Nicholas Firth

Nicholas Firth is Chairman of BMG Music Publishing Worldwide, the largest independent music publisher in the world and the third largest music publisher overall.

BMG Music Publishing represents some of the most internationally successful talent in all genres of music, including Nelly, Maroon5, R. Kelly, Justin Timberlake, Linkin Park, Christina Aguilera, Coldplay, Britney Spears, Robbie Williams, Keane, Joss Stone, Alanis Morissette, The Bee Gees, Eurythmics, Korn, Limp Bizkit and Chingy. BMG Music Publishing’s successful Film and TV Music division has placed BMG’s copyrights in recent films such as Shark Tale, Collateral, Starsky & Hutch and hit television programs including The OC, CSI and ER. BMG Music Publishing’s rich classical repertoire includes works by Puccini, Verdi, Ravel (“Bolero”), Saint-Saens, Debussy, Poulenc and Xenakis.

Since its launch in 1987 under Mr. Firth’s direction, BMG Music Publishing has become an industry leader with a uniquely diversified global catalogue created through artist development and over 240 catalogue and corporate acquisitions in 15 countries, most notably Zomba Music Publishing, Italy’s G. Ricordi and France’s Editions Durand and Salabert. With wholly owned offices in 31 countries around the globe, BMG Music Publishing is the world’s largest Contemporary Christian Music Publisher, the number one Production Music Library group and the world’s second largest Classical Music Publisher.

Nick Firth’s 40+ year career in music publishing includes over 20 years with the Chappell Group, then a division of PolyGram BV, culminating with simultaneous positions as President of Chappell International and Vice President of the PolyGram Publishing Division, which he held from 1981-1985. Subsequently, Mr. Firth was a shareholder and CEO of Music Theatre International.

He also has the unique distinction of having music publishing “in his blood” - his grandfather and great uncle, Louis and Max Dreyfus, both former Directors of ASCAP, who are legends of the modern music publishing industry, owned Chappell & Company in New York and London.

In addition to his duties at BMG, Mr. Firth has been very active in negotiating Music Publishing Industry agreements in the U.S., Europe and the Far East.

Mr. Firth serves on the Boards of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), the International Music Publishers Association (IMPA) and the Third Street Music School Settlement.