrights across all styles of music.

“We work hard to maximise the value of those copyrights while promoting the talents of our impressive roster of contemporary composers.

“Our new name reflects both the continuity of our business approach and the fact that ours is a family business with two generations of the Wise family well established and guiding our future progress.”

English adds, “Music Sales was established in Australia in 1972.

“It began life in the iconic J. Albert & Sons’ offices in King Street, Sydney, such was the close friendship between Ted Albert and Bob Wise.

“Bob had entrusted Ted’s company with the Australian publishing rights to the best of the Music Sales’ catalogue, Ted in turn managed and distributed the Music Sales print business.

“Music Sales has had a long history in Australia, an independent music publishing company that follows its own path.

“The guiding force (locally and globally) has always been Bob Wise.”

Wise Music Group owns or controls nearly half a million copyrights – including the world’s largest independent holding of historic and contemporary classical music.

The company represents nearly 100 of today’s most successful living composers and songwriters working in classical music, opera, ballet, pop, film, television and advertising.

The US company signed Evan Dando of The Lemonheads.

Tomas Wise, CEO of Wise Music USA, reveals, “Growing up my brothers and I listened to The Lemonheads religiously. “We were their biggest fans.”

The company also just inked multi-instrumentalist and composer Ólafur Arnalds to a worldwide publishing deal with Wise Music imprint Bosworth Music GmbH.