MMF Real Deal Series Training · City of London · Oct 5, 2026

The MMF Real Deal Series is a practical training programme designed to give music managers a clear, confident understanding of how artists and songwriters manage and monetise their recordings and songs.  It reviews how artists and songwriters collaborate with and utilise music distributors, record labels, music publishers, collecting societies and other business partners to get their music to market, unlock revenue streams and stay on top of all their music rights data.  It explains the role of the manager in helping clients pick the best business partners and negotiate the best deals, and considers the best ways to get the most out of those business partners once they are in place.  It also looks at how music-makers collaborate with each other, the deals agreed between collaborators, and how to get the most out of those collaborations.  There are four sessions focused on recordings and four sessions focused on songs and compositions. Each is delivered live online via a Zoom session.  The Real Deal Series is led by CMU founder Chris Cooke - a leading expert on music rights and deals, who wrote the record and publishing deal guides for MMF - and MMF Professional Development Director Paul Bonham, who leads on MMF’s training and professional development programmes, building on his own experience working as a music manager.  Each session will also include insights from expert guests, including managers, lawyers and marketers, and people working in labels, sync and rights administration. All attendees will receive digital copies of slides and MMF Deals Guide publications as resources.  REAL DEAL SEMINARS: RECORDINGS 05/10/26 Session 1: Record Deal Trends Artists need business partners to help release, market and manage their recordings. There are numerous options from working with a DIY distributor, to artist and label services, to signing with an indie or major record label. We review how recordings generate income and the role different business partners play, and run through the various deal options, and the pros and cons of each approach. Plus what do you need to know about managing neighbouring rights income and getting the most from PPL?  12/10/26 Session 2: Negotiating + Managing The Deal How do label deal negotiations work, and what is the respective role of the artist manager and artist lawyer? We review the key negotiation points along with current trends and what managers need to focus on to future proof their clients’ businesses in a fast moving industry. And once a deal is in place, how do you ensure you get the most out of the label and their team? Get insights from a leading manager and lawyer on how to get maximum value and support from the business partners your clients work with on their recordings.  19/10/26 Session 3: Producer Deals As artists have started to evolve the way they work with distributors and labels, the deals negotiated between artists and labels and the music producers they collaborate with have also changed. In this session we look at the different roles a producer might play during the recording process, how producers are usually compensated, and what artist and producer managers need to consider when agreeing deals.  26/10/26 Session 4: Managing A Release Campaign Managers play a key role in delivering release campaigns. Quite what that role involves depends very much on what business partners each client has engaged. Get manager and label insights on what goes into a successful release campaign, and learn how managers can get the most out of the distributors, labels and marketing agencies their clients work with.  By the end of this seminar series, managers will be equipped to make informed recording-business decisions, negotiate and manage key commercial relationships, oversee successful release campaigns, and confidently navigate modern producer and label deal structures on behalf of their clients. REAL DEAL SEMINARS: PUBLISHING 16/11/26 Session 1: Publishing Deal Trends What do your clients need from a music publisher and what kind of deals will best deliver that support? We review how publishers can provide financial, creative, commercial and administrative support, and explain the different kinds of publishing deals you may negotiate. Plus how do song copyrights make money and what is the respective role of PRS, MCPS and the publishers?  23/11/26 Session 2: The Collaborative Process Songwriting is usually a collaborative process. How can you help match your clients with new collaborators, what is the role of the manager and the publisher in making those connections and getting the most out of collaborations, and what agreements and admin tasks are required along the way? Get expert insights from a songwriter manager and publishing A&R.  30/11/26 Session 3: Managing Rights + Data A complex network of collecting societies, licensing hubs and royalty chains sit between the exploitation of songs and compositions and your songwriter clients. Getting paid via that framework requires quality data and administration. We run through what managers need to know about managing rights and data, and explain how you can get more out of music publishers and collecting societies.  07/12/26 Session 4: Maximising Opportunities + Income From Sync For some artists and songwriters sync is a key revenue stream. Many record labels and music publishers offer sync pitching as a key part of their record and publishing deals. But how can you get the most out of a label or publisher’s sync team on behalf of your clients? And how can managers take the lead on sync directly, giving their clients more control and a bigger cut of the money? By the end of this seminar series, managers will have the knowledge and confidence to negotiate publishing deals, manage rights and royalties, support successful songwriting collaborations, and maximise sync licensing opportunities for their clients.