mvm.

So I’m back! Where have I been? Well, I’ve been in Sweden this week! Taking a two-hour plane hike from London to the highest point of the North I’ve been to so far. Stockholm, Sweden.

We’ve dusted off our shoes, unpacked our suitcases and belched out our meatballs, we’re back from Sweden.

A truly invigorating trip experiencing the works of STIM in Sweden, ensuring those Swedish artists and songwriters are paid fairly for their work. Exactly like us here in the UK with PPLPRS, but not to the same strengthening degree.

Of course, where we have Ed Sheeran, they have ABBA. One of the biggest groups to establish a mega reunion comeback – album and all the works of a hologram tour to fit.

It was compelling to be seated at a table with 6 languages being spoken – and us feeling insignificant with just our English, because we don’t feel compelled to learn any other. Seated at the table were Buma Stemra (Netherlands), GEMA (Germany), IMRO (Northern Ireland) and of course, STIM of Sweden and it’s collaborators.

A strong foothold in looking after our musicians in Europe, we were all there to talk about one thing – how does music licensing work in our countries? What are your processes to obtaining all the royalties for your musicians? I’ll skip the meagre business anecdotes enough for you to fall asleep at the wheel, but it was a colossal journey of exploration, learning and listening all in the span of two and a half days. And a journey that ended up keeled over a sick bucket as my red herring three-ways made an appearance again; almost as a parting gift.