People Peter Mason

Peter Mason

Legal Director

In the course of a career split evenly across private practice roles and working in-house, Peter has developed both sector-leading digital and collective licensing legal expertise and a second nature for applying that expertise to deliver commercial solutions.

“Music and technology are my passions – and law of course! I’ve advised a rich mix of music and film industry bodies and collecting societies, video-on-demand platforms, music streaming services and entertainment tech and data companies for nearly 20 years, and the pace of change and new challenges facing the industry are what keeps me going. Whether it’s negotiating a multi-million pound licence fee, mapping out the movement of vast quantities of data, or dealing with new regulatory and compliance obligations, there is always something new and interesting on my plate.

I speak the language of the music industry, contributing regularly to conferences and events, but listening is even more important. I want to hear about clients’ own challenges and goals, because no two are ever alike. I draw on my experience to apply a bespoke solution for each client.

Music is where I began my legal journey, but technology has been the pathway I’ve followed, and I now also advise in the TV, film, broadcast and social media sectors.”

Peter Mason has in-depth knowledge of collective licensing organisations and neighbouring rights and is an up-and-comer representing music industry bodies and music-tech companies.

Legal 500, 2021

Recent Experience +

  • Advising Disney on agreements with collecting societies across EMEA for the clearance of music and other rights for Disney+.
  • Advising film and broadcasting industry trade bodies on the interpretation and impact of proposed and new copyright and related rights law in several countries across Europe and beyond.
  • Delivering strategic advice on copyright licensing and royalties distribution and template agreements for a highly innovative music streaming service.
  • Advising music publishers and rights acquisition funds on company and catalogue acquisitions.
  • Advising a number of leading broadcasters on the impact of copyright and regulatory changes under the new Copyright Directive and Satellite and Cable Directive and arising from key court decisions.
  • Advising a generative music artificial intelligence business on copyright issues and a licensing agreement with a major record label.
  • Advising Soundmouse, the leading provider of cue sheet data in numerous client and licensing agreements with record labels, publishers and CMOs.
  • Advising a blockchain-based technology company on a range of client agreements relating to the online payments and credit checking sector.
  • Advising a number of music data businesses on client agreements, technology delivery and data transfer issues.
  • Advising a back-end streaming technology provider on their client and reseller agreements.
  • Advising on the establishment of a collecting society as a new independent entity for the management of the rights of independent music publishers, including new constitutional arrangements and membership agreements, regulatory compliance and licensing to music DSPs.