SoundExchange Board Extends President/CEO Michael Huppe’s Contract

• January 10, 2018

Michael Huppe

The SoundExchange Board of Directors has extended the contract of President and CEO Michael Huppe, who will continue to lead the company through 2021.

Huppe took the helm at SoundExchange in 2011 and since that time, annual collections have increased by more than 150 percent and the company has successfully diversified its offerings to include administration of direct licenses and distribution of settlement monies for third parties. SoundExchange moved into music publisher administration with its acquisition of Canadian mechanical rights society CMRRA in May 2017 and has distributed nearly $5 billion in digital performance royalties to artists and rights owners since it was formed.

“Mike’s vision and energy have driven SoundExchange through a remarkable period of growth and diversification, resulting in one of the most effective, efficient and transparent organizations in the industry today,” said Cary Sherman, chairman and CEO, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and a member of the SoundExchange Board of Directors. “Mike has identified and executed on opportunities to redefine service and efficiency. Moreover, he has guided the expansion of our business beyond its initial core to include administration of direct licenses for sound recordings and brought the company into the music publisher services sector through the acquisition of CMRRA. He is a tireless advocate for musicians and the industry, and I’m thrilled he will be at SoundExchange’s helm for another term.”

Dedicated to advocating for all creators of music, Huppe has testified multiple times before Congress and led the organization’s successful efforts before the Copyright Royalty Board, resulting in substantial increases in royalties paid by webcasters and satellite radio. At the same time, the company delivered new services including direct license administration and the distribution of settlement monies to artists including the recording industry’s settlement of litigation around pre-72 sound recordings. The company also developed and rolled out SoundExchange Direct, providing a new level of access and transparency in royalty reporting as well as the industry’s first publicly accessible International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) database.

Huppe also serves on the Executive Committee of industry lobbying organization musicFIRST and the Community Advisory Board for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University School of Law and a graduate of the University of Virginia and Harvard Law School.

 

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About the Author

Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has over 20 years of music business experience and has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at lhollabaugh@musicrow.com.

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