Manners McDade
Manners McDade is an independent music publisher and composer agency representing 60-plus neo-classical, ambient, and electronic composers. Operating as a Faber Music division since 2023, it provides sync licensing, publishing administration, and bespoke composition for film, TV, games, and advertising clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Manners McDade does
Manners McDade is a London-based independent music publisher and composer agency established in 2006 and acquired by Faber Music in 2023, now operating as a division within the Faber Music group. The company represents a roster of 60-plus composers specializing in neo-classical, ambient, and electronic music, including artists such as Nils Frahm, Max Cooper, AVAWAVES, Catching Flies, Vanbur, and Anne Nikitin. Its core products span four service lines: Music Publishing Services (copyright administration, A&R, and catalogue management), Sync & Licensing (placement of music into film, television, advertising, and games), Composer Representation & Management via the MannersFaber agency, and Bespoke Composition (custom original work for brands and productions).
The underlying technology is a rights-and-relationship platform: catalogue metadata, copyright registration, royalty collection across mechanical, performance, and sync rights, and direct outreach to production companies, broadcasters, and advertising agencies. There are no disclosed proprietary software products, AI components, or platform APIs; the competitive edge rests on the curated roster and human-led creative matching rather than on technology infrastructure. Sync requests and submissions are routed through Faber Music email channels ([email protected], [email protected]), reflecting integration with the parent's back office.
The business model combines licensing royalties (sync fees and ongoing publishing royalties from catalogue use) with professional services revenue from composer representation and bespoke commissions. Pricing is custom and undisclosed, with quotes set per project based on usage scope and composer profile. The go-to-market is B2B and sales-led, relying on direct relationships, industry events, and the credibility generated by composer credits in marquee productions. Customers are concentrated in four verticals — film and TV productions, streaming platforms (Netflix, HBO, Sky, BBC, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+), technology companies (Apple, Google), and global brands in advertising (Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, BVLGARI, Chanel, Zara, Universal Music).
Manners McDade firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Manners McDade
- Legal name
- Manners McDade Music Publishing
- Website
- https://mannersmcdade.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Manners McDade is an independent music publisher and composer agency representing 60-plus neo-classical, ambient, and electronic composers. Operating as a Faber Music division since 2023, it provides sync licensing, publishing administration, and bespoke composition for film, TV, games, and advertising clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Manners McDade industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Publishing
- NAICS
- Music Publishers (512230), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Music Publishers (51223)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Music Supervision Services (MPAIALAB)
Keywords
Where Manners McDade is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Manners McDade business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Music Publishing Administration: Managing and administering music copyrights for composers on their roster, collecting royalties from mechanical, performance, and sync rights. Revenue derived from copyright management fees and royalty collection.
- Sync Licensing: Placing composer music in film, television, advertising, and video game productions. Revenue generated through sync fees paid by production companies and brands for the right to use music.
- Composer Representation & Management: Artist management services for composers, including career development, booking, and negotiation of deals. The company also operates MannersFaber agency for composer representation.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Manners McDade product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Manners McDade is an independent music publisher and composer agency that manages a roster of neo-classical, ambient, and electronic composers and artists. The company promotes and protects copyrights, develops composer careers, and secures synchronization placements of music in film, television, advertising, and video games. It also offers bespoke composition services and operates the MannersFaber agency for composer representation.
Product overview
Manners McDade is an independent music publisher offering a comprehensive suite of services centered around music publishing, sync licensing, and composer representation. The company promotes and protects copyrights while developing careers and nurturing talent across neo-classical, ambient, and electronic genres. Their core offerings include Music Publishing Services (A&R management and catalog administration), Sync & Licensing (placement of music in film, TV, advertising, and games), Composer Representation & Management (artist agency connecting composers with opportunities), and Bespoke Composition (custom original music for brands and productions). Operating as a division of Faber Music since 2023, the company serves the film, television, games, and advertising sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Music Publishing Services
- Sync & Licensing
Companies that use Manners McDade
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Manners McDade technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Manners McDade partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Faber MusiccoreManners McDade was acquired by Faber Music in 2023 and operates as a division under Faber Music. This acquisition provides Manners McDade with institutional backing and global reach while maintaining creative independence. Harriet Moss serves as Head of Manners McDade at Faber Music and Head of International Creative.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Manners McDade competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Primary Wave Music Publishing: Primary Wave is an independent music publisher with significant sync and film/TV scoring focus. Comparable independent publisher model competing for film/TV/advertising placements with a curated roster.
- Bucks Music Group: Bucks Music Group is a long-established independent UK music publisher representing composers for film, TV, and advertising. Closest comparable independent UK peer in roster curation and sync licensing.
- Faber Music: Faber Music is the parent company that acquired Manners McDade in 2023. It operates as a UK music publisher with adjacent roster and Faber Alt sync division; directly comparable business model, with shared admin infrastructure.
- Sentric Music: Sentric Music is a UK-based independent music publisher and admin house offering publishing administration and sync services. Comparable independent UK peer focused on rights administration and sync placements.
Broad incumbents
- BMG: BMG is one of the world's largest independent music publishers with a major global sync division. Comparable in that it administers copyright, signs composers, and pitches for film/TV/ad placements, but at vastly larger scale across all genres.
- Warner Chappell Music: Warner Chappell is a major global publisher offering sync, A&R, and bespoke composition services. Comparable as a full-service music publisher competing for the same film, TV, brand, and game briefs.
- Concord Music Publishing: Concord is a major independent publisher with a strong sync and film/TV scoring business. Overlaps with Manners McDade in representing composers for placement in productions and administering catalogues.
- Universal Music Publishing Group: UMPG is the largest music publishing division globally and competes for the same high-end sync placements and composer representation business that Manners McDade pursues.
- Peermusic: Peermusic is one of the largest independent music publishers worldwide, with a global sync team and catalogue of composers. Comparable business model as an indie publisher pursuing sync opportunities.
- Sony Music Publishing: Sony Music Publishing is the largest music publisher globally with an extensive film/TV/advertising sync operation. Directly competes for top-tier film/TV scoring and sync briefs with Manners McDade's roster.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Manners McDade social profiles
Digital presenceManners McDade financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Manners McDade leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Manners McDade funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Manners McDade M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Manners McDade
What does Manners McDade do?
Manners McDade is an independent music publisher and composer agency that manages a roster of neo-classical, ambient, and electronic composers and artists. The company promotes and protects copyrights, develops composer careers, and secures synchronization placements of music in film, television, advertising, and video games. It also offers bespoke composition services and operates the MannersFaber agency for composer representation.
Is Manners McDade a public or private company?
Manners McDade is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Manners McDade founded?
Manners McDade was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Manners McDade based?
Manners McDade is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Manners McDade make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Music Publishing Administration is the primary driver. The others are sync Licensing and composer Representation & Management.
Who are Manners McDade's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Primary Wave Music Publishing, Bucks Music Group, Faber Music and Sentric Music. Broad incumbents are BMG, Warner Chappell Music, Concord Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic and Sony Music Publishing.
Does Manners McDade have an API?
No public API is recorded for Manners McDade.
What industry is Manners McDade in?
Manners McDade's product category is Music Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIALAB, Music Supervision Services. Its NAICS code is 512230.