TONO establishes presence in Los Angeles. Image is of Hollywood Boulevard. (istock.com)
Will contribute to increased Norwegian music exports:
TONO is now establishing, as a pilot, a presence in Los Angeles to be a resource for Norwegian songwriters, composers and lyricists living and working in the U.S. It is also a goal to make it easier for Norwegian music creators to invest in the U.S., and to strengthen Norwegian music exports.
/ 11/01/2024 / Willy MartinsenThe USA and Los Angeles have a dominant position in the global music market. Music is created here that the whole world listens to, and the city also attracts Norwegian songwriters, composers, lyricists and producers who want an international career.
– Norway has many music-making talents in all genres who deserve to reach an international audience, and we believe that there is potential to increase the export of Norwegian music rights. We are therefore now establishing ourselves with a representative in Los Angeles to be a resource for Norwegian songwriters who are investing in the American market, says TONO Membership Manager, Jan Espen Storo.
Listen to a podcast about TONO's US efforts at Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
It's a long way from Møllergata 4, where TONO's offices are located, to the American West Coast. Now Norwegian songwriters, composers and lyricists living there and elsewhere in the United States will also be able to meet TONO physically.
– We feel that there is a need among our members in the USA for a local TONO representative in the USA. We will contribute with advice, member service, and TONO meeting places, as we do for our members in Norway. We organized the first TONO meeting in Los Angeles in October 2023, and it was very well received. Such meeting places allow contacts to be made, and thus we stimulate the innovation of music, which is one of the tasks assigned to TONO in our statutes, says Storo.
The TONO representative in Los Angeles will also represent TONO on behalf of TONO in meetings with sister societies such as ASCAP, BMI, Australian APRA AMCOS, among others, with a view to both ordinary member-related matters and possible new collaborative projects.
TONO is the first Nordic collective management company for songwriters, composers, lyricists and music publishers to establish a "US office". The British PRS for Music and the Canadian SOCAN have been represented in the US for a number of years. So has the Australian APRA AMCOS, which has been a sparring partner for TONO in its work on the US initiative.
TONO's representative in Los Angeles is Erik Steigen. He is originally from Bergen, but has worked in the American music industry since the late 1990s after graduating from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has been a business partner and music rights advisor to, among others, Lionel Richie, Mötley Crüe, Sheryl Crow, Pearl Jam, Blondie and Brian Wilson, as well as songwriters who have written for Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, Barbra Streisand, Demi Lovato, Pitbull, Jason Derulo, and Eric Clapton, among others. Today, he is a manager and consultant. He also heads the Norwegian Chamber of Commerce, NorCham LA. Steigen will not be employed by TONO, but will be hired on a consulting basis.
- I am very impressed by TONO's commitment. Only the larger PROs, or "TONO companies," in the world are already represented in the US, so this makes TONO noticeable. I am very happy to be able to do work for TONO and Norwegian music creators who are investing in the US. I will share experiences, knowledge and networks to support TONO's members, and in this process hopefully help to reduce the distance to Norway. LA is a unique meeting point where creative souls from all over the world meet each other and create music for potential clients from the film, TV, games, tech and music industries, so there are many exciting opportunities here, says Erik Steigen, who is TONO's representative in the US.
It is important for TONO to be close to members, both here in Norway and abroad.
– We want to provide good service, be a resource for our members and meet the expectations they have of a modern copyright society. This means that in addition to being close to our members in Norway, we must also follow up and be present for Norwegian songwriters who are investing in other countries. We want to make an effort to secure and strengthen income from the use of Norwegian-written works abroad in the years to come, says Storo.
Members who have questions about TONO's work in the United States, or who would like to contact TONO's representative in Los Angeles, can send an email to medlem@tono.no.
Listen to a podcast about TONO's US efforts at Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
About TONO
TONO was founded in 1928 and is a non-profit cooperative owned and managed by composers, lyricists and music publishers, and which manages the economic copyrights in their musical works. TONO grants permission for the use of protected music on radio, TV, the internet, concerts, cinema, etc. for a fee, and transfers its financial results each year to the rights holders of music that has been performed publicly. TONO has more than 40,000 members, but also works for millions of authors and music publishers from around the world. TONO gives music creators an economic basis to create new music, and collects and simplifies the licensing of protected music to music users. TONO had a turnover of NOK 864,6 million in 2022.
Media inquiries:
Willy Martinsen, Communications Director TONO, 909 65 254