"Exclusive interview with Didier Kussu"
By Robyn Young for Film Music Magazine
FMM: Who founded Kussu Music Publishing in 1994?
DK: Kussu Music Publishing was founded in 1994 as a publishing arm of Kussu Productions Inc. a music content company with global businesses in music publishing and recorded music, includes artist development, management and music library as specialties.
FMM: What services do you provide?
DK: For Music Users: Since we own or control both the masters and publishing rights from several catalogues, we are in a unique position to provide Pre-cleared music for any project. This makes our company more attractive to clients, because we are fast and our Sync and Master Use Licensing process is simple and easy. We also work closely with agents and partners in many countries including the US, such as Crucial Music, Noma Music among others. These partners license portion of our music catalogue to third party users.
For Music Creators and Copyright Holders/Owners: With our deep relationships, experience and knowledge in music and film industries, we of course offer many avenues of exposure to songwriters, artists, indie labels and publishers for their songs through television shows, motion pictures, soundtracks, multimedia, commercials etc. as well as global administration incl. worldwide registration of songs, making royalty payments to songwriters and composers in respect of the usage of their music, tracking the use of the music they own and ensuring that proper payment is made for all licensed uses, sub-publishing worldwide and other music rights management activities.
FMM: How large is your database of artists?
Actually, we have over thousands artists and songwriters from around the globe, that's including both exclusive and non-exclusive roster. And over hundreds of music producers, publishers and indie labels.
FMM: When was KMLN launched?
DK: Kussu Music Licensing Network was officially launched on May 4, 2009, and we are still adding new music everyday.
FMM: What is FLUP?
DK: FLUP simply means, "Free License Use Program", this program is designed to help reduce film production budget by licensing music from established and indie artists "free of charge".
Listen, dear Robyn, it is just the fact that nearly every sector of the economy has been affected one way or another by recession. But the music and film industry have already been hit so hard by internet piracy over Peer‐to‐Peer (P2P) networks prior the economic slowdown. However, the digital revolution does also present new opportunities for the entertainment industry. With the introduction of new media technologies, greater opportunities for film producers emerge as well as for the distribution etc.
But lets face the reality, the 62nd annual Cannes Film Festival was not what it used to be. The market isn't booming and overall prices for movies have remained low. New research form NPD and Nielsens reveal that 63 percent of Americans have played video games within the past six months, while only 43 percent admitted to having gone to see a movie in the theater. The new strategy of "FLUP", Free License Use Program introduced by Kussu Music Publishing, through Kussu Music Licensing Network's website (KUSSU.NET) is a natural reaction to help both our larger community of affiliated songwriters, labels and publishers as well as the film industry to cut production costs of TV Shows, Series, Movies etc. It is a win‐win situation, songwriters and publishers will receive performance royalties, artists get promoted and the production companies save money and have less headaches.
FMM: How does one qualify for FLUP?
DK: Any project that will help promote the artist through the placement of his or her song. And when it airs the writer and publisher will get their performance royalties. As I've already mentioned, it is a win-win situation, the industry is not in a good shape now. Therefore such concept is needed. To be concrete about how does one qualify for FLUP, it is mostly made for established projects such as Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, CSI, Ugly Betty, WEEDS, Valentine, Sex And The City, Saturday Night Live, Dexter, Brothers and Sisters, Supernatural etc. but also new independent or major projects, shows, films with good concept. It is not about how successful a project is or will be you know, we are very flexible and open and every License under FLUP will be decided on case by case basis. However, we are focusing on project that will help our artists and writers get more exposure and generate future royalties.
FMM: What kind of technology are you using for your work process?
DK: The technology behind KUSSU.NET has been implemented by "YOULICENSE", we are grateful to be working with them, they have an excellent team of experts. The song search engine has been built like "GOOGLE", Music users will be able to search by Genre, Mood, Subject, Language, Instruments, Style, Lyrics, Similar Artist, Vocal Type, Writer, Composer or any other individual Keyword(s) of their choices. Full track preview available for all songs and clients will be able to license and download (wav files), CD quality tracks online.
All tracks are Pre-cleared and ready for use in your project. Beside indie and established artists and genres such as Pop, Hip Hop, Dance, R&B and Rock, Kussu Music Licensing Network offers "Hard To Find Specific Music"; such as Oriental/Middle Eastern music, different types of African, Eastern European music, French Pop, Hip Hop, Russian Pop, Hip Hop, Rock, German Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, Electro as well as a variety of Latin music.
FMM: Are there any specific film or TV productions that you would like to quote as "successfully licensed to"?
DK: The songs from our music catalogues are used by different production companies, advertising agencies etc. on a regular basis worldwide including TV productions such as My Boys/Sony Pictures, Ugly Betty/ABC Family, WEEDS/Lionsgate, Dexter/Showtime, Lincoln Heights/ABC Family, Fat Girls/FOX Searchlight, Greek/ABC Family just to name a few.
About Didier Kussu
Didier is a low profile business consultant, entrepreneur and music executive. He is the founder of companies such as United Entertainment & Media Limited (UEM, London), Kussu Productions Inc., Indie Songs Publishing Scandinavia and Indie Songs Publishing UK, African Music Publishing, the world largest African music publisher, Indie Distribution, Latin Music Publishing Group USA and Latin Music Publishing Group Europe, Universoul Vibes, Murder Riddims Records and Murder Riddims Publishing, among others.
For further information, please contact:
Email: flup(at)Kussu.net
http://www.kussu.net
For other licensing inquiries, please send email to:
licensing(at)Kussu.net
For press inquiries, please contact:
Fax: +49 208 6942 240
Email: press(at)Kussu-productions.com
United Entertainment & Media Limited
http://www.uemlimited.com
For more information about Film Music Magazine, please visit:
http://www.filmmusicmag.com
Contact Information:
Global Media Online, Inc.
8605 Sunset Boulevard
Suite 14625
Los Angeles, CA 90069
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