Charlie is a qualified solicitor and internationally recognised expert in music rights and licensing, with extensive experience across collective rights management, digital strategy and industry advocacy. He advises clients on optimising royalty revenues, resolving rights conflicts, and navigating the increasingly complex global rights landscape.
Charlie spent a decade representing the independent music sector, serving as Chief Operating Officer of the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) and Director of Legal at the Association of Independent Music (AIM), following earlier roles at IFPI. He also served as interim CEO of the Ivors Academy, the UK’s association for songwriters and composers, during a key period of strategic transition.
He led the conception and launch of the RDx data exchange platform, developed in partnership with IFPI, PPL and other stakeholders. RDx is now widely used by CMOs and labels around the world to transform how performance rights data is managed internationally, improving accuracy, efficiency and transparency in global royalty distributions.
Alongside strategic work for labels and industry bodies, Charlie has worked closely with recording artists to ensure their rights are correctly represented across multiple territories, delivering substantial revenue improvements through targeted rights and data interventions.
Charlie began his career as a recording engineer, working on projects including Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac, and went on to hold senior music roles at Capital Radio and Napster before qualifying as a solicitor in 2009.
He joins Counterculture as an Associate, supporting clients with rights strategy, governance, digital infrastructure, and long-term organisational development.