Day: 20 April 2012

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Mark Hobrough (1917 Corp, Island Records)


Mark Hobrough is an experienced music industry professional, currently managing songwriters & artists and acting as an industry consultant for both established and new enterprise at Swansfield Music. He has previously worked as a Music Consultant at Shazam and at 1917 Corp, a music marketing consultancy specialising in promoting to music and creative arts students in the UK. Clients include many UK major labels and independents as well as some film companies. 

Mark also acts as a consultant including recent campaigns for Island Records and works within the music education sector with Music Business Training and Etude Music. He has also moderated industry panels for Generator, Music Futures, DMF Digital and others.

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Nick Halkes (MD Positiva, EMI, XL Recordings)


Nick Halkes is a music industry executive known for signing and breaking dance act The Prodigy. Halkes was one of the founders of independent record label XL Recordings where he worked with acts such as House of Pain, SL2 and Liquid before taking up a position as a director at EMI and launching the Positiva label. The Positiva label is now home to David Guetta and Deadmau5 amongst others.

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Maria Forte (V2 Publishing, The Prodigy, The Police)

Maria Forte is the Co-Founder and Director of Public Affairs at V2 and works on digital rights management for Radiohead/ sample clearance for The Prodigy.

Maria has worked in the music industry for three decades. She has worked at Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd and with many contemporary bands/writers including The Police; The Human League; Culture Club; Soul II Soul; The Clash; Stereo MC’s and The Prodigy. She’s also worked at EMI Music Publishing running the copyright department as well as establishing the sampling department. She continued to work with the Virgin Music catalogue as well as the rich and varied catalogue belonging to EMI.

n 1996, she was a co-founder and Director of Commercial Affairs at V2 Music Publishing Ltd., Richard Branson’s second venture into music publishing. In July 2006 she created Maria Forte Music Services Ltd. Her clients include Warner Chappell music, for the implementation of their pan European Digital Rights Initiative.