Swiss Foundation Concludes Musical Rights Transactions
The Swiss Foundation AP Music Royalties (APMRF) has successfully completed a trio of musical rights transactions.
The organization reports that writer John Kuglan and the late Alan Lancaster (who passed away in 2021) have acquired a portion of the performance rights and a neighboring catalog of rights from Status KVO members.
Additionally, APMRF has secured a catalog from the British Grammy-nominated songwriting and production duo Moham, which reportedly includes their rights to both publication and production.
The AP Music Royalties Foundation has also noted that it acquired the performance rights catalog from British songwriting author Ed Oldt, who is recognized for having written some of One Direction’s biggest hits.
The financial specifics of these transactions have not been divulged; however, sources suggest that the combined value of the three deals exceeds $20 million.
APMRF’s Recent Acquisitions and Impact
Alternative Partners (AP) is an independent Swiss investment advisory firm. The AP Music Royalties Fund claims to be the “first European alternative investment fund on the shore (AIF) in accordance with Liechtenstein Law, focusing on investments in music royalties.”
APMRF made headlines in 2021 with its acquisition of the Royalti Barometer I Foundation, founded by Darren Michaels and Andy Gershon, who are currently managing APMRF.
Recent transactions also include the purchase of British songwriter Chris Demetriou’s publishing rights catalog in 2023, and a collaboration with German music publisher Roba for the acquisition of the Gorig catalog, valued between 10 to 20 million euros.
Furthermore, APMRF has secured royalties from some of the Spice Girls’ greatest hits, including Wannabe, 2 Become 1, and Viva Forever, through an agreement with producers Stannard and Row.
Statements from Key Figures
A recent deal concerning APMRF involves a transaction relating to the musical rights of Alan Lancaster and John Koflan, revealing that Alan was a significant contributor behind numerous top British singles and albums. The group produced over 60 albums and sold more than 100 million records globally.
Lancaster co-founded Status KVO in 1962 with Francis Rossi and served as the bassist and vocalist until 1985. John Koflan joined later in 1962 as the drummer, remaining with the group until 1981. Lancaster’s legacy continues since his passing in 2021.
“It’s nice to know that we are leaving our catalog in the hands of the expert Darren and his team.”
Dale Lancaster and John Koglan
Dale Lancaster, the widow of Alan, and John Kuglan shared, “It was nice to work with Darren Michaelson and the team at Alternative Partners. They were both understanding and respectful concerning our lives. It’s reassuring to know that we are entrusting our catalog to experienced hands.”
“As our work continues, we are confident that they will be legends for future generations.”
Darren Michaelson, APMRF
