(CelebrityAccess) — Deborah Mannis-Gardner, the owner/President of DMG Clearances, Inc., and Pär Almqvist Co-Founder and former CEO of Tracklib, have joined forces to launch AYO Music Group, a new administration company offering global administration of publishing, neighboring rights, and recordings.
After a soft launch earlier this year, the company has already assembled a client roster that includes A$AP Ant, Bedrock, Che Smith, Cory Mo, David Forman Project, DJ Domingo, Dwayne Williams, Eric Reed, Hero The Band, Holy, John McCall, JT Money, Julianna Zachariou, Keishaun Watts, Latrice Lynz, MC Lyte, Michael Ramsey, Natalie Carr, Pusharod, R. Prophet, Rhondo Robinson, Selam/Muzikawi, STREETRUNNER, Tawnted, True Master, Willie G, The Estate of Joseph Washington Jr., The Estate of Julius Thomas, The Estate of Michael Henderson, and The Estate of Scott La Rock.
The team also includes Stacey Haber (Chief Legal Officer, Co-Founder, AYO); Kat MacLean Daley (A&R, AYO); Bryson Nobles (Head of Data & Technology, AYO); Thomas Mathieson (Head of Operations, AYO); Naomi Asher (Neighboring Rights Advisor, AYO); Billy Toulson (Client Relations Manager, AYO); and Kimberly Fisher (Marketing Manager & Project Coordinator, AYO).
In addition, AYO hosts regular online education sessions on music copyright and more. The sessions are free to attend and will continue in the coming months. Upcoming sessions include January 21 when AYO will partner with IAFAR to present the webinar “From the Voice of a Producer – Neighbouring Rights and How to Get Paid.”
Moderated by Abby North (North Music Group LLC), the webinar will feature AYO’s Pär Almqvist and Stacey Haber as panelists, along with Naomi Asher (Neighboring Rights Advisor, AYO/Co-Founder of IAFAR) and Gina Deacon (Absolute Rights Management/GLA Rights Ltd), taking a deep dive into the complex subject of neighboring rights.
“I couldn’t be more excited to officially launch AYO alongside my incredible team,” said Mannis-Gardner. “Coming from all different facets of the music industry, our team shares a passion for putting creators first and educating artists, songwriters, and rightsholders about the intricacies of this business. Many people don’t know how to collect the money they have already earned, and others are missing out on opportunities due to faulty administration records. We aim to solve those issues, empowering rightsholders and making a real impact in the years to come.”
“When Deborah and I began discussing AYO, it was a no-brainer to join forces and turn our vision into reality,” said Almqvist. “We believe that every rightsholder deserves to be fully educated and empowered to create a lasting legacy with their music, and we have already hit the ground running with the substantial roster of clients who have signed on so far. I look forward to seeing all that we achieve as a team.”
