Media & Entertainment

Located in London's West End, Kingston Smith W1 are leading marketing services and media accountants focusing exclusively on creative, communications and consulting businesses. Our media and entertainment industry clients include recording companies, performance artistes, TV, film and theatre production companies, venues, commercial production and other related businesses where the income rests mainly on selling the skills of the people involved.

We understand that artistes and businesses within the sector are presented with unique challenges so we have developed practical solutions for TV production and film companies and specialist services for performers. Many of our clients choose to use these bespoke services for the sector alongside our mainstream audit, accounting and tax services.

Our client focus means that each client works with a media specialist lead partner who is responsible for the whole relationship and supported by a team of experts, who are experienced within the sector and understand your business.

As specialist marketing services and media accountants, we believe it is important to be at the forefront of changes and developments within the industry. This is achieved through close relationships with recognised trade bodies, such as the APA, MMF and AIM. However, we have also developed Insight, the Kingston Smith W1 blog, where we will be posting original thought leadership and research relevant to the media sector. The idea is to encourage discussion around these issues and to open up new areas of debate.

The music industry
We work for a wide variety of clients within the music industry, from record companies, publishing companies, record outlets and trade associations to high-profile musicians, bands, producers and management companies. We work with businesses from start up to publically quoted. We also have experience and expert knowledge of many ancillary and connected businesses such as agencies, promoters, merchandising and nightclubs.

We advise on a range of strategic issues - for example, how to realise the capital value of a business at the best time and on the best terms. We have helped bands and solo artistes negotiate or renegotiate recording contracts, and have advised on regulatory issues and assisted with withholding tax planning on touring activities, and catalogue and other IP valuation. Ownership succession, buy-outs and start-ups, management structures, employee incentives and pre-sale tax planning all feature regularly among our assignments for record labels and music publishers.

TV and Film
Our clients have included a wide range of owner managed companies and talent within the industry which has helped us further develop bespoke services for the sector.

Some of the specialist services that we have delivered to our clients include the qualification of British films and the preparation of applications to DCMS for qualification as a British film, liaising with national authorities, monitoring projects and applications to the Foreign Entertainers Unit and the certification of production costs for films and television productions. We also undertake due diligence on behalf of film financiers, film valuations, corporate structuring of co-productions and provide advice on structuring and establishing a number of film funds. We conduct audits of single purpose vehicle companies as well as the auditing of British, European Convention and Co production films.

As specialist media accountants we provide financial, accountancy and tax solutions and our involvement with TV production and film companies has led us to develop specific services tailored to key stages of their development.