Caring for Catalogue

Caring for Catalogue is a 90-minute workshop examining what it means to build and evolve a catalogue and artistic legacy as a musical artist. Moving beyond traditional models, the session explores innovative approaches to ownership, archiving, distribution, and monetization, alongside case studies of artists who have reimagined how their work lives on. With a global perspective, it offers practical tools for protecting rights, activating back catalogues, and stewarding creative work over time in ways that are both sustainable and artist-led.

Sustainable Practice Rights & Ownership Archiving & Catalogue Culture & Industry Distribution & Monetization

Instructor

Samer Etienne Chami

Dates

Sessions

1 session

Duration

90 mins each

Level

All levels

Language

English

See more info below

Samer Etienne Chami

Samer Etienne Chami (a.k.a Etyen) is a Beirut-based composer, producer and sound designer. In addition to his solo project as Etyen, he has collaborated with a number of groundbreaking artists including the provocative Syrian-Filipino rapper Chyno. Weaving together samples from unlikely sources -- such as iconic Lebanese vocalist Wadih El Safi -- Etyen creates a unique sound universe that is at once global and rooted in his local scene. He describes himself as a music producer and "philosopher of sorts," finding great personal and political power in the act of musical expression. "Through creation, I found an escape; my ultimate form of expression. A means by which I could cope with the world and understand it and myself better. Making music helps me stay true to my feelings and myself, by understanding where the inspiration comes from, what motivates and drives it and myself to make it come to life in the first place."

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Instructor Statement

I care deeply about artists building their own legacy outside of corporate, vampiric systems that extract everything they can from you. If you want to build your own systems or distribution and monetization this is for you.

FAQs

Is this only for artists with an established catalogue? No. The class is valuable for artists at any stage — whether you're stewarding decades of work, building a catalogue now, or simply thinking ahead about how your work will live in the world. What if I don't yet have publishing, rights, or distribution set up? The session covers foundational frameworks alongside more advanced strategies. You'll leave with a clearer understanding of what these systems are and how to begin building yours. Does this apply to non-musicians? The class is built around musical catalogue specifically, but many of the principles around ownership, archiving, and stewardship translate to other creative disciplines.