LONDON (CelebrityAccess) – Interstellar Music Services (Interstellar), a new rights management company based in the UK, has launched with the appointment of two new executives to its senior leadership team.
Co-founded by established artist manager Andy Robinson and experienced cross-asset speculator Sean Stockdale, Interstellar is already attracting attention with the hiring of former Kobalt Music Publishing SVP David Wille, who takes up the role of Global Head of Sync and Brand Partnerships, and Sarah Bargiela who joins from BMG Rights Management to take up the role of Head of Copyright and Royalties.
Wille joins Interstellar with more than 30 years of industry experience, having worked across major and indie record labels, music publishers, advertising agencies, global brands, and tech start-ups. He brings a deep network of cross-industry relationships. Wille has held senior positions at Warner Music, Atlantic, and London Records as well as founding and building the sync and brand agency One Tree Music.
Bargiela joins from BMG Rights Management, where she spent five years as Senior Income Tracking Manager, specializing in sub-publishing. There she worked with a global portfolio of rights, tracking, identifying, and addressing revenue opportunities and inconsistencies through data manipulation. Prior to BMG, Sarah held various senior international roles at PRS for Music during a 10-year stint with the organization.
Interstellar claims it is driven by transparency, fairness, and a passion for music alongside a firm creator-centric vision with a focus on “maximizing the value and income potential of music rights by taking a forensic, hands-on, and bespoke approach to metadata analysis, distribution, publishing administration, neighboring rights, and music licensing.”
The hands-on and bespoke service will primarily be made available to those qualifying artists and songwriters who wish to retain full control of their recordings and compositions.
Robinson has over 15 years of music industry experience, covering music marketing and strategy, music publishing, rights management, and artist/label services. Starting his career as an artist manager, he previously founded Interstellar Music and Interstellar Publishing.
Robinson, cofounder and CEO said: “Through my time in the industry, particularly as an artist manager, I have seen firsthand how complicated it is for artists and their teams to ensure that their music is correctly registered and that they are benefitting from the value of their creations through the right licensing opportunities. Our mission, which is focused on putting the artists and songwriters first, is fundamental to the way we operate; to have industry professionals of the calibre of Sarah and David joining us at such an early stage is a real endorsement of the culture and service offering we have developed.”
Stockdale has 13 years of expertise in asset management. His experience in international financial markets has seen him innovate to diversify risk, allocate funds, and balance portfolios; he is also an expert in sabermetrics, all of which he will apply to the new venture.
Stockdale, co-founder and COO added: “Coming from outside the industry has given me a unique perspective on the challenges that exist in how music is valued and compensated. Not only are artists all individuals, so are the songs that they create; every copyright has different requirements and should be treated as such. The creators do their bit, then it is up to us to find the opportunities for their music, whatever their individual sound may be. That is the mission for Interstellar.”
