Some interesting commentary regarding 360 deals coming from publishers on a panel at the recent Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) luncheon held at the  House of Blues on the Sunset Strip.  Panelists revealed that more and more the deals they make hinge on an artist bringing them all of their rights, often so that so-called “sister” labels can have the option to up stream the artist. What about publishers signing artists who’ve already done a deal with a major record label? More and more those deals look less attractive to publishers, with comments even indicating a deciding factor may be renegotiations to include the publisher in multiple rights.  This also points to why writer-producers continue to be an attractive prospect to publishers, as Warner Chappell SVP Greg Sowders, aka The A-Team’s “Hannibal,” commented, “A home run for us is signing a writer who is a producer and has direct access to artists.  The self contained singer/songwriter is still possible but difficult.” But does that speak to what should be a larger concern for major labels and publishers, as they sign and develop fewer and fewer self-contained artists, increasingly in any genre not just pop, only to rely on a shrinking stable of “hit-making” outside writers? More quotes and commentary on the AIMP panel HERE…