Conversations with Jonnie Macson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonnie Macson

Hi Jonnie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
After finishing my studies at the University of Southampton, I tried my best to avoid becoming a teacher – something that everyone told me I would be if I had an English degree with no career plan. Whilst I had enjoyed my time at university, I had become totally captured by the world of music. I’d had a radio show at the university station which had grown in popularity and had picked up playing the guitar (poorly).

My first job out of education was bartending and hospitality whilst I searched for something I truly cared about. I was lucky enough to be given an opportunity working for PRS for Music (then called “The MCPS-PRS Alliance”) in London. I stayed there for two years, working in a couple of departments, learning about how the music industry actually worked. Who wrote the songs, how much they contributed, and just what the future of the industry might look like.

In 2006, I started work at Universal Music Publishing Group, in West London. As part of the Global Royalty team, I continued my journey into learning how songwriters are rewarded for their hard work. I also became more familiar with a larger organisation and first learned about developing international relationships.

As the industry continued to develop and change – people had finally figured out what to do with this whole “digital thing” – I learned more about system development, people management and organisational leadership. I travelled internationally, working directly with internal and external colleagues and partners, enriching my experience within the company.

Starting in 2020, I was given the opportunity to lead UMPG’s Global Administration operations, headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee. The first half of this experience was completed remotely, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning I was overseeing various teams, all remote, whilst still in the UK. I moved to Tennessee in 2022, where I continue to live today. My time at UMPG came to an end in April of 2024.

I am beyond excited to take the next step in my career and journey in Nashville as I begin a new role at Concord Music Publishing in September 2024. I am thrilled that I have been given an opportunity to continue developing my skills at another prestigious and renowned company, as well as continuing to live in a truly wonderful city.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Having been part of the same industry since 2006, it has been an interesting journey from the early days of people worrying about the future of music to the world we live in today. After the halcyon days of the nineties, by the time I started, there was a genuine concern about how anyone could make money from music. Fair and equitable remuneration for songwriters’ work in an online world (something that continues to be discussed and debated) was far from established.

Shortly after I joined UMPG, the company merged with the old BMG Music Publishing company, resulting in a huge expansion of the catalogue. This presented challenges around both volumes and complexity of data, which took a huge and concerted team effort to overcome.

I’ve been involved in various system re-designs over the years, from both an end user and subject matter expert perspective. Whilst the end results have always been a success, the paths to get there tend to be fraught with time pressures and technical challenges.

Moving away from the UK was an incredible opportunity that I will forever be thankful for. I love living in my adopted home of Tennessee, but transitioning to a new continent from the country I’d always lived in was a bit of a culture shock. Many of the commonplace abbreviations and phrases that my American peers are used to are unfamiliar to me. That’s not to say it hasn’t been a lot of fun, but setting myself up to live in a different culture presented its own challenges, some of which I am still adapting to!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The difficult thing about my career has been trying to tell people about what I do in relation to the music industry whilst not misleading them. When people hear “music industry”, their minds go to either a performer, a writer, or a creative. As none of the above, finding a succinct way to summarise isn’t always easy.

I often compare Music Publishing Administration and Royalties to the foundations of a house. You might not see it, but without it, the whole thing falls down around you. I’ve always summarised what I do to people as “making sure songwriters get paid”. That’s a gross oversimplification, but it’s the easiest one-liner I can give to anyone! That said, the wonderful thing about being in and around Nashville is how many people can relate to and are aware of this.

Since my career has taken the best part of twenty years to develop, my expertise is in the detail, the small matters that really make a difference. The ability to spot critical points in a process that define success and failure. I know systems, publishing nuance and exceptions to the day-to-day (anyone who has done it long enough will tell you that the exceptions are everything in Music Publishing) which are only learned through having done this for many years.

One of the key things I’ve observed in my time as a professional is how much I – and many others – care about the job. You can teach people any number of tasks and technical skills, but you can’t teach someone to care. Without proper personal investment, caring for the work of songwriters becomes nigh on impossible to effectively accomplish.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The COVID-19 crisis had a huge impact on my life in terms of both timeline and circumstance. The plan had been to move to the US during 2020, but this was efffectively put back two years. Circumstantially, I was stuck working out of my family home in the attic. Two English winters in a draughty roof room is not something I would recommend!

I learned during this time that connection between people doesn’t always need to be immediate or physical to forge meaningful relationships. Frequent – and slightly haphazard – Zoom calls with friends were a mainstay during this time but, in hindsight, they kept us all sane and safe. Being available to talk and support each other was something I learned to value tremendously.

I observed how we all changed (beyond hairstyles and fashion choices) through the crisis which was fascinating to me. Everyone managed in their own way, though it highlighted how everyone needed something slightly different to get through. Supporting people looks different depending on where they are in their lives and what they need. I believe the two years spent on Zoom highlighted this to me and refined my ability to be sensitive to the needs of others. I also learned a lot about myself and what motivates me. A time of introspection and study left me with a lot of answers to questions I hadn’t asked a few years prior.