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A2IM Announces Partnership with Cosynd to Make Copyright Protection a Priority for Independent Music


— September 1, 2022

Under this partnership, Cosynd will provide A2IM’s community of over 700 record labels and publishers the ability to automate copyright agreements and easily register those copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office.


New York — A2IM (The American Association of Independent Music, Inc.), has partnered with leading copyright protection service, Cosynd, to further its mission of fighting for the equitable treatment of all independent creators and copyright holders by providing them with an efficient and affordable way to legally protect their work and enforce their rights.

Under this partnership, Cosynd will provide A2IM’s community of over 700 record labels and publishers the ability to automate copyright agreements and easily register those copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office. These protections will benefit all of A2IM’s members’ content assets, such as sound recordings, compositions, lyrics, videos, imagery, literature, and more, at significantly discounted rates.

Cosynd is offering annual memberships to A2IM members so that they can build tailored copyright agreements that establish ownership and outline important details that are required to sell, license, or otherwise monetize their assets. Using Cosynd, A2IM members can customize, negotiate, and execute an unlimited amount of agreements on behalf of their artists for a discounted rate, generating significant savings for members on legal spend and attorney fees. Attorneys are invited to redline these agreements on Cosynd, allowing them to negotiate deals in a fraction of the time it typically takes. These agreements include Work for Hire, Producer, and Collaboration agreements, as well as Split sheets.

“A2IM is dedicated to serving our members,” said President and CEO, Dr. Richard James Burgess MBE. “We are thrilled to partner with our good friends at Cosynd and enable our members to effortlessly register their copyrights and to create vital legal agreements, so that they can focus on their core business of developing great artists. By working together, Cosynd and A2IM are delivering equitable, affordable access to copyright protection at a time when our community needs it most.”

Additionally, A2IM members will be able to file copyright  registrations in minutes for 80% less than the cost of similar services. In order for a copyright owner to stand up against the misuse of intellectual property, registration is now a mandatory prerequisite to filing a lawsuit. Mailing a copy of work, minting an asset as an NFT on the blockchain, affidavit services, or other registration databases are not substitutes for registering with the U.S. Copyright Office.

Woman listening to music against a yellow background; image by Andrea Piacquadio, via Pexels.com.
Woman listening to music against a yellow background; image by Andrea Piacquadio, via Pexels.com.

“We are so proud to partner with A2IM and to be trusted at such a high level by the leading trade association for independent labels,” said Jessica Sobhraj, Co-founder and CEO of Cosynd. “Like us, A2IM understands that in order to protect our industry, we must first protect our creators. For far too long, the ability to seek adequate compensation for the abuse and misuse of music has notoriously only been available to a small percentage of copyright owners, because of various financial, legal, and educational barriers. Our partnership doesn’t just alleviate those burdens, it finally levels the playing field for the independent community.”

Since 2005, when A2IM was formed, the independent sector has grown from a market share of less than 25% to 37.32%. This significant increase illustrates the leadership role the independent sector has held over the last decade. However, with infringements running rampant, alongside inflation and changing regulations for IP owners, the need to safe-guard the livelihood of this growing community is essential to the vitality of the recorded music economy.

About A2IM

A2IM is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization headquartered  in New York City that exists to support and strengthen the independent recorded music sector. Membership currently includes a broad coalition of hundreds of Independently owned American music labels. A2IM represents these independently owned small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community. In doing so, it supports a key segment of America’s creative class that represents America’s diverse musical cultural heritage. Billboard Magazine identified the independent music label sector as 37.32 percent of the music industry’s U.S. recorded music sales market.

The organization’s board of directors comprises: Tony D. Alexander – Made in Memphis Entertainment (MIME) LLC, Marie Clausen – Ninja Tune, Mariah Czap – Yep Roc, Dee Diaz – Reach Records, Wilson Fuller – Merge Records, Steven Hill – Warp Records, Heather Johnson – Fixt, Mary Jurey – Blue Elan, Tony Kiewel – SubPop, Louis Posen – Hopeless Records, and Vic Zaraya – Concord

To learn more, visit : https://a2im.org.

About Cosynd

Cosynd is the fastest and most affordable way for creators to protect themselves and all of their content — music, videos, imagery, literature, and more. Through its suite of easy-to-navigate copyright tools, Cosynd offers creators the ability to build, negotiate, redline, and execute vital agreements that secure their copyrights, and seamlessly register copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office. Cosynd has helped thousands of creators and businesses-alike, from over 120 countries around the world. Focused on turning a long, expensive process into one that saves creators thousands in legal fees with just a few clicks, Cosynd is leveling the playing field by making basic copyright protection accessible to everyone.

To learn more, visit: https://cosynd.com.

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