Sam Smith was publishing’s big winner in the third quarter. His “Stay With Me” ranks first for airplay, with both Sony/ATV and Universal Music Publishing Group holding an interest in the ballad, while his guest turn on Disclosure’s “Latch” (UMPG) puts the radio staple in fifth place. As a songwriter, Smith also ranks fifth, behind his own co-writer James Napier, who’s credited for Clean Bandits‘ “Rather Be” at No. 1.
For its fifth consecutive quarter, Sony/ATV is the top publisher in the United States with a stake in 64 of the top 100 radio songs. Other big movers include country music houses Big Loud Bucks, based in large part on Kenny Chesney’s latest, ClearBox Rights (home to Joe Nichols) and Black River Entertainment (Billy Currington).
