First serving as Senior Copyright Administrator at Bug Music (now BMG) in 2005, Frank Handy transitioned to Bicycle Music (now Concord), before moving on to his role at SONGS (working closely with The Weeknd, Lorde, Diplo, and others). Serving as Vice President and Head of Operations and Administration at Position Music added licensing, income tracking, YouTube and digital distribution operations, and catalog valuations. He was also the Head of Creator and Publisher Relations at AllTrack Performing Rights and worked as a consultant for Swell Sound, Geffen Records, and El Camino Media. Currently the VP of Catalog Royalties Administration at Peermusic, Handy’s support for independent publishers has deepened through his royalty distribution oversight and revenue stream optimization, in addition to work in his role as President (Los Angeles Chapter) and national chair of AIMP (Association of Independent Music Publishers).
With over 20 years of experience in music business operations, administration, and royalty management, Handy has also spent extensive time performing in bands as an alt-rock guitarist and songwriter. An award-winning graduate of the guitar tech program at Musician’s Institute (once auditioning for Nine Inch Nails), his passion for the music remains, although his primary focus has shifted to educating and supporting independent music publishers and creators, sharing his knowledge in panels and events focused on copyright, publishing trends, and rights advocacy.
Speaking to his own songwriting process, Handy says it always started with the guitar. “I wanted to make it playing guitar, so I played in bands for many, many years. The writing process for me always started around cool chord progressions or guitar sounds, and then I would usually let someone else write the words because I don’t really sing or write [lyrics]. I think that’s the case for a lot of alternative rock.”
Ultimately, everything comes down to great music. “Coming up in my day, it was a pretty set road,” says Handy. “You got out, you played shows, and there were gatekeepers you had to get past to have any success. There was the indie DIY thing as well, but there were gatekeepers in that scene too. You had to be cool enough. There was a real rock ethos. With the internet in the past 20 years, the barriers have really come down. Anybody can put a song up anywhere and what is encouraging is [that] great music still finds people. They’ll try and point to virality, but ultimately it comes down to [making] great music. If the song’s great, it’ll resonate with people, and they’ll want to use it. There are algorithms and things, but if the music ain’t great. you can’t manufacture it. That’s been true since the dawn of commercial music.”
There are blessings with the development of artificial intelligence. “Last year, [at] this time, the fires were raging, destroying California. A.I. really came on the scene,” reflects Handy. “A lot of big rights holders are willing to work together. There’s always going to be bad players, but ultimately this is a new revenue stream for the music industry. There’s lots of good guardrails in licensing, and people using the music understand that music has value and should be paid for.”
Having served on the AIMP board for 10 years, Handy says that the toughest part of his role as President has been saying no to so many. “You can’t be all things to all people. We are an educational organization that serves the independent music publishing community—that’s what we have to focus on,” he emphasizes. “If the organization gets too far out of its lane one way or the other, that’s not good for anybody.”
As for his career success, Handy says it all comes down to work ethic. “I outworked everybody and that has served me well being a performing musician, as well as an executive.”
For more insights from Handy, listen in on SiriusXM’s Break the Business radio show.
Turning 50 years old in 2027, AIMP now has chapters In Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, and Atlanta, launching the Young Professionals Committee (YPC) in 2021.
Contact Jon Bleicher - Prospect PR, jon@prospectpr.com
