Colin’s career spans decades across accountancy, business management, record labels, publishing, music rights and advising artists. From starting out as a young accountant working with American jazz bands, pop groups and broadcasters, to building and selling a record label, Colin has spent his career working at the intersection of music, money, rights and relationships.

In this conversation, Colin shares how his early love of records turned into a lifetime of helping artists, songwriters, estates and families understand the real value of their creative assets. He explains why music rights are not just financial assets, why proper estate planning is essential for successful artists and songwriters and the reason families often misunderstand how royalties, publishing income, master recordings and catalogue ownership work after death.

The episode also explores the practical realities of valuing music catalogues, selling rights, understanding copyright terms, dealing with inheritance tax, negotiating with major labels and investment funds, and protecting beneficiaries from rushed decisions or poor advice. Colin explains why a catalogue sale is rarely just about the numbers, and why true value often depends on music knowledge, contract history, buyer appetite, market timing and trusted industry contacts.

Discussion points in this episode include:

• Building a record label and learning how music rights, licensing and distribution really work
• Why music IP rights have grown significantly in value over recent decades
• The importance of estate planning for artists, songwriters, producers and music industry professionals
• How royalties are treated after death and why families often misunderstand income flows
• Why music catalogues need proper documentation, contract reviews and rights analysis
• The difference between publishing rights, master recordings and neighbouring rights
• How catalogue valuations work and why multiples depend on more than historic earnings
• How inheritance tax can affect estates holding valuable IP rights
• How major labels, investment companies and catalogue buyers approach music rights acquisitions
• Why SRLV’s music industry experience helps clients protect wealth, rights and legacy

Key Moments:

00:00 – Music rights, royalties and “not just the numbers”

01:01 – Introducing Colin Newman and music industry accountancy

01:54 – Colin’s route into accountancy

04:56 – Working with 1960s music clients

08:00 – Recovering recording rights for artists

09:15 – Launching Action Replay and early compilation albums

12:14 – Buying record labels from liquidation

16:00 – Building trust with artists and restoring rights

19:00 – Estate planning for music IP

21:40 – How to value a music catalogue

23:58 – Why famous music estates end up in disputes

25:15 – US reversionary rights and UK copyright rules

31:00 – Why every music estate needs a “rights Bible”

33:00 – How music catalogue sales work

34:45 – Valuing catalogues using multiples of earnings

38:39 – What families misunderstand about royalties after death

39:45 – Should you sell a music catalogue sooner or later?

42:15 – Christmas songs, sync income and long-term royalty value

45:00 – Why multiple buyers matter in music catalogue sales

47:30 – Probate music IP values, tax mistakes and IHT planning

49:40 – Sync licensing and unpredictable catalogue value

54:20 – Don’t sign anything quickly after inheriting music rights

55:15 – Why doing nothing is not an estate planning strategy

 

Prefer to watch? Head over to our YouTube channel to watch the full episode.

 

About the podcast

Not Just a Number is a podcast for entrepreneurs, creatives and industry pioneers who want to grow businesses and protect what matters most to them and to their families.

Each episode’s candid conversation focuses on personal stories, business strategies, leadership, top tips and trends – from scaling up companies and international relocations to creative rights and real-world business growth. Whether they are clients or professional contacts, all our guests are shaping global industries and friends of our business. As with everyone we work with, they are really not “just a number”.

 

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