China-based Outdustry sets up publishing unit and signs Reservoir to sub-pub deal

By Emmanuel Legrand

Outdustry, the Beijing-based company providing music industry services in China, has set up Outdustry Songs, an independent music unit specialising in the Chinese market.

  Outdustry’s Head of International, Alex Taggart, will also be overseeing Outdustry Songs, reporting to Founder/MD Ed Peto. The company has its own China-based A&R team, led by China General Manager and Head of A&R Marcus Rowland. Outdustry Songs already has a catalogue of local repertoire performed by household names such as Chris Lee, Bibi Zhou, Jike Junyi, and TF Boys.

  “With the addition of Outdustry Songs to our existing marketing and A&R services business, we are filling out our offering to our global network of writers, producers, artists and rights owners, enabling us to collect royalties and monitor copyrights on their behalf across this dynamic emerging landscape,” said Taggart. "China is a huge opportunity for songwriters and publishers – from the fast-growing premium tiers of the biggest streaming apps in the world, to the national obsession with karaoke and the nascent sync market, as well as next-generation forms of music consumption and monetisation such as live-streaming and virtual-gifting.”

Untapped opportunity

  In addition, Outdustry Songs has secured a new partnership with New York-based independent music company Reservoir to become the exclusive sub-publisher in China for Reservoir’s catalogue of over 126,000 works.

   “China’s publishing sector represents the greatest untapped opportunity in the global music market,” said Taggart. “There could be no better launch partner than Reservoir, one of the most forward thinking companies in the global publishing business, with an absolutely stellar catalogue.”

  Added Reservoir’s EVP International & Emerging Markets, Spek: "Outdustry’s brilliant team has been pushing boundaries in the Chinese music market for over a decade. I’ve gotten to know Ed and his team over the last several years and I am confident they will be leaders in China’s vibrant and emerging publishing sector. Reservoir is always keen to innovate in new markets, and we’re excited to be the first music publisher to get on board with Outdustry Songs, plug into their considerable network in China, and pave the way for our creators in this space”

  Outdustry Songs claims to have "a unique set of non-exclusive direct licenses" with all major digital service providers in China: Kugou, QQ Music, Kuwo (Tencent Music Entertainment), Netease Cloud Music (Netease), and Xiami (Alibaba).