SoundExchange today announced the appointment of music legend, David Byrne, to its Board of Directors. Byrne, the singer/songwriter best known as the front man of Talking Heads, will bring his knowledge and passion for the music industry to the SoundExchange board.
Byrne will fill the position previously held by Walter McDonough. The SoundExchange Board of Directors is comprised of 18 individuals, split evenly between artists and label representatives, serving virtually all aspects of the recorded music industry.
“It is an honor to welcome David to the SoundExchange Board of Directors. His experience in the music industry as an artist, songwriter, producer and visionary make him an extraordinary addition to our organization and his perspective will be invaluable in this exciting time of change and growth in the digital music market,” said Michael Huppe, president and chief executive officer, SoundExchange. “I also want to thank Walter McDonough for his significant contributions to our company and his dedication to the recorded music industry.”
“I am honored to join the SoundExchange board where I can leverage my experience as a performing artist and fight on behalf of all creators for fairness and the long-term value of music,” said Byrne. “SoundExchange is a global leader across the entire music industry in advocating and protecting the rights of music creators. I look forward to working with their exceptional leaders that are dedicated to moving music forward.”
“Since its inception, I’ve served as an artist representative on the SoundExchange board and together we transformed SoundExchange into an important performance rights organization. I now pass the baton to one of our industry’s most innovative artists, David Byrne,” said McDonough. “I will continue to be an avid and loyal supporter of SoundExchange and their efforts on behalf of all artists.”
David Byrne is a singer, songwriter, composer, director, producer and guitarist best known as the front man of Talking Heads. Despite Talking Heads breaking up in 1991, Byrne launched a solo career and founded his own label, Luaka Bop. Byrne has written a successful musical and worked with a wide range of artists, including Brian Eno, Fatboy Slim and St. Vincent.
About SoundExchange
SoundExchange is the independent non-profit collective management organization representing the entire recorded music industry. The organization collects statutory royalties on behalf of over 100,000 recording artists and master rights owners for the use of their content on satellite radio, Internet radio, cable TV music channels and other services that stream sound recordings. The Copyright Royalty Board, created by Congress, has entrusted SoundExchange as the sole entity in the United States to collect and distribute statutory digital performance royalties from more than 2,500 services. SoundExchange has paid out more than $2 billion in royalties since its inception. For more information, visit www.SoundExchange.com or www.facebook.com/soundexchange.
