PRO Agency has inked an expanded neighboring rights deal with US-born independent music company Secretly Distribution.

Secretly’s initial partnership with PRO began in 2019 and focused on rights management for its catalog in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The agreement has now been extended into a multi-territory, global deal, effective, January 2022.

As a result of the partnership, PRO will be managing international performance rights collections for a number of independent labels, including Secretly Group (Dead Oceans, Jagjaguwar, Secretly Canadian), Ghostly International, Numero Group, Captured Tracks, Touch & Go, Rhymesayers Entertainment, Run for Cover, Sacred Bones Records, Asthmatic Kitty and Awesome Tapes From Africa.

The neighboring rights agency will also manage international rights collections for artists such as Bon Iver, Mitski, Mac DeMarco, Phoebe Bridgers, The War on Drugs, Rostam, Com Truise and Sufjan Stevens.

PRO Agency was founded in 2012 by Wuppertal-based distributor Cargo Records.

It now independently manages the neighboring rights for record producers, performing artists, actors and creative producers towards 63 collecting societies worldwide, it says.

Its label and distribution partners include Kompakt, Spirit Music Group, Berliner Philharmoniker, Cinq Music Group, Symphonic Distribution, Majestic Casual, Boysnoize Records, and on the performing artists’ side, Parcels, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Volbeat, AnnenMayKantereit, Trentemøller, Hauschka, Blixa Bargeld and Sophie Hunger.

Secretly Distribution represents over 100 labels and thousands of artists.

“We are pleased to further expand the existing cooperation.”

Alexander Warnke, pro agency

Alexander Warnke, CEO of PRO agency, said: “We are pleased to further expand the existing cooperation with one of the most important international independent players and to enable a comprehensive and optimal collection of neighboring Rights.“

“our label and artist partners are in very capable hands.”

Chris Cannon, Secretly Distribution

Chris Cannon, Head of International Strategy, Secretly Distribution, added: “We have enjoyed working with Alex and his team since 2019 and have been very impressed with their deep knowledge of the performer rights landscape and their ability to dig deep into each market to maximise collections.

“We are looking forward to starting this expanded partnership with p.r.o agency, safe in the knowledge that our label and artist partners are in very capable hands”.

PRO Agency entered into an agreement to handle neighboring rights for US independent record label Merge Records in 2020.

In November 2019, Uganda-based Nyege Nyege Tapes inked a global Neighboring Rights deal with PRO Agency.Music Business Worldwide