Peermusic strikes partnership with Trackdown for ANZ

Image: Trackdown Digital’s activation with Dell

US-headquartered global music publisher peermusic has struck a new strategic partnership with Sydney music and TV / film production studio Trackdown Digital to oversee creative, A&R, synch activities and new business opportunities for Australia and New Zealand.

Under the deal, Kathy Spanberger, Los Angeles-based peermusic President, remains Managing Director of the Australian company.

Trackdown Digital’s Managing Director Geoff Watson – who co-founded it 25 years ago with one time band mate, the late Simon Leadley – will additionally assume Vice President of A&R and New Projects duties for the publisher.

Music Supervisor Gary Seeger, who brought his licensing firm Seeger Music to Trackdown Digital in in January 2014, will serve as peermusic Australia’s Creative Director. Seeger previously filled executive positions at PolyGram Music, Universal Music and Mushroom Music.

Vera Lente, a peermusic Australia executive of 20 years, is promoted to Director of Administration. Peermusic’s local operations now move into Trackdown.

Watson told TMN that aside from signing new talent, the strategy is also “to find new ways to encourage and develop artists, and new ways to develop new revenue streams. We have a number of TV projects in mind where we could tap into these ideas and also utilise peermusic’s huge catalogue of songs.”

Aside from music and visual development division Highway 125, Trackdown has the largest orchestral recording stage in the Southern Hemisphere, as well as scoring stages, production suites and theatres. Its full production concert venue has been used by Coldplay, Chicago, LMFAO, Justin Bieber, James Morrison and One Direction.

Australian signings will work with peermusic’s overseas writers and sync connections. Says Watson, “What is exciting about all this is that while peermusic is a successful worldwide company, it is still a family-run concern which means that decisions are made very quickly. They are a company that encourages innovation.” New signings under the deal are expected to begin next month.

Aside from contemporary pop, peermusic’s catalogue is particularly strong in Latin and country music. Set up in 1923 in New York by A&R man Ralph S. Peer, it was first known as Southern Music Publishing Company, Inc.

Peer worked with Louis Armstrong, Mamie Smith and Fiddlin’ John Carson, discovered Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family and acquired future standards as You Are My Sunshine, Walk Right In, The Great Pretender and Georgia On My Mind. He was among the first to realise the huge commercial potential of music from South and Central America.

The company later scooped up hitmakers as Buddy Holly, Donovan, the John Carter and Ken Lewis team, and David Forster, among others. It now has 32 offices in 28 countries and over a quarter of a million copyrights.

Kathy Spanberger said in a statement, “Given the ever evolving business of music, I am delighted to be working with the entrepreneurial and forward-thinking spirit of Geoff and Gary and their incredible team at Trackdown. I know we will achieve great success together.”