On October 7, 2020, peermusic, Canada-based Premier Muzik, France-based All Right Music and Netherlands-based Global Master Rights announced that the companies were joining forces to form the global independent leader in neighbouring rights.
The blockbuster deal will combine the staff and services of all four companies, instantly vaulting the newly formed peermusic neighbouring rights into one of the leading independent neighbouring rights companies in te world.
peermusic's neighbouring rights client roster will be made up of the clients of the combined companies, encompassing over 300+ record labels and 2500+ performers. Among those clients are major artists including Rihanna, Billie Eilish, Imagine Dragons, DJ Snake, Metallica, Jacques Brel, Jean-Michel Jarre, Leonard Bernstein, Megan Thee Stallion, Finneas, Lady A, Lang Lang, Lizzo, Panic! At The Disco, Migos, and David Guetta, to name a few. Clients from All Right Music, Premier Muzik, and Global Master Rights represented performers in 24% of Billboard's 2019 Year-End Hot 100 songs and 40% of the 2019 Year-End Top 20 songs.
The three companies add significant leadership and expertise in the neighbouring rights space to peermusic. Christophe Piot started his career in publishing in 1990 and founded All Right Music in 2004. Gino Olivieri started his career as a DJ in 1977, then music production and as an A&R in the late 80s before founding Premier Muzik in 1989. Gino Crescenza, Olivieri's colleague at Premier, has over 35 years' experience in music and has been with Premier since 2000. Erik Veerman and Paul Smelt spent years working together in key positions at neighbouring rights organization SENA before co-founding Global Master Rights in 2014.
Founded by Ralph S. Peer in 1928, peermusic is the world's largest global independent publishing company, operating 35 offices in 30 countries and with well over a half a million titles in the company's catalogue.
A cross-border team of Gowling WLG lawyers in Canada and France advised peermusic in these acquisitions, headed by client relationship partner Susan Abramovitch, with the deal led in Montreal by Ingrid Anton and Rafal Wrzesien, heavy lifting by Abida Ludin (corporate/M&A) and the assistance of Olivier Lamoureux (employment), Laura Gheorghiu (tax) and Natasha D'Onofrio (paralegal). Simon Lowe and Géraldine Gonzalvez (corporate/M&A) led the team in Paris, with support from Gaëlle Le Breton (employment), Céline Bey and Clémence Lapôtre (IP).