PRS For Music has signed a long-term licensing agreement with song data hub Auddly.
As exclusively revealed in the latest issue of Music Week, the deal will enable PRS For Music songwriter, composer and publisher members to capture their song and composition data (including agreement of shares) and register their works with PRS at the point of creation. Members will have free access to a new tool powered by the tech start-up.
The Auddly platform, which was co-founded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, will enable earlier registration of more accurate data. It will also help PRS to improve the speed and accuracy of royalty distributions made to its members.
The collection society is also hopeful that the tool will inspire collaboration between music creators. It will enable them to communicate directly to propose and agree share splits via the tool, cutting down admin for music publishers, as well as capturing data in a consistent, standardised, and transparent way for all interested parties.
The new tool will also make it possible for industry identifiers for recordings and compositions to be assigned at the same time.
Grammy award-winning songwriter Max Martin has also backed the service, alongside CEO Niclas Molinder (songwriting and production duo TWIN). Auddly’s tool will be made available for free to PRS For Music members once launched next year.
Robert Ashcroft, CEO of PRS For Music, said: “Björn is one of the industry’s leading visionaries. With today’s trillions of individual streams on the internet, early and authoritative song registration are vital if songwriters and composers are to be properly paid for their creative works. In founding and developing Auddly together with Niclas Molinder, Björn has made a massive contribution to all other songwriters, to add to his own legendary career as a creator himself. I would like to thank him, on behalf of all PRS members, for his vision and for his determination in developing Auddly.”
PRS seemed flexible and willing to adapt to future technologies - and as I am a bit of a tech geek I like that
Björn Ulvaeus
Ulvaeus, who’s also a PRS member, said: “When I joined PRS For Music a few years ago, long before Auddly, I did so because I had the feeling that PRS were at the forefront of collecting societies. They seemed flexible and willing to adapt to future technologies and as I am a bit of a tech geek I like that. Well, I was right! I’m immensely grateful to PRS for sharing Niclas’ and my vision and I’m proud to be his partner in this great collaboration. We share the goal to help songwriters get quick and fair payments and, not least important, get credits whenever and wherever their songs are played. Now’s the time for the world to realise that no one in the music industry is more important than us songwriters! It all starts with a song!”
Molinder added: “We are delighted to be working closely together with PRS to help songwriters and their music publishers manage their metadata efficiently, as we launch PRO integration in Auddly. Capturing this data accurately from the start enables PROs to attribute ownership shares to songwriters, so this is a significant step towards securing correct compensation. Early data identifiers are key to forming a sustainable music industry and this partnership is an important part of making Auddly the global reference point for all song metadata.”
To read the full story, including the only interview with Björn Ulvaeus, pick up the latest issue of Music Week - or subscribers can click here. To subscribe and never miss a big industry story click here.
PHOTO: (L-R) Niclas Molinder, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Robert Ashcroft
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