Simon Anderson

Proposed for appointment by: Jessica Dannheisser, Dame Evelyn Glennie CH DBE, Edward Gregson, Philip Guyler, Gareth Johnson, Nik Kershaw, Dru Masters, Andrew Sunnucks, Lina Tebbs, Debbie Wiseman OBE

Biography

Music has been my life since spending my childhood as a chorister in Durham Cathedral. Immersed in centuries of the best choral music I sang professionally for 20 years, including once for HM The Queen, and once on a Tina Turner album track!

I studied composition and electronic music with Kenneth Leighton and James MacMillan and have since had music published and performed in concerts and churches in the UK and around the world. For the past 20 years I have written production music across styles from orchestral and brass band to chamber ensemble and choral.

I have devoted my professional life to music publishing, learning the ropes at MCPS and PRS in the 1990s and working in worship music before moving to production music house Audio Network in 2005. Here I am responsible for the publishing and label rights of the group, overseeing global royalty collection and delivering payments to our 1,000+ writers, most of whom are PRS members themselves. Through this I have grown to appreciate the complex and vital work undertaken by PRS and global rights societies.

I have served on several industry boards and committees including time as a publisher director at PRS and as an active member of The Ivors Academy, collaborating with writers and publishers to share information and deliver solutions to protect and enhance the value of music rights. I’m involved in education too, as an Associate Fellow at Westminster University Law School, teaching and mentoring the next generation of musicians and industry professionals.

Current and recent directorships: Audio Network Administration Limited, Audio Network Finance Limited, Audio Network Music Rights Limited, Audio Network Rights Limited, Audio Network Limited, Music Services Administration Limited, Music Publishers Association Limited, Performing Right Society Limited, and PPL PRS Limited

Manifesto

PRS does a complex job very well. Its level of transparency and accountability is rarely matched and nowhere bettered by overseas societies. Andrea heads up a strong leadership team and a loyal, hardworking staff. Yet PRS is not complacent and always recognises room for improvement. It’s the job of the Members’ Council to ensure that energies, talent and resources are focused in the right areas.

As a media music writer I am concerned at the erosion of royalty values from linear TV in favour of streaming. It’s crucial that a fair balance is maintained here. Broadcasters should be pressured to deliver better quality reporting in cue sheets, and technology should be harnessed to wrestle this analogue and error-strewn process into the 21st century. DSPs must become much more accountable over music usage data, particularly relating to advertising and trailers.

We need to ensure that the membership team is adequately resourced and motivated to retain staff so that members can receive answers to questions quickly and clearly from experienced and knowledgeable team members. Member comms have improved significantly in recent years but PRS can go further to deliver more data around royalty distributions and calculations to all members.

As a writer who works as a publisher, I can bring experience of both sides of the fence to the table and strengthen the writer cohort on the Members’ Council. I am a direct publisher member of over 20 PROs globally, giving me a good handle on best industry practice.

I have been directly engaged with PRS for over 25 years and want to continue to support closely its key responsibility to ensure that the value of music is recognised, protected and commercialised to reward those who create it and to nurture new productivity. Please entrust me with your vote.

IMPORTANT: Publication of this statement, or any subsequent communication of it, does not constitute endorsement or the promotion of the candidate by the Society, or any member of its management or staff.

The statement has been written by the candidate and has not been altered in any way. The views and/or opinions expressed are the candidate’s own.