Music Royalty Management

A common issue I see with many of our clients at Hart & Songs is whether they’re correctly collecting their mechanical royalties or if songs are missing from their catalog. One tool I love is The Mechanical Licensing Collective’s Public Search database, which I use to cross-reference my clients' catalogs—even when they’re signed with a publisher or publishing administrator. It’s crucial to regularly verify registrations because I often find gaps where something fell through and recent songs aren’t being collected. LINK ---> https://lnkd.in/g58WKxnh Simply assuming that your publisher or publishing administrator handles everything isn’t enough. Regularly checking with your PRO and other collection organizations can help you keep track of any missing registrations and ensure you’re collecting everything you’re owed. #MusicPublishing #RightsManagement #Publishing #Music #MusicManagement #Catalog #Royalties #MLC

The truth nobody tells indie artists: catalogues aren’t just about how good the music is. They’re about how clean, structured, and monetisable the rights are. Investors don’t buy vibes, they buy cashflow and if your catalogue isn’t set up to generate income consistently, it’s not ready to work for you yet. There are five things every serious investor, publisher, or acquirer looks for: First, rights clarity. Who owns what? Is it registered with a PRO? Are the splits documented and signed? Second, metadata hygiene. Do the songs have correct ISRCs, ISWCs, and IPIs? Are they tagged, searchable, and trackable? Third, earnings history. Is the catalog generating revenue? From where? Streaming, sync, or publishing? Fourth, sync potential. Has it been licensed before? Does it have instrumental versions? Is it cleared for one-stop licensing? And fifth, deal-readiness. Are your contracts centralised and digitised? Can a buyer complete due diligence in a week instead of a month? Most artists fail at three out of five, and that is where the problem starts. Metadata, in particular, is the invisible backbone of your catalog. The Verge once called it “the biggest little problem plaguing the music industry,” estimating that billions in royalties go unclaimed every year because songs aren’t properly tagged or credited. Every ISRC, IPI, and songwriter detail is how performance rights organisations like IPRS identify and pay you. If your metadata is missing or incorrect, your song might still play everywhere, but the royalties could be going anywhere. Messy splits lead to royalty disputes. Missing metadata means lost income. No sync prep means no high-margin placements. No earnings track record means no valuation benchmark. You can’t raise capital, sell equity, or pitch your catalog if you don’t even know what you own, or worse, if you co-own something you can’t monetise. This isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being prepared. If you’re serious about turning your music into long-term value, get your house in order. Build a clean catalogue, and it becomes a business. Keep it messy, and it stays a hobby. Streams are great, but splits, syncs, and structure are what make a catalogue valuable. The next wave of music wealth isn’t going to the loudest, it’s going to the most organised. #musicbusiness #musicindustry #metadata #rights #tips #fairplay

A song can be successful, widely known, even culturally impactful, and still have no catalog value. The reason is simple: ownership clarity. When we talk about catalog deals, sync licensing, sub-publishing, or even long-term royalty administration, the first thing anyone looks at is the Chain of Title, the documented history of who has owned the rights to the work, and when. What I keep seeing is that the work is created, released, distributed, and performed but the paper trail is fragmented. And once that happens, the music becomes difficult (sometimes impossible) to license or transfer. These are some common issues: ✅ Producer agreements that were never finalized ✅ Publishing shares that were agreed verbally but not documented ✅ Old managers or partners still listed on registrations Master rights transferred informally without written assignment ✅ Conflicting entries across PRO/CMO systems When the Chain of Title is unclear, the conversation doesn’t move forward. It does not matter how well the music performed. No one invests in rights they cannot verify. What actually builds catalog value is not just the music itself, it’s the documentation that proves ownership. If the goal is to license, sell, leverage, or build long-term value around music, the structure has to be clean. That’s the difference! As a creative entrepreneur or executive, how are you approaching this. Happy to hear your perspective 👇

Quote: "AI companies argue that using copyrighted materials is unavoidable and that no viable systems exist for detailed, user-centric licensing. This argument is false. Technologies like blockchain and decentralized licensing platforms have already demonstrated their ability to provide transparent, user-specific licensing models. For example, a blockchain music licensing platform has enabled artists to register their works and receive royalties through automated smart contracts, ensuring fair and timely payments. (...) These solutions can track usage, allocate royalties accurately, and create accountability — all while respecting intellectual property rights. For instance, blockchain-based systems can register works with immutable timestamps, ensuring clear ownership and usage records. Smart contracts can automate royalty payments, distributing revenue to creators whenever their work is used. These contracts address common royalty distribution challenges by eliminating intermediaries and reducing payment delays. For example, based on pre-set percentages, they can automatically allocate payments to multiple stakeholders, such as songwriters, producers, and performers. This ensures transparency and fairness, significantly reducing disputes and administrative overhead in royalty management. These technologies offer a blueprint for ethical AI training that prioritizes creators rather than exploiting them. A Technological Path Forward The tools for fair and ethical AI training are available. Here are the key technologies that can reshape this landscape: Blockchain for Copyright Registration: Blockchain’s immutable ledger provides an unalterable record of copyright ownership. Creators can register their works securely, ensuring their rights are protected and easily verifiable. Smart Contracts for Licensing: Smart contracts enable automated and transparent licensing agreements. These digital contracts enforce usage terms and trigger royalty payments instantly when predefined conditions are met. Decentralized Metadata Management: Decentralized platforms enhance the discoverability of works while maintaining robust rights protection. AI developers can access licensed datasets with clear terms, creating a fair marketplace for creative content. Quantum-Enhanced Detection: Advanced AI-powered tools, such as Quantum Natural Language Processing (QNLP), can detect unauthorized usage of creative works with unprecedented accuracy. These systems ensure AI outputs align with licensing agreements and trace back to sources. Adaptive Licensing Models: Licensing platforms can offer tiered, user-centric options tailored to specific use cases, from small-scale research to commercial applications. This flexibility ensures that all parties — creators and users alike — can operate transparently and fairly." Source: https://lnkd.in/e7iMUdss

YouTube and UGC platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook, and Snapchat have become major drivers of music discovery and revenue. But they are also where creators lose the most royalties due to missing metadata, unclaimed content, and unauthorized uploads. Protecting your music across these platforms is essential if you want to maximize earnings and maintain ownership control. The first step is understanding YouTube’s Content ID system. Content ID fingerprints your music so YouTube can detect when it appears in any video uploaded by users. This allows you to monetize, track, or block content that uses your music. However, Content ID isn't automatically available to every artist. You need a licensed partner, publisher, or rights administrator to deliver your music into the system with accurate metadata and ownership details. Proper registration is equally important. Your compositions and recordings should be registered with your PRO or CMO, your publishing administrator, and mechanical rights societies where applicable. Each work must also have correct ISWC and ISRC codes. These identifiers ensure that when your music appears on UGC platforms, the royalties are matched and paid correctly. Without them, many uses go unclaimed. Delivery to UGC platforms is another overlooked step. If your distributor or publisher does not properly deliver your catalog to TikTok, Instagram, or Meta platforms, creators can use your sound without any compensation returning to you.Monitoring your catalog is the final layer of protection. Even with automated systems in place, manually checking for unauthorized uploads, incorrect audio versions, or reuploaded content ensures that your rights remain properly enforced. Uptique Music, we manage this entire process for our clients across all platforms and territories—ensuring that every use of their music is protected, registered, monetized, and accurately accounted for. Owning your music is one thing. Protecting it is what ensures long-term value.

Filling in identifiers like #ISRC (International Standard Recording Code), #ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code), #IPI (Interested Parties Information), and #MIDDS (Music Industry Data Descriptive Standards) is crucial for musicians to ensure proper recognition, tracking, and compensation for their work. These codes are vital for identifying and cataloging recordings, compositions, and the associated rights holders in a global music industry where millions of works are produced daily. The ISRC uniquely identifies individual sound recordings and music videos, enabling efficient tracking of their usage on digital platforms, radio, and streaming services. Similarly, the ISWC is essential for identifying musical compositions and linking them to their respective songwriters, composers, and publishers. By using these codes, musicians protect their intellectual property and ensure accurate payment of royalties. The IPI system connects creators and rights holders to their works, ensuring proper distribution of performance and mechanical royalties through collection societies. Meanwhile, MIDDS provides a standardized way to describe and share metadata about music works, making it easier for industry stakeholders to access and use accurate information. These identifiers reduce errors, disputes, and delays in royalty payments, as they create a transparent and organized framework for managing rights Allfeat DDEX CISAC 📢

🤓💡 I first encountered Music Recognition Technology (MRT) while working at ByteDance, where the team built a tool to recognise music genres for tagging. At Keakie, we implemented MRT through ACRCloud in our sequencing tool to create setlists of mixes. Most recently, I heard Yuri Dokter and Silvia Montello talk about this tech at the Night Time Industries Association conference. It is one of my favourite techs for numerous reasons! 🎵 MRT is used to identify, track, and monetise music plays across various platforms. Entities utilise MRT, specifically through techniques such as audio fingerprinting that creates a unique digital signature for each piece of audio, allowing for precise matching against a database of known tracks. Here are some products that use MRT to provide services and companies that use it to benefit creators: 📌 Shazam is one of the most popular music recognition apps. It uses a vast database of music to find matches for snippets of audio captured by the user’s device. 📌 Audoo is a technology company that offers an audio meter designed to accurately track music played in commercial venues like shops, bars, and restaurants. The device listens, matches and accurately reports usage back to PROs. 📌 ACRCloud offers music recognition services that detect, identify, and monitor music and audio for various applications, including broadcasting monitoring and content recognition for user-generated content platforms. 📌 DJ Monitor specialises in music recognition and rights monitoring for electronic music. They use MRT to identify tracks played in clubs, festivals, and online DJ sets, ensuring that electronic music producers receive royalties for their played music. 📌 PRS for Music uses MRT to track music across different media and ensure fair compensation for creators. They’ve partnered with DJ Monitor to extend the use of MRT to nightclubs and festivals by installing MRT monitoring boxes. To benefit from this, artists are encouraged to upload their audio files and associated metadata to DJ Monitor. 📌 Pex uses advanced MRT and audio fingerprinting to help manage audio and video content across the internet for creators, rights holders, and platforms. Their products and services include content identification, rights management, attribution, and data analytics. 📌 Deezer SongCatcher is a feature within the Deezer music streaming service that allows users to identify songs playing around them. It uses MRT to match the audio fingerprint of the music being played to its database, helping users discover new music and artists. It’s highly recommended that artists utilise these platforms and technologies to increase the visibility of their music, receive fair compensation, and make informed decisions about their careers with available data 🎶💫 #musictechnology #productinnovation #musicindustry

I always find it interesting when there is so much money left on the table. The other night, I pulled the IPI numbers and PRO affiliations for hundreds of writers and I was surprised by what I uncovered: •Writers not affiliated with any PRO, marked as IPI #0 and “NS” (No Society). •Publishers registered for songs, but not the writers, leaving the writer’s share in limbo. •Songwriters missing entirely from systems like Songview, their royalties likely unclaimed. This isn’t just a technical issue—it’s millions in royalties stuck in limbo, waiting to be collected or reallocated. When metadata is incomplete or inaccurate: ✅ Royalties go unclaimed: Writer shares sit in black box funds or remain unpaid. ✅ Rights go untapped: Unregistered songwriters may not even know their royalties exist. ✅ Opportunities are missed: Acquirers and managers leave value on the table by ignoring these gaps. Clean metadata isn’t just admin—it’s the foundation of the entire music royalty ecosystem. It ensures: 🎯 Writers and publishers get paid. 💸 Every dollar flows to its rightful owner. 🔎 Ownership and value are transparent and protected. So who can do what from here? 1️⃣ Acquirers: Unregistered writers present an untapped market for rights acquisitions. Identifying and resolving these gaps can unlock hidden value. 2️⃣ Catalog Managers: Metadata clean-up isn’t optional—it’s a direct way to boost catalog valuations and ensure every royalty is captured. 3️⃣ The Industry: Better systems, more education, and cleaner data are critical to ensuring the music ecosystem works for everyone. Who else is tackling these challenges? Are you a metadata expert or working on catalog acquisitions? Drop a note in the comments and share your insights or questions. #MusicRoyalties #Metadata #MusicBusiness #CatalogManagement #MusicIndustry #Songwriters #RoyaltyManagement #PROs #UnclaimedRoyalties

UNDERSTANDING MUSIC LICENSING: HOW ARTISTS CAN TURN THEIR MUSIC INTO LONG-TERM INCOME Music licensing is the process of granting permission for a song to be used in another form of media — such as films, television shows, commercials, video games, YouTube videos, and more — in exchange for payment. When an artist licenses their music, they retain ownership of their work but allow others to use it under specific conditions, often receiving upfront fees, royalties, or both. Key Types of Music Licenses: • Sync License (Synchronization License): Needed when music is used in timed relation to visual media (e.g., films, shows, ads). • Master License: Covers the use of a specific recorded version of a song. • Mechanical License: Required for reproducing and distributing copyrighted songs (common for cover songs). • Public Performance License: For playing music in public spaces like restaurants, radio, and streaming services. How Artists Can Gain Knowledge and Monetize Through Licensing: • Education: Take courses, attend webinars, and follow industry leaders who specialize in music publishing and licensing. • Music Libraries and Licensing Agencies: Partner with companies that place songs in TV, film, and ads. Examples include Musicbed, Epidemic Sound, and Songtradr. • Direct Pitching: Build relationships with music supervisors — the people who select music for films, TV, and games. • Register Your Music: Join a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC to collect royalties. • Metadata Matters: Ensure your tracks are properly labeled with all necessary information (title, genre, mood, tempo, writer credits, contact information) to make it easy for licensing teams to find and use your music. • Protect Your Rights: Understand contracts thoroughly or work with an attorney who specializes in entertainment law before signing licensing agreements. Licensing is one of the most powerful ways for independent artists to earn consistent revenue, grow their exposure globally, and build a sustainable career — even without being signed to a major label. Knowledge is key. The more artists understand licensing, the more they can unlock new doors for income, opportunity, and creative expansion. - Adrian Pearson Jr