MUMBAI: Fontana, the independent distribution arm of Universal Music Group, has expanded its client services further through a new partnership with Royalty Review Council.

Under the arrangement, Royalty Review Council will become a preferred outsource provider of record and mechanical royalty accounting for Fontana’s distributed labels. Royalty Review Council provides a complete turnkey alternative to traditional in-house royalty departments, eliminating the staffing overhead and technical complexities of managing their royalty accounting. Royalty Review Council’s staff has processed over 1,000,000 royalty statements calculated for artists, producers, third party licenses, publishers, and songwriters.

"As we continue to expand the services we provide our clients, we are laser-focused on selecting the best companies in their respective fields. And there is none better than Royalty Review Council. Keith has assembled an A-list team that possesses in-depth knowledge and extensive experience in music royalties, copyrights, contracts, licenses and distribution – true professionals who understand the business from the inside. Their proven track record of success will be an incredible resource and benefit to our partner labels," said Fontana president Ron Spaulding.

“We look forward to working with Fontana and their labels. I know royalty accounting is not the first thing labels are thinking about when they are focused on selling their music, but it is a function that must be handled properly. This arrangement provides each label with a cost-effective alternative. They can allocate resources to other areas of their business while we manage the complexities of preparing artist and mechanical royalty statements for both physical and digital sales,” added Royalty Review Council CEO Keith Bernstein.