Signing with SACEM

Signing with SACEM

SACEM - the French Society of Authors, Composers, and Publishers of Music has recently signed a new deal with The Music Sales Group to take over digital licensing for portions of it’s catalog containing more than 120,000 works. The belief is that by expanding the society’s reach, it will be more effective in collecting royalties for their artists.

The agreement has been effective since July 1, 2018 in more than 130 territories across the globe.  It covers famous composers and musicians from the 1920’s through today and has worked extensively with independent publishers to assist in digital licensing across the world.  In 2018 alone, SACEM has linked up with PEN Music, The Music Goes Round Publishing, and IMPEL with The Music Sales Group joining as the latest high-profile partner.

CEO Jean-Noël Tronc has stated that he is pleased with the deal between the 2 companies and that the partnership has highlighted how SACEM has become an industry leader in multi-territory licensing.

“This partnership further cements SACEM’s industry position as the partner of choice for both international and independent music publishers.” - Jean-Noël Tronc

The SACEM organization has been advocating and collecting for musicians, composers, and songwriters since it was established in 1850. One year later, the professional union became a society (société civile) of authors, composers, and publishers who divided the author’s rights collected amongst the members, and this rule has been maintained to the present day.

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We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about how The Music Sales Group is Signing with SACEM! Do you think this will be a victory for musicians around the world? Join the conversation below!

Streaming Success

There has been a growing sentiment in recent years that the shift from physical music acquisition to digital has been a burden on independent artists.  To contrary, it has only increased the popularity of music, specifically in France, but also amongst local artists.

In the first half of 2018, music streaming services in France grew almost 40% and make up almost 60% of the total music market in France according to SNEP, the country’s trade organization for recorded music. They reported that there were about 27 billion music streams in France in the 6 month period equalling out to more than 1 billion streams every week.

This stands in contrast to the almost 20 billion streams that were made during the same period last year. Keep in mind that in the first half of 2015, there were only 7.5 billion music streams. Those that may want to attribute this to platforms that do not compensate artists should note that nearly 70% of the streams were made through paid services.

Both physical recordings and downloads, however, have been hurt by the success of music streaming. Last year 48% of music sales in France came from physical recordings and 5% from downloads,  and this year 40% of sales came from physical sales and 3% came from downloads.

To paint the picture of what is driving this surge is in what the French are streaming.  According to SNEP, local music acts are leading the market. 19 of the top 20 albums this year were French. A total of 16 of the acts in the list are considered rap artists. These numbers should ease fears in the country that streaming would internationalize the industry in France at the expense of French recording artists, who make use of a quota system on the radio.

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We hope you've enjoyed Streaming Success! While the shift has certainly helped French artists, do you think this shift from owning music to streaming will be positive or negative in the long run of the music industry? Join the conversation below!

Luce - Going Against the Norm

Luce is a French Singer and Songwriter known best for going against the norm with her funky personality and eccentric fashion sense. Although she is lesser known in the states, Luce is widely recognized in French for winning the eighth series of the French music competition Nouvelle Star. Auditioning on a bet, this spur-the-moment decision turned out to be her claim to fame. She won over audiences and engaged a huge following over the course of the competition. Today, Luce continues to inspire her fans to go against the norm. Her newest album, Chaud, hit the top 100 charts for its spunky instrumentals and lyrics.

Image Credit: Damien Schmitt (www.commons.wikimedia.org)

Born Lucie Brunet in Perpignan, France on January 28, 1990, Luce expressed her love for music by practicing the flute at a young age. However, she began pursing a different career entirely when preparing to study nursing in Montpellier. It was a last minute decision for her to audition for the TV talent show series, and it ultimately changed the course of her career. In 2011, she released her first album Première Phalange, and toured around Europe.

In recent years, Luce released her second album called Chaud in February of 2015, with the singles "Polka" and "Malibu" earning much recognition. This album put Luce back on the map for its funky instrumentals and vocals.

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POLKA - Lyrics

I want to dance the polka
I want to dance it in your arms
I want to dance it right away
I want to dance every sequence

I want to dance the sequence
Even if I don't know the steps
I want to dance it, it's crazy
I want to dance it while following
Even if I don't know the pace
I want to enter in the dance

I could dance no matter what
Especially since it's with you

I know I have my clogs
Yes but I wear the hat
And if I can't stand up
I will dance it around your neck
Even if I am not on the list
I want to enter on the track

Je veux danser la polka
J'la veux danser dans tes bras
J'la veux danser tout de suite
J'la veux danser toute cuite

Je veux danser la polka
Même si je sais pas le pas
J'la veux danser, c'est fou
J'la veux danser tout d'ssous
Même si je suis pas la cadence
Je veux entrer dans la danse

J'pourrais danser n'importe quoi
Tant que c'est avec toi

Je sais j'ai mes gros sabots
Oui mais je porte le chapeau
Et si je tiens pas d'bout
J'la danserais à ton cou
Même si j'suis pas sur la liste
Je veux entrer sur la piste

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We hope you enjoyed learning more about French pop star, Luce. To listen to the full album and to follow Luce, click here. To learn more French language and culture, visit the JP Linguistics services homepage. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for articles delivered directly to your inbox.

3 Reasons Why Stromae Matters to French Culture!

It is likely that you have never heard of Stromae before, but the Belgium-born pop icon is quickly breaking ground in the U.S. in ways that no other French singer has before. Since his number one hit in 2009, Alors on Danse, he's gained a huge following in Europe and, more recently, in North America. Since reaching number one, he's collaborated with producers like Kanye West (who remixed Alors on Danse) and toured music festivals like Coachella and SXSW. It's no easy task crossing the ocean in the music industry, but he is one musician that is bringing pride to French culture and we are here to tell you why. We hope you enjoy 3 Reasons Why Stromae Matters to French Culture!

1. He Promotes the Joie De Vivre

While many pop singers in modern culture are looking for ways to stand out, Stromae is reaching within. Just take a look at his interpretation of the song L’amour Est un Oiseau Rebelle from the famous opera Carmen. This video critique on social media is his clever way of creating a musical protest towards the over consumption of online living. Instead of sitting on Instagram all day, he would prefer that we focus on more real-life experiences. For example, maybe having a delightful meal with friends, a simple glass of wine with a lover, or strutting a perfectly tailored outfit amidst a busy city street. All of these things, living and experiencing life, is of most importance to French culture. It's the Joie De Vivre!

2. He's A Sophisticated Artist

Of the primary interests in French culture, Art would be among the top. Whether discussing Art or critiquing it, the French pride themselves on having a strong sense of sophistication. While some forms of Art are more celebrated than others, when focusing on the music genre, hiphop (which Stromae has a strong background in), the French are typically not satisfied with the flood of music videos focused on bling-bling and male dominated themes that objectify women. Stromae eventually took a stand to 'backseat' his hiphop career after no longer being able to get behind the message of what the genre promotes. When asked in an interview by Ebony Magazine, "Why did you abandon your hiphop career?," he responded:

It’s an important school for me, hiphop music, and still today. But I had this problem, the meaning problem of hiphop music. In the music that we know in Europe is mostly this kind of bling-bling hiphop, with naked women and limousines and stuff. And even if I was a big fan of the rhythm, the groove, I had a problem with the meaning. So all the time, I was criticizing this style. So my manager said to me, “OK, why are you all the time criticizing the music and talking about only the music? If you are not happy actually, just change.” [laughter]

And he was so true. So I was like, “OK, maybe.” It’s a good inspiration for me, the groove and stuff, but maybe I have to talk about something, real life actually. And he told me like, “Why you don’t try just to explain something about the real life?” And I was like, no, it’s gonna sound cliché. Talk about love, it’s always the same kind of… And actually, I discovered it’s not the way. (Source: ebony.com 'Stroma Invades America' interview)

Take a look at his music videos Quand C'est or Papaoutai below and you will immediately get the sense of how this artist is making a huge statement while maintaining integrity, authenticity, and poise. His sense of sophistication (while staying current and relevant to pop music) is what's making a huge impact on the French culture.

3. He's A Cultural Ambassador For French Speaking Countries

Rarely in the U.S. do we find a celebrity pop star singing in French. In fact, I can't think of any besides Lady Gaga who randomly throws a French (or German) word here-or-there into her lyrics. More than just being a popular music icon, Stromae is maintaining authenticity through his writing and performing music en Française - even as he breaks into new markets like the U.S. He is getting tons of attention for this and, while I may be slightly biased here, this use of French language is what is making him a super star. Even though writing music and performing it in French is natural for him, Stromae's stardom is raising awareness about French language and culture to Americans. The themes within his records are relative to his cultural influences and his lyrics portray a 'European mentality.' For many Americans who have yet to visit Europe, this presence is only creating more awareness about French speaking cultures and helping Americans to embrace them.

Now that you know a little bit more about Stromae, check out his music online via YouTube, iTunes, and more and continue to take notice of his career growth in the United States. One great way to learn French is to listen to French music, so we suggest adding a few of his tracks to your playlist. Are you already a fan of Stromae and have a favorite song? Don't forget to share it in the comments section below! Interested in more French language and culture? Sign up for one of our Group Classes or Private Lesson to advance your French skills. Bonne journée!