Audoo&nbsp;is changing how the music industry approaches royalty payments – and founder Ryan Edwards says this mission remains his core focus. Edwards founded the business in 2018 to provide a solution to the challenges faced in public performance royalty data collection and payment distribution via its Audoo Audio Meter device and insights platform. So impressive is the growth of the London firm –&nbsp;which counts legends including Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney and ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus among its investors&nbsp;– that it has topped our last two&nbsp;MediaTech 50&nbsp;rankings. However, despite substantial interest, he says they “do not have an exit strategy for the time being”. “And that’s quite intentional,” he adds. “Audoo is a mission-led business and we’re focused on long-term impact rather than a quick exit. “Of course, we’re consistently approached, and we explore every conversation, just as we do with funding. But the reality is we love working on this company.&nbsp; “We get to spend time with our heroes, solve a problem that’s affected creators for generations, and genuinely change how the industry works. That’s what motivates us, not an exit timeline.” As a child the&nbsp;entrepreneur would practise drumming along to songs from famous bands in his bedroom. Later, as part of The Lines, he would find himself opening for these heroes – including The Killers, The Charlatans, Jack Peñate and Supergrass. After The Lines, Edwards focused his career on technology and data, leading teams in creating mobile apps for world football governing body FIFA, B&amp;Q and Barclays; rolling out complex retail data solutions at Visa; and bringing Best Buy to the UK. In 2018 he was shopping in a department store when he heard his former band’s song&nbsp;Domino Effect&nbsp;playing over the speakers – and wondered whether they were being paid royalties they were due. The idea for Audoo was born. Its Audio Meter – which Edwards says remains true to the original vision sketched out sitting at his kitchen table – has been specifically designed to cut through environmental noise and recognise the music played within commercial premises. It has now been rolled out around the world. “Commercially, we’ve expanded major partnerships with APRA in Australia and New Zealand,&nbsp;IMRO in Ireland, and BUMA in the Netherlands [in the last 12 months],” Edwards says.&nbsp; “All of those organisations are seeing the positive impact of real-world monitoring and are increasing their deployment of Audio Meters. We’ve also entered the US market, which is a huge step for us. “My own role has become incredibly global. I’m rarely in the UK now because there are so many PROs (performing rights organisations) and industry bodies around the world that want to meet and understand how this technology can finally bring accuracy to royalty distributions.” However, the UK has been slower on the uptake than other countries.“What we’ve learned is that some markets are true trailblazers. Organisations like APRA and IMRO are deeply committed to accuracy and doing the best for their members, and they’ve embraced technology as the way to achieve that,” says Edwards. “Unfortunately, in our home market we haven’t seen the same level of commitment. That led us to launch Every Play Counts, our direct-to-venue strategy where we provide Audio Meters at no cost to venues.&nbsp; “Rather than waiting for change, we decided to empower businesses to be part of the solution themselves – and we’ve seen a&nbsp;hugely positive response from venue owners and managers. “What’s been fascinating is how that has opened up a completely new customer base. Labels, publishers and managers now want access to this data to understand where their music is actually being played in the real world.&nbsp; “That insight simply hasn’t existed before, so Audoo is creating a new layer of intelligence for the entire ecosystem.” Edwards says the huge and fragmented US market is a “very different landscape to anywhere else”.&nbsp; “There are multiple rights organisations, artists move between them, and the market has gone through significant structural change – including one organisation moving from a not-for-profit model to a private-equity-backed business,” he explains. “That creates new behaviours and new incentives, but what we’re already seeing from the first cities we’ve launched in is incredibly clear: real-world public performance data looks nothing like streaming, radio or playlist proxies. “That reinforces why Audoo exists. The industry has been relying on approximations for decades, and the US is proving just as strongly as Europe and Australia that those approximations don’t reflect reality.” Over the last couple of years, Audoo has moved from being a promising technology into something genuinely transformational for the music industry, Edwards says.&nbsp; “We delivered the world’s first live music monitoring at festivals, which was a huge technical milestone and proved that our Audio Meter can work in even the most complex, high-volume environments. “We also launched Audoo Recap, which for the first time gives venues meaningful data back about the music they play. That has completely changed the dynamic between venues and PROs – it turns licensing from a cost into a relationship built on transparency and value.” As for what’s coming next, he says Audoo is in advanced conversations with several new markets that weren’t even on its original roadmap. “The wider ambition hasn’t changed: we want Audoo to become the global standard for how public performance music is measured and how royalties are distributed.&nbsp; “Every additional meter, venue and territory takes us closer to a world where creators are paid based on real data rather than estimates.” Edwards says there hasn’t been a week in the last five years where he hasn’t met someone to discuss ideas, partnerships or the future of the business. “We’re a technology company with big global ambitions, so we’re always exploring options around funding,” he continues. “That said, we don’t currently have an official round open. We’re focused on execution and growth, and we’ll look at the right partners at the right time rather than raising capital for the sake of it.”

Founder Ryan Edwards’s music tech startup counts Sir Elton John, a Beatle & member of ABBA among its investors. He says long-term impact and spending time with heroes is its main motivator

Audoo is a mission-led business – we’re not focused on exit

The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) is modernizing how music played in public is tracked, reported and used for royalty distributions through its expanded partnership with technology provider Audoo. Following the successful launch of the collaboration in May 2024, IMRO and Audoo have strengthened their work together to bring greater transparency, accuracy and ease to how background music usage is reported across Ireland. Live music reporting was also deployed across a number of music festivals in Ireland throughout 2025. IMRO is an early adopter of music recognition technology, integrating anonymised data collected through&nbsp;Audoo’s systems&nbsp;directly into its royalty processing operations.At the centre of this innovation is the Audoo Audio Meter™, a discreet, plug-in device that automatically identifies and securely reports music played in public environments. This real-world data helps ensure that royalties are distributed accurately and fairly to rightsholders.Expansion across IrelandSince the partnership launched in 2024, an increasing number of Irish businesses have installed Audoo Audio Meters™, supporting IMRO’s commitment to transparency and stronger engagement with its licence holders. Recently, Starbucks, Hard Rock Cafe and Leisureplex became the latest major businesses to install the devices across their premises in Ireland.Ryan Edwards, Founder and CEO of Audoo, said: “Real-world music data is transforming the way royalties are understood and distributed. IMRO’s continued leadership in this space, including wide-scale venue engagement, demonstrates what’s possible when technology and transparency come together. Our goal is simple: ensure creators are paid fairly, businesses feel supported and the industry benefits from accurate data. We’re delighted to deepen our work with IMRO as they drive the next chapter of digital transformation in Ireland.”Supporting IMRO’s digital transformationEamonn Murray, Chief Technology Officer at IMRO, said: “The rollout of Audoo devices forms part of IMRO’s wider digital transformation strategy, which also includes the recent launch of its online self-licensing platform, making it easier than ever for businesses to obtain a music licence. Together, these innovations are improving how royalties are licensed and distributed, setting a new standard for transparency, accuracy and fairness across the industry while adding value to music licensing for business owners.” Strengthening IMRO’s relationship with Irish businesses The partnership is enhancing IMRO’s engagement with licence holders by providing clearer insights, reduced administrative burden and greater confidence that licence fees are distributed accurately. For venues across hospitality, retail and leisure, Audoo offers a transparent, modern and mutually beneficial approach to music licensing.How it worksThe Audoo Audio Meter™ plugs into a standard wall socket and automatically identifies songs played within a business premise. All data is encrypted, anonymised and securely transmitted to IMRO, ensuring full GDPR compliance and complete privacy for business owners, staff and customers.Benefits for business owners and IMRO membersFor licence holders: &nbsp;• Simplifies music reporting &nbsp;• Reduces administrative workload &nbsp;• Provides transparency on how licence fees support music creators For IMRO members: &nbsp;• Enables more precise, timely royalty payments &nbsp;• Delivers real-world, real-time usage data If you play music publicly in your business, you must hold a music licence under Irish copyright law. To purchase your licence, visit&nbsp;www.imro.ie/paynow.&nbsp; To request an Audio Meter for your venue, contact:&nbsp;everyplaycounts@audoo.com.

Following the successful launch of the collaboration in May 2024, IMRO and Audoo have strengthened their work together to bring greater transparency, accuracy and ease to how background music usage is reported across Ireland. Live music reporting was also deployed across a number of music festivals in Ireland throughout 2025. IMRO is an early adopter of music recognition technology, integrating anonymised data collected through Audoo’s systems directly into its royalty processing operations.

IMRO Partners with Audoo to Modernize and Elevate Music Monitoring in Ireland

Many household stars in music have used their influence, platform and wealth to invest in tech companies based in the UK. From members of the Beatles, ABBA and Muse to KSI and Kylie, a number of world-famous musicians have invested in music tech, FinTechs, religious apps and more. BusinessCloud looks at some of the most well-known investments. Muse’s Matt Bellamy Muse frontman Matt Bellamy is a serial tech investor. Despite putting money into many companies overseas, most notably in San Francisco, the Cambridge-born rock star still has investments closer to home. He invested in London-based startup Bloomsbury AI before exiting when the firm was sold to Facebook in 2018. The&nbsp;Hysteria&nbsp;singer is also a founding partner of Helium-3 Ventures, which invested in Engineered Arts, a humanoid robotics design and manufacturing company, which was founded in Cornwall.&nbsp; After a $10m Series A funding round led by Helium-3 in December, Bellamy joined the firm as an ‘observer’ as it restructured to a US entity. Eurythmics’&nbsp;Dave Stewart One half of Eurythmics, Dave Stewart not only has a background in tech investment, but was creative director at mobile platform Ideas Britain. The platform was set up to become a ‘virtual version of Dragons’ Den’,&nbsp;giving professional advice and financial backing to new thinking across a range of sectors,&nbsp;and raised £270,000 on Crowdcube back in 2015. Its website is now dormant. For the man whose band had hit single&nbsp;Sweet Dreams,&nbsp;it was surprisingly music rights&nbsp; FinTech Salt that gained his backing in February 2024. Stewart joined ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus in investing in the platform&nbsp;which streamlines music rights and royalties.ABBA’s Bjorn UlvaeusSinger-songwriter Ulvaeus invested in Salt less than a year after his Swedish song data startup Session – founded in 2019 with Swedish songwriters and record producers Max Martin and Niclas Molinder – was acquired by the UK firm.Legendary late producer Quincy Jones and Canadian songwriter-producer Dan Kurtz are also investors in Salt.Ulvaeus also co-founded Pophouse Entertainment with EQT founder Conni Jonsson, a Sweden-based music investment firm which raised €1bn for its debut fund in April 2025.One of the largest first-time private equity funds to be raised in Europe in the last decade, Pophouse said it secured an additional €200m through dedicated co-investment vehicles. The fund will be used to acquire music catalogues and IP.Sir Elton John &amp; Sir Paul McCartneyAnother firm backed by Ulvaeus is music tech company Audoo, which has attracted investment from true UK music royalty in Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney. Sir Elton’s most famous venture outside of music is arguably when he became chairman of Watford FC – but he has still drifted into different industries, including UK tech. He followed Beatle Sir Paul in investing in Audoo as part of a £4.1m funding round in October 2023. The London-based company aims to help artists to receive fairer royalty payments.

From members of the Beatles, ABBA and Muse to KSI and Kylie, these musicians have invested in music tech, FinTechs and more

Music stars who have invested in UK tech companies

This utilisation of Audoo Audio Meters™&nbsp;adds to the tech company's portfolio of international business partners on a mission to revolutionise public performance royalties for music creators, licensees and businesses. Music technology company Audoo partnered with GEMA, the German performing rights society, on its Music Impact Study as part of the PROs multi-faceted research quantifying the commercial value of background music in gastronomy and retail spaces, with Audoo technology recognising real-time songplay contributing to sales uplift. Audoo Audio Meters – music recognition hardware – installed in hundreds of venues recognised over 130k tracks contributing to the insights demonstrating that the use of background music increased sales in retail by an average of 8% and in gastronomy by an average of 5.4% – the economic benefits suggesting that a music license is a worthwhile investment. Overall, the most-played song in the Retail sample was 'Lifeline' by German artist Glockenbach featuring Ella Henderson and in the Gastronomy sample, 'Austin' by US artist Dasha. The other leading track of domestic repertoire was 'Wave' by Fast Boy and Raf (most-played song of the Gastronomy sample) and the top domestic artists overall were Trettmann (Retail sample) and Michael Schulte (Gastronomy sample). Further topline stats are below. GEMA's Music Impact Study was a large-scale study that took place under the direction of international scientists with the connection between music and sales examined using several methodologies – the empirical field study at the point-of-sale was preceded by extensive literature research, quantitative surveys and expert interviews. In addition to the trends and insights revealed through Audoo's intelligent client dashboard, the device's simple plug-and-play self-installation process at venues, plus its GDPR-compliance, demonstrates the value of this technology to retail and hospitality businesses. The success of the Music Impact Study underscores the value of precise music usage tracking and its potential impact on businesses. Sonja Schoenfeld, Project Manager of the Music Impact Study at GEMA, said: "The real-time dataset we were able to gather and analyse via Audoo technology on this study is great for seeing the overall impact of music in commercial spaces in such detail." Johannes Everding, Director of Business Development at GEMA commented: "Audoo's innovative technology ensured a seamless and highly-effective data collection process and the results mark a significant milestone in understanding the commercial value of music with these kinds of insights for the benefit of businesses and rightsholders alike." Ryan Edwards, CEO and Founder of Audoo added: "Partnering with GEMA on this study is a testament to the power of real-world data in demonstrating the impact of music in public spaces. As we continue to work with like-minded partners who share Audoo values of making public performance recognition and reporting more accurate and transparent, the landscape for all parties evolves and improves." GEMA Music Impact Study Overall Top Songs recognised by Audoo Retail Sample 1. 'Lifeline' by Glockenbach ft. Ella Henderson2. 'Cynical' by Chris de Sarandy, Safari Duo, twocolours3. 'The Feeling' by Lost Frequencies4. 'Angel Eyes' by Ásdís&nbsp;5. 'Strangers' by Kenya Grace Gastronomy Sample1. 'Austin' by Dasha'2. A Bar Song (Tipsy)' by Shaboozey3. 'Belong Together' by Mark Ambor4. 'Wave' by FAST BOY, Raf5. 'Dancing In The Flames' by The Weeknd&nbsp; Top Domestic Tracks recognised by Audoo Retail Sample 1. 'Lifeline' by Glockenbach ft. Ella Henderson2. 'Cynical' by Chris de Sarandy, Safari Duo, twocolours3. 'I'll Be There' by Rita Ora, Robin Schulz, Tiago PZK4. 'Waterfall' by Michael Shulte, R3HAB5. 'Holding On' by Leony&nbsp; Gastronomy Sample 1. 'Wave' by FAST BOY, Raf2. 'Human Being' by Nico Santos3. 'Friends' by KAMRAD 4. 'Beautiful Reason' by Michael Shulte5. 'Someday Soon' by ClockClock&nbsp; &nbsp; Top Domestic Artists recognised by Audoo Retail Sample 1. Michael Shulte2. Leony 3. Glockenbach&nbsp;4. ClockClock5. Zoe Wees&nbsp; Gastronomy Sample 1. Trettmann2. Bläck Fööss3. Nico Santos4. Purple Disco Machine5. FAST BOY

Music technology company Audoo partnered with GEMA, the German performing rights society, on its Music Impact Study as part of the PROs multi-faceted research quantifying the commercial value of background music in gastronomy and retail spaces, with Audoo technology recognising real-time songplay contributing to sales uplift.

Audoo partners with GEMA on Music Impact Study

While mega-PROs like ASCAP and BMI do a laudable job of tracking, matching, and distributing royalties on billions of tracks played in the United States, a nagging question is whether these vast systems can be improved. This is more than just an academic musing: the answer to this surprisingly complex question has the potential to reshape the public performance sphere for decades to come. Enter Audoo CEO Ryan Edwards, who is driven by a mission to count every song played worldwide in public places for years — and is marching towards that goal with backers like Bjorn Ulvaeus and Sir Elton John. Theoretically, the tech exists to count everything with total accuracy, though the details are devilish. Accordingly, Edwards and his team have spent millions developing the ‘Audio Meter’ and deployed it into thousands of venues and public places worldwide to capture the music in action. That effort is now hitting the United States. Just recently, Audoo concluded a far-reaching first entry to the US in Denver involving hundreds of public places – with nearly 100% of songs played in those establishments tracked. That included restaurants, gyms, bars, and retail establishments across the city. “The feedback from the license holders was very supportive,” Edwards told DMN. “Many of them have wondered for years how their fees are distributed and were very passionate about the way music sets the tone of their businesses.” The results of the Audoo pilot, shared with Digital Music News and part of an ongoing partnership, began in late June of 2024 and concluded in February of this year. Among the most refreshing takeaways is that virtually every song can be successfully detected, logged, and tallied with all key metadata information (including ISRC &amp; ISWC) using the installed Audio Meters, which makes sense. Imagine an industrial-scale, private version of Shazam in every venue, and you’ve captured Audoo’s business approach. “Music has always been consumed in so many different ways, from business owners creating a ‘mixtape’ CD or playlist, playing the radio, and empowering employees to adjust the music based on the tone they need,” Edwards said. “To us, it’s about what’s been played and then reporting that accurately. Just get the music playing, and we’ll work with the PRO/CMO to do the rest.” But what’s actually getting played? Here’s where things start to get really interesting. The current thinking is that music played in public spaces roughly mirrors popular playlists on media like terrestrial radio and streaming platforms. But Audoo’s data shows a surprisingly slim overlap with massive DSPs (i.e., Digital Service Providers or streaming platforms) and social media platforms. Here’s just a quick look at the overlap – or complete lack thereof. The following breakdown was pulled from a sample week in February (2025) using the top 40 songs tracked throughout the city. It was then compared to the top 40 songs played on other platforms for the same period. What’s the overlap percentage? Take a look. Audoo x Apple Music – 0% crossoverAudoo x Billboard – 2.5% crossoverAudoo x Shazam – 5% crossoverAudoo x Spotify – 5 % crossoverAudoo x TikTok – 0% crossover “The results mirror what we have seen and reports in other markets around the world,” Edwards shared. “The more US cities we launch into, the more diverse [data] we expect to see. This can make a difference in thousands of creators making a living, or sadly, not.” Also surprising: most of the music played in Denver hails from the United States (more than 50%) and the UK (nearly 15%). Other countries were marginal single-digit contributors, including Australia, France, Germany, and Sweden. Those percentages are likely different in other cities, though Audoo also highlighted some interesting exceptions. Denver bar and restaurant Señor Bear, for example, plays a blend of Latin-inspired music from Argentina, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Spain. The curated playlist also includes 24% American music sourced from local artists. That’s a far cry from the top 10 list of most-played artists throughout the city, which includes Tame Impala, Jungle, Hozier, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Bad Bunny, Zach Bryan, and Neil Frances. Sounds like tried-and-true stuff, though many of the most–played songs aren’t topping the charts on radio or Spotify. The data also offers a range of other insights, including detailed breakdowns by venue type (restaurant or gym, for example) and the most frequently played songs. Audoo even tracks the level of commonality between different venue types, while identifying unique establishments (for example, a physical therapy clinic that is also a local music champion). “Business owners know first hand the value of playing music, and of those we have started working with in the US, the feedback has been very positive,” Edwards shared. “Nobody challenges paying for a music license, despite the complexities of multiple PROs in the US. But knowing the hard-earned money is being paid to the artists they play is key.” “Our technology is there to help PROs: no more manual surveys, proxy data sets, or outdated analogies. The past cannot be changed, but now is the time for accurate reporting for fair and transparent distributions.” But what does this have to do with Congressional inquiries into PROs currently happening in Washington? Just recently, the US Copyright Office launched a significant inquiry into PROs in response to Congressional concerns. Among the many questions being examined is how PROs gather performance information and how this impacts rights owners. For Edwards, it’s a complex question with a surprisingly simple answer: just count everything!

Theoretically, performing rights organizations (PROs) track and tally every song played in public and streaming platforms – then dole out the royalties accordingly. Now, London-based Audoo has hard evidence showing that billions of song plays can be counted with near-100% accuracy.

As PRO Inquiries Continue In Washington, Audoo Shares Some Shocking Song-Tracking Data from Denver

What does it take to go from musician to music-tech entrepreneur? Our CEO & founder, Ryan Edwards, sat down with Nick Keynes from Tileyard London on The Secret Source podcast to share his journey—from life as an artist to founding Audoo and driving change in the music industry.

Tileyard The Secret Source Podcast

Our CEO Ryan Edwards, joined Shay Kaur Grewal on BBC Radio London to discuss the ongoing debate around AI, music copyright, and what the UK government's proposed changes could mean for artists, songwriters, and the wider industry.

BBC Radio London

<div class="ratio ratio-16x9"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fo1f4dZ3qU0?rel=0" title="YouTube video" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
 
Audoo, a tech company founded by musician-turned-entrepreneur Ryan Edwards, is tackling one of the music industry’s long-standing challenges — ensuring artists receive accurate royalties for their music played in commercial locations. 
 
The idea was born when Edwards heard his own music being played in a London department store, and he became curious about how royalties were being tracked and paid. 
 
He said he uncovered a “huge problem with inaccuracy” and set about creating a solution in the shape of a small plug-in device which recognizes and registers music. 
 
The old method consisted of manual surveys and radio data sampling, leaving much to be desired in terms of accuracy. Audoo’s devices provide a new level of precision, ensuring artists are paid for every play. 
“This is in everything from gyms to retail locations, cafes. We’re in schools. We’re in nurseries, you name it. Anywhere that you hear music out and about, we are there,” Edwards told CNBC’s&nbsp;Converge. 
 
The approach has attracted attention from some of the biggest names in the music world, with legendary musicians Sir Elton John and ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus investing in the company. 
 
“The investment journey for us, like any startup, has been constant. Over the past five years, we’ve raised nearly £18 million ($22 million) into the business,” Ryan said. 
 
Audoo’s data also reveal trends in how music is consumed in commercial settings. 
 
“We can look at the geographical location of a premise, and we can start to group play data by geography. We can look at individual premises themselves. One of the most interesting parts is looking at industry sector types, grouping premises into fitness, food and drink, or retail,” said Hash Riaz, Audoo’s Head of Product. 
 
“The key thing for us is we started with data to ensure people were getting paid correctly. But now, the next phase is helping artists, booking agents, and labels use that data for actionable intelligence,” Edwards said.&nbsp; Watch the video above for more on Audoo and how it’s supporting the music industry.

Audoo, a tech company founded by musician-turned-entrepreneur Ryan Edwards, is tackling one of the music industry’s long-standing challenges — ensuring artists receive accurate royalties for their music played in commercial locations.

A small device is helping music artists get paid — and Elton John and Björn Ulvaeus are investors

CNBC International - Converge 

Audoo and Metropolitan Pub Company Partner to Drive Accurate Music Royalty Distributions for Artists and Songwriters in UK Pubs. Audoo, the music recognition technology company revolutionising public performance royalties, has announced a partnership with premium pub company Metropolitan Pub Company, to install Audoo Audio Meters™ in all of their pubs across major UK cities including London, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bath and Cambridge. This partnership seeks to accelerate Audoo’s mission to establish accurate and transparent data collection from the music played in these venues. Millions of pounds in royalties are lost annually, partly due to inaccurate music reporting in public spaces. Audoo’s Audio Meter™ addresses this by capturing precise data on music played, ensuring artists and songwriters are fairly compensated. For Metropolitan pubs, this partnership provides a robust solution to support both the music industry and their venues, allowing them to play music and support artists and songwriters with greater transparency and accuracy in royalty management. For pubs playing music, having the right public performance licences in place together with accurate royalty reporting is critical, while also supporting the creative ecosystem. Music plays an integral role for customers, with research showing that almost 80% of people admit to staying in a venue longer if good music is playing, with a further 60% saying they would then spend more on food and drink. Music is also essential for staff, creating an enjoyable and engaging working experience. As a prominent pub chain in the UK, Metropolitan Pub Company’s adoption of Audoo’s Audio Meter™ technology is poised to set a new benchmark for the industry, encouraging more venues to follow suit in both supporting artists and songwriters through accurate royalty reporting and ensuring they are providing high-quality music experiences that enhance the overall pub experience. The GDPR-compliant devices, which don’t compromise on public privacy, are currently used in 15 countries across four continents to track and report songs played in public performance locations like cafes, bars, hair salons, restaurants, gyms and retail locations.&nbsp;This partnership is just the beginning, with Audoo and The Metropolitan Pub Company setting a new standard in music royalty reporting that could ripple across the hospitality sector. <blockquote>Ryan Edwards, CEO of Audoo, commented: "We're thrilled to partner with The Metropolitan Pub Company to bring the Audoo Audio Meter™ to some of the most iconic pubs in the UK. Accurate royalty reporting is not just about fairness for artists and songwriters, but it also helps organisations like The Metropolitan Pub Company enhance their music offerings while meeting their licensing requirements. This sets a new standard in the hospitality industry and we help to encourage similar organisations to follow suit. Together, we're ensuring that music, one of the most important cultural elements of any social space, is properly valued and reported."</blockquote><blockquote> </blockquote><blockquote> </blockquote><blockquote> Kyle Miller, Operations Director at Metropolitan Pub Company, said: "At Metropolitan Pub Company, we understand the value that music brings to our pubs. It's not just background noise; it's a key part of the atmosphere we create for our guests and our staff. Working with Audoo ensures that we're supporting artists and songwriters by accurately reporting the music played in our venues, while also offering our customers and employees a great musical experience. We are delighted to partner with Audoo and help them expand their technology offering across the UK, bringing accurate reporting to every public performance location.”</blockquote>

Audoo, the music recognition technology company revolutionising public performance royalties, has announced a partnership with premium pub company Metropolitan Pub Company, to install Audoo Audio Meters™ in all of their pubs across major UK cities.

Audoo and Metropolitan Pub Company Partner to Drive Accurate Music Royalty Distributions for Artists and Songwriters in UK Pubs.

Audoo and Metropolitan Pub Company Partner to Drive Accurate Music Royalty Distributions

After the death of Liam Payne at 31, music industry figures are debating the duty of care for artists who find fame at a young age - some have suggested an all-out ban might be the solution. As tributes poured in following the death of&nbsp;the death of One Directon singer Liam Payne&nbsp;on 16 October, the machinations of the music industry stopped for a beat. Here was yet another musician who had experienced stratospheric levels of fame from a young age – Payne was 16 when his boyband was formed on the UK reality TV competition The X Factor in 2010 – which had a devastating impact on his mental health, and who&nbsp;used drink and drugs&nbsp;in a bid to self-medicate. In a 2019 interview with&nbsp;Esquire Middle East, Payne explained the pressures of being constantly subjected to global public scrutiny: "It's mainly mentally where you struggle with it. It's the getting ready and always knowing that you might be photographed. I'll get days where I just don't want to leave my house. Even if it's just going to the shop… I would sweat because I wouldn't know whether I was doing the right thing or not." He added: "Unfortunately, it does happen to everybody in this industry." The British songwriter Guy Chambers saw disturbing parallels between Payne's story and that of his former long-term musical partner, Robbie Williams – who joined the boyband Take That aged 16 in 1990. Williams suffered debilitating panic attacks from early on in his career, also leading to his own well-documented issues with addiction. In&nbsp;an interview with DJ Scott Mills in 2022&nbsp;Williams said of that time: "[I was] doing my GCSEs, which I failed at, to then all of a sudden being in Japan and having 3,000 fans outside and then that being the case everywhere that we go. It was unsafe and it was surreal and that, mixed with what I was ingesting to cope with my life and the way that my body and mind reacts to it, didn't mix well." Days after Payne's death, in an interview with&nbsp;The Observer, Chambers suggested that under-18s should be banned from becoming popstars. He said: "I do think putting a 16-year-old in an adult world like that is potentially really damaging… I know in Robbie's case, with Take That, there wasn't any proper protection set up to look after what were teenage boys. That was a long time ago, but I don't see much sign of change. There is not much more real care taken, that I have observed, from people involved in the big television talent shows. I would suggest that people should not be in a boyband until they are 18, and the industry should stick to that, too." It's certainly an interesting proposal. With each shock death of another troubled artist who rose to fame at a young age, there are murmurs that "something needs to change" in the music industry, but then it's back to business as usual. Amy Winehouse – who studied at&nbsp;the Brit school&nbsp;aged 15 and was first signed to a record label aged 19 – achieved incredible success in her music career, but was subjected to traumatic treatment by the press as a young, female celebrity, and was troubled by addiction issues. She died from alcohol poisoning, aged 27, in 2011. The&nbsp;Swedish DJ Avicii&nbsp;– real name Tim Bergling – had been releasing dance tunes from age 17, and documented his own experiences of anxiety along with a crippling touring schedule in his 2017 documentary, Avicii: True Stories. He struggled with opioid and alcohol addictions and killed himself, aged 28, in 2018. Aaron Carter, who released his first album aged nine, had a harrowing time for what was left of his childhood, had substance abuse issues, was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in 2019, and&nbsp;died of an accidental drugs overdose aged 34, in 2022. Now in 2024, has anything improved when it comes to safeguarding or a duty of care towards young music stars? 'A damaging cycle'The impact of fame at a young age is something that psychologist&nbsp;Dr Adi Jaffe&nbsp;has encountered over the years in his treatment of musicians, actors and DJs in the US. What's particularly troubling, he says, is that these young people are placed in an adult world that they're not equipped to deal with, mentally or physically. "We leave these young, creative, often times shy and introverted artistic minds," he tells the BBC, "and we run them through a heavily incentivised capitalistic system and there's a lot of money to be made for a lot of people. And at first, it's charming, and the parties are great, the celebrities that come to meet you are wonderful too; you get to live this fantasy life, but as we've seen, there are many, many artists we know, and whose music we know, who struggle and who are caught in that same machine." "I have worked with artists who have a schedule of about 150 to 200 performance dates a year," he says. "That means being on shuttles, buses and airplanes essentially every day of the year. They have no stable home environment, they're in constantly changing and completely different time zones, and they have to perform, but then need to sleep on a plane to rest for the next performance. These teens start relying on sleeping pills and stimulants to keep them up for the shows and it becomes an incredibly damaging cycle of inappropriate but necessary habits. "Human brains are&nbsp;continually developing throughout childhood and adolescence&nbsp;– meaning they are more vulnerable to the extreme pressures and punishing workload of the popstar life. Jaffe says: "Children aren't formed enough in their resilience to be able to do this [punishing work schedule] day in and day out. When you perform at the frequency these kids are asked to do, you have to be willing to turn on the energy for the performance, regardless of your own level of mental health functioning. There's the emotional labour; the fatigue." Additionally, he says that they miss out on other important developmental steps: "There is the importance of social connection in those younger age groups and the reality is that when you get pushed into the limelight in that way, you become incredibly isolated and your social life is almost taken away from you." Payne had previously spoken of the loneliness of life on the road leading to a dependency on alcohol,&nbsp;telling The Diary of a CEO podcast: "It feels like when we were in the band, the best way to secure us, because of how big it got, was just to lock us in our rooms and of course, what's in the room? Minibar. So, at a certain point, I thought 'Well I'm going to have a party for one' and that just seemed to carry on through many years of my life." He added: "I spoke to somebody about this and in child development, as a teen, the one thing you need is freedom to make choices and freedom to do stuff… although we could do anything we wanted it seemed from the outside, that we were always locked in a room at night and then it would be car, hotel room, stage, sing, locked." A call for changeThe mental toll of working within the music world is a widespread problem for young artists, exemplified in&nbsp;a 2019 study&nbsp;that found that 80% of 18 to 25-year-old musicians questioned said they had negative mental health issues, with anxiety and depression being the most common. And further complications can arise for commercially successful stars, some of whom can experience a public crisis, due to their reliance on unhealthy coping mechanisms like alcohol and drugs becoming the stuff of headlines and social media discourse. Jaffe adds: "Young people need to be able to have the chance to stumble and fall and learn, without it being on a public stage." Stopping under-18s from entering the music industry is certainly one preventative measure, but could Chambers' idea for keeping teens out of the pop world really work in practise? Chris Herbert, a former pop music manager and creator of the Spice Girls, is dubious. "I honestly cannot see how you would implement a minimum age threshold to work in the entertainment industry," he tells the BBC. "It has a very long history of delivering successful stars of all ages, and there will always be a young market who want artists who are relatable." <blockquote>Young artists and their guardians need to be fully informed and aware of the risks, as well as the rewards, that come alongside fame – Chris Herbert </blockquote> However, Herbert, who is on the board at&nbsp;Audoo, a music company that ensures creatives are paid fairly for public performances of their music, has called for a change in the way the industry operates. "Rather than putting our efforts into stopping it," he says, "the answer should lie in creating the right education and support for young artists and making the industry a more transparent place. Young artists and their guardians need to be fully informed and aware of the risks, as well as the rewards, that come alongside fame and the industry needs to put some proper structural support around the artists, including trained chaperones, counsellors, sociable working hours, meal breaks and regular down time." In the UK, schoolchildren up to the age of 16 are protected by the&nbsp;Child Performance Licensing laws, which legislates that children performing in public or on TV must apply for a licence to perform from their local authority to ensure their "health, welfare and kind treatment" within the entertainment industry. However, this stops once the 16-year-olds are of a school-leaving age, meaning that 16 and 17-year-olds aren't covered by these welfare rules and could easily fall through the cracks, especially if their surrounding team are working to a different agenda – where profit takes priority over the artist's wellbeing. As Ed Magee, chair of the&nbsp;National Network for Children in Employment and Entertainment&nbsp;tells the BBC: "These 16-year-olds who have finished compulsory school and 17-year-olds would not covered by legislation, and so instead the responsibility to look after them would fall on to the production company, their agent and their parents, as they are still a child after all, and they would need their parents' consent. "We're currently looking at creating a guide for parents about some of the things they need to think about when their child is going into the entertainment industry, [including] the safeguarding, travel abroad, and who is looking after the welfare of their children."

After the death of Liam Payne at 31, music industry figures are debating the duty of care for artists who find fame at a young age - some have suggested an all-out ban might be the solution.

Should there be a ban on teenage popstars?

One consistently great joy of&nbsp;Halloween&nbsp;is just how bloody camp it is. Horror films, dancing skeletons, dressing up as pop culture icons or scary creatures from mythology in the hopes of getting treats... it’s heaven, actually. With that in mind, while we’re tucking into our essential spooky films this season,&nbsp;Chris Herbert, the founder of the&nbsp;Spice Girls&nbsp;and board director of&nbsp;Audoo, the company on a mission to revolutionise how public performance royalties are paid, has revealed his top five spooky pop culture memories. And what a spine-tingling trip down memory lane it is... Five spookiest moments from pop culture history according to Chris Herbert: Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ Music VideoChris said: “Released in 1982, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is basically the anthem of the spooky season. With its groundbreaking visuals, iconic dance moves, and that unforgettable Vincent Price voiceover, it’s been scaring (and delighting) us for decades. No Halloween is complete without it! Turning 40 this year, the 13-minute music video has just achieved over a billion views on YouTube this year because audiences are STILL so captivated by&nbsp;Michael Jackson’s&nbsp;zombie dance moves. Whether at costume parties or on the Halloween playlist, “Thriller” remains the ultimate spooky vibe-setter.” Can you still do the dance? I just checked and I can even do it sitting at my desk. <blockquote>Lady Gaga’s ‘Meat Dress’ at the 2009 VMA’s “Don’t get me wrong, I love&nbsp;steak&nbsp;and chips but one of the spookiest pop culture moments has to be when&nbsp;Lady Gaga&nbsp;wore a dress made entirely of meat for the VMA’s. When Gaga walked onto the stage wrapped head-to-toe in raw beef, she instantly stole the entire awards ceremony, sparking discussions about fashion, art, and activism."</blockquote><blockquote> </blockquote><blockquote>“I love Gaga’s ability to push audience boundaries, and it’s certainly a pop culture moment we’ll never forget (for better or for worse) and her boldness has cemented her place on the podium for the scariest pop culture moments of all time.” </blockquote> She really raised the steaks on this one. I’ll see myself out. When Mel B dressed up as…Mel B<blockquote>“Would it be my scary pop culture moment roundup without a mention of the Spice Girls? One of my favourite moments has to be from 2014, when&nbsp;Mel B&nbsp;embraced her former 90s persona and dressed as Scary Spice for Halloween, complete with her signature cheetah print look."</blockquote><blockquote>“Today, the Spice Girls are the Halloween costume amongst&nbsp;friend&nbsp;groups but is there anything more iconic than dressing as yourself for Halloween - only Scary Spice could pull this one off!” </blockquote> I might go as myself with a hangover this Halloween. A truly horrifying sight. Billie Eilish’s ‘Bury a Friend’ Music Video<blockquote>“A music video has the potential to make or break a song, and&nbsp;Billie Eilish’s&nbsp;‘Bury a Friend’ is the perfect example of how dark aesthetics and an eerie atmosphere can totally work. She creates a mini&nbsp;horror film&nbsp;in all of 3 minutes, it’s amazing!"</blockquote><blockquote>“The distorted vocals and unsettling visuals are the perfect way to get lost in the spooky season, there’s no way it wasn’t making this list.” </blockquote> Personally... I wouldn’t mess with Billie after seeing this, tbh. That giant Taylor Swift Pumpkin<blockquote>“While her&nbsp;Eras Tour&nbsp;was certainly the talking point of everyone’s summer this year, last Halloween, a giant 100lbs pumpkin painted and shaped like&nbsp;Taylor Swift&nbsp;made headlines for its spooky accuracy to the pop star. </blockquote><blockquote> “Jeanette Paras, the artist behind the work, has spent 35 hours “pumpkinising” celebrities and in 2023, Taylor Swift was next in line. Forget the Grammys and the&nbsp;Brit Awards, I’m sure Taylor was honoured to be the muse for this classic Halloween tradition.” </blockquote> Uh, yeah. We’re sure. A jumpscare indeed. Happy Halloween season!

One consistently great joy of Halloween is just how bloody camp it is. Horror films, dancing skeletons, dressing up as pop culture icons or scary creatures from mythology in the hopes of getting treats... it’s heaven, actually.  With that in mind, while we’re tucking into our essential spooky films this season, Chris Herbert, the founder of the Spice Girls and board director of Audoo, the company on a mission to revolutionise how public performance royalties are paid, has revealed his top five spooky pop culture memories.

Spice Girls Founder Reveals His Top 5 Spookiest Moments in Pop Culture

Audoo&nbsp;has appointed senior music industry executives as board advisors. Steve Clark, COO of Round Hill Music, Isabel Garvey, COO of Warner Music UK, and Sean O’Malley, CEO &amp; founder of Regard Music, will all support the growth of Audoo. The music recognition technology and data company is working to improve collection of public performance royalties with greater accuracy. Clark, Garvey and O’Malley join existing Audoo advisors, Cliff Fluet, partner at Lewis Silkin, and former CEO of Syneos Health, Alistair Macdonald. They will provide further specialist guidance and counsel to the company board, which includes fellow music industry executives Chris Herbert and&nbsp;Nigel Elderton. Steve Clark, COO, Round Hill Music and Audoo board advisor, said: “The depth and understanding of music rights and royalties is at a critical juncture in the history of the music industry. As networks of music rights-holders evolve, we must ensure that systems do too, to meet the ever-changing rhythm and flow of this part of the business. The ethos of the Audoo offering is vitally worthy and the execution of its solutions to meet the growing needs of parties in the data chain has been impressive to observe – I look forward to supporting its progress in improving the landscape of tracking and distribution of royalties.” Isabel Garvey, COO, Warner Music UK and Audoo board advisor, said: “Having helped select Audoo for the Abbey Road Red programme years ago during its start-up phase, it's gratifying to see its elevated and thriving status now. Audoo’s disruptive technology solution which delivers transparent and efficient royalty tracking and distribution has benefits across the whole value chain in music. I am excited to support Audoo on its growth journey as it transforms the current landscape in this space.” Sean O’Malley, founder and CEO, Regard Music and Audoo board advisor, said: “The innovation and practicality of Audoo solutions are positively disruptive. These services will aid the refinement of our source data and change the landscape in this sector of our industry. Working with fellow musician and music fan Ryan, and his team, this worthy mission originates from the heart and I’m proud to advise and aid its next-level success.” Ryan Edwards, founder and CEO of Audoo, added: “The combined experience of Steve, Isabel and Sean brings a powerful wealth of knowledge across labels, publishers, rights-holders and creators - to have such revered executives join our existing world-class group of Board members and Advisors demonstrates the strength of belief in the business as we continue to build and refine the Audoo offering.” Earlier in 2024, Audoo announced a partnership with PMY Group to integrate the Audoo Audio Meter into tech stacks at major events, enhancing public performance reporting in these settings.&nbsp; The growing tech company also announced its partnership with the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) to amplify public performance royalty distributions in Ireland.&nbsp; Venues can request an Audio Meter for their premises from Audoo, free of charge.

Steve Clark, COO of Round Hill Music, Isabel Garvey, COO of Warner Music UK, and Sean O’Malley, CEO & founder of Regard Music, will all support the growth of Audoo. 

Audoo appoints senior industry figures as board advisors

Ryan Edwards’s Audoo is nearing a £100m valuation and backed by world-famous musicians - yet he’s “always had imposter syndrome as a CEO”. A rock star turned multi-million-pound startup founder has revealed what it’s like to make a comeback in the music industry, admitting: “I’ve always had imposter syndrome as a CEO.” After his journey to fame didn’t reach the heights he’d hoped for, Ryan Edwards returned to the music industry with a tech startup aimed at fixing the royalties data gap. Audoo, which has since gained backing from the likes of ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney, topped our&nbsp;MediaTech 50&nbsp;ranking this year. Speaking on the FounderMetrics podcast, hosted by Ifty Nasir, founder and CEO of share scheme platform Vestd, Edwards admitted he struggled with imposter syndrome when he became a CEO. “You’re like, right, I started a business, well I’m the CEO, and it’s a really weird thing to say. Even now, in a friendship environment, if somebody says ‘oh he’s a CEO’, I’m like ‘no no no I’m not – I just had an idea’.” Edwards recalls that during the early days of Audoo, he attended startup conferences with other founders and it felt “completely intimidating because they were privately educated or they were from a family of wealth”. He speaks of another founder he met at one of these events who started at the same time as him and recently filed to get his business struck off. Edwards said he was “almost embarrassed” about his comparative success when they met again. “It was really weird because I was so intimidated by this guy. We are worlds apart from where we were,” he said. Now the founder of a business nearing a £100m valuation, Ryan reveals that their first seed round of investment was the “first entry point into a mega star supporting” the business. He explained: “Just as we were closing out this round, I did an interview on BBC News because the story was starting to grow momentum – and I received this email from Björn Ulvaeus. I will never forget it. “It said: ‘Hello Ryan, my name is Björn, I saw you on the news. I’m a songwriter and I’d love to see if I can help in any way.’ “I didn’t think it could be real so the first thing I did was I texted my WhatsApp group with my best friends and asked which one of them had done this.” Edwards and Ulvaeus soon organised a Zoom call about Audoo, which led to an investment from the ABBA star. “It’s one of those surreal moments,” Edwards recalled. “I remember dancing to Dancing Queen with my parents in the kitchen growing up.” Audoo now has a collection of mega stars backing their mission for fairer royalties, including Ulvaeus, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John. He said: “Having that backing really changed us. We’re beyond where I ever thought it would be… we’re edging towards a £100m valuation.&nbsp; “I remember doing that first seed round, which we now call the series ABBA, and hitting a £16m or £17m valuation.” Despite many acquisition offers for Audoo, Edwards said his aim is to continue growing the business. “We’re going to keep growing and keep going – we’re having the time of our lives “We get invited by our heroes to see them on stage and to go to events, we’ve really started to segment ourselves into the industry.&nbsp; “The music industry is not one that particularly invites tech – we’ve probably had a really soft landing in.”

Ryan Edwards’s Audoo is nearing a £100m valuation and backed by world-famous musicians - yet he’s “always had imposter syndrome as a CEO”.

I’ll always remember moment ABBA star called

August 21 marks World Entrepreneurs Day and on this special day, we take time to appreciate&nbsp;the leaders&nbsp;and risk-takers. Entrepreneurs have been the reason for the thriving businesses we see making moves in the UK, and around the world. Russell Dalgleish, Founder of the Scottish Business Network and successful entrepreneur shared, “The success of entrepreneurs is critical to a thriving economy. It is the entrepreneur who creates high value jobs, attracts capital and generates new opportunities for the community they are based within. “Each successful founder creates a supply chain of local businesses and attracts new talent to the area. But most importantly it is the successful entrepreneurs sitting at the centre of a thriving ecosystem who transform our societies. We only need to look at the likes of Tallinn in Estonia to see the best example of this phenomenon today. More than ten tech Unicorns were created from a nation of 1.5 million, including Wise, Bolt and Pipedrive from a country that was a Soviet Satellite state up to 1990.” Entrepreneur Vs. Business Owner Its not to get confused, though:&nbsp;a business owner&nbsp;is not the same as an entrepreneur. Anyone can own a business, but not many can be entrepreneurs. The difference lies in the way one chooses to lead, innovate and take risks. Adam Levine, a high performance coach at InnerXLab spoke on the differences, saying, “A business owner typically focuses on managing and maintaining an existing business. Their main goal is stability and profitability and they’re usually involved in the day-to-day operations of the business they own – that’s managing staff, customer satisfaction etc. Business owners might buy a franchise, inherit a family business, or start something with a clear and proven business model in mind. They’re more likely to stick to what works and gradually improve it. “That’s where business owners and entrepreneurs differ – an entrepreneur is someone who’s all about innovation and risk-taking. They’re not just running a business – they’re often trying to create something new and disruptive. Entrepreneurs are more likely to start from scratch with an idea that might not have been tried before. They’re comfortable with uncertainty and are always looking for opportunities to grow, pivot, or even completely change direction if it means achieving something bigger. Entrepreneurs are driven by a vision and are usually more willing to take risks for potentially higher rewards.” 20 Iconic Entrepreneurs In The UKWe’ve put together a list with 20 forward-thinking leaders, whose ideas and creativity has led them down paths of success. These are the icons we are acknowledging and paying homage to this World Entrepreneurs Day:Tara Attfield-Tomes, founder, EAST VILLAGEDr. Richard Ahlfeld, CEO and Founder, MonolithJohan Sundstrand, CEO and Founder, PhyronKieran O Regan, Founder, About:EnergyDr Ian Campbell, CEO, Breathe Battery TechnologiesRyan Edwards, CEO and Founder, AudooEldar Tuvey, CEO and co-founder, VerticePhill Robinson, CEO &amp; Co-Founder, BoardwaveJorgen Ellis, CEO and co-founder, StrolllSara Daw, Co-founder, CFO CentreHelen Murphy, co-founder, OpplyAlex Adamopoulos, founder and CEO, EmergnAnthony Jacob, Founder, NilaSteff Wright, Chairman, Gusto Group.Christophe Williams, CEO, Naked EnergyJonathan Patrick, CEO, Consultant ConnectAsif Ghafoor, CEO, Be.EVTristan Thomas, CEO and co-founder, PackfleetIlya Drozdov, co-founder and CEO, DwellySam Budd, CEO and Founder, Buddy Media

Entrepreneurs have been the reason for the thriving businesses we see making moves in the UK, and around the world. We’ve put together a list with 20 forward-thinking leaders, whose ideas and creativity has led them down paths of success. These are the icons we are acknowledging and paying homage to this World Entrepreneurs Day.

World Entrepreneurs Day 2024: 20 Iconic Entrepreneurs In The UK

Ryan Edwards speaks to Sky Sports News about the most popular songs detected with Audio Meters during the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship.

Audoo highlights the most popular songs during the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship

Sky Sports News: Good Morning Euros 

PMY Group (PMY) – a full-service technology solutions provider specialising in enhancing the infrastructure, experience, operations, and intelligence of venues and major events globally – today announces its global partnership with music recognition technology company Audoo. This collaboration marks a new era in live event technology and royalty management, enhancing public performance reporting through integrating Audoo Audio Meters™ into tech stacks at large-scale events.&nbsp;
 
Various music industry figures have estimated that unclaimed music royalties run into billions of dollars annually due to a lack of transparent and accurate reporting. Combining expertise, the PMY and Audoo partnership tackles this at large-scale events, ultimately optimising royalties for music creators, licensees and businesses.
 
PMY services over 1,000 clients across diverse sectors in 14 countries, offering technology infrastructure and solutions that pave the way for innovation in public venues and major events. The European summer season features some 400 music festivals, plus numerous sporting events and concerts - PMY incorporating the Audio Audio Meter™ directly into the tech stack of these mass event venues further demonstrates its commitment to boosting its offering for existing customers, through leveraging Audoo technology, and attracting new ones by showcasing a new standard in music royalty reporting.
 
The Audoo Audio Meter is a state-of-the-art music recognition technology solution, backed by music legends including Sir Elton John, that supplies improved accuracy and transparency in public performance data to make it easier to recognise in quasi-real-time where and when music is being played and how the royalties should be paid.&nbsp; The GDPR-compliant devices, which don't compromise on public privacy, are being rolled out across Europe, the Middle East and Australasia to track and report songs played in public performance locations like cafes, bars, hair salons, restaurants, gyms and retail.&nbsp;
 
By integrating the Audoo Audio Meter with its OPTIC platform, PMY leaps forward in live music analytics - both parties setting new reporting and transparency standards for the music industry at major events worldwide. Ryan Edwards, Founder and CEO of Audoo, said:

<blockquote>"There is a lack of automation over what music is played at huge events like festivals and in massive stadiums, they're complicated operations with multiple locations that need to be accounted for. We're delighted to partner with a respected world leader in tech design and management in PMY, to help Audoo deliver a fairer and more transparent music industry for artists worldwide."</blockquote>
 
Oliver Guy-Watkins at PMY Group added:

<blockquote>"Incorporating Audoo's innovative technology into our event solutions underscores PMY's role as a forward-thinking entity in the technology sector, committed to ensuring the music industry's sustainability and nurturing the next generation of headline acts." </blockquote>

The partnership sees the Audoo Audio Meter™ integrated into tech stacks at major events. This rollout bolsters Audoo's global expansion, and mission to revolutionise public performance royalties for music creators, licensees and businesses.

PMY Group and Audoo announce global partnership, audio meter integration enhances public performance reporting at large-scale events

PMY Group and Audoo partner to enhance public performance reporting at large-scale events

Today, IMRO is announcing a partnership with Audoo, the music recognition technology company on a mission to revolutionise public performance royalty distribution. Audoo’s unique Audio Meter™, backed by the likes of Sir Elton John and ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, will be implemented as part of a trial programme in a selection of public spaces such as cafés, bars, restaurants, and retail locations across Ireland. This will help enhance existing reporting mechanisms used by IMRO to promote increasingly accurate and transparent breakdown of royalty distributions to music creators, by recognising background music being played and reporting the data back to IMRO. The Audoo Audio Meter™ is designed to be GDPR-compliant and uses smart plug-in technology to securely track and report the music being played in quasi real-time. Audoo is a privacy first technology with no language processing on the device, meaning it focuses solely on capturing music data. Audoo’s Audio Meters™ are being installed in a number of urban areas initially; plans are in place to expand the rollout of Audoo’s technology across Ireland in all business types. The partnership highlights Audoo and IMRO’s joint vision to support and empower music creators. The initiative will also support IMRO in further refining the global benchmark for music royalties; improving distribution efficiency, for IMRO’s 25,000 global songwriters/composers and, music publisher members. Sean Donegan, IMRO Chief Commercial Officer said: “We continuously invest in new technologies and services to ensure faster and more accurate royalty payments, providing the best service to our members.&nbsp;This partnership with Audoo adds another layer to our advanced technological tools and music usage data, ensuring our distributions are as precise as they can be.&nbsp;This initiative underscores our commitment to expand and maximise the collection and distribution of music royalties through innovation and the empowerment of music creators”. Ryan Edwards, Audoo founder and CEO, said: “Partnering with IMRO signifies a pivotal moment in the evolution of public performance royalties, offering benefits to creators, performers, rights holders, and licensees. It promises an enriched experience for customers by bringing the joy of music to public settings. Seeing the success of what our technology can do for other markets, we’re very excited to stand alongside global leaders such as IMRO and support the fair distribution of royalties for artists. You can find the audio meter enquiry form <a href="https://audoo.com/request-audio-meter/ie" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">HERE</a>

Today, IMRO is announcing a partnership with Audoo, the music recognition technology company on a mission to revolutionise public performance royalty distribution.

IMRO Partners with Music Tech Company Audoo to Amplify Public Performance Royalty Distributions in Ireland

IMRO partners with Audoo to amplify public performance royalty distributions in Ireland

As part of the partnership, Audoo’s <a href="https://audoo.com/about-our-technology" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Audoo Audio Meter</a> and its insights platform will be integrated into ESMAA’s operational framework. This technology rollout, also taking place in the UK, Europe, Australasia, and Africa, aims to enhance the accuracy and transparency of data collection and payment distribution for public performance royalties. By combining Audoo’s technology with ESMAA’s licensee network and multi-rights regional repertoire database, the collaboration seeks to deliver “smart” reporting of music usage across various platforms.&nbsp;This initiative aims to optimize payments to artists and rights holders. “<a href="https://esmaamusic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ESMAA</a> is at the forefront of building a modern rights company and through implementing the best technology from Audoo, we bridge the path of identifiable potential income with a system that optimizes the use of music recognition in public performance spaces,” said Spek, Founder and CEO of ESMAA. “Collaborating with Audoo represents a significant step towards modernizing the music rights landscape in our region. Their innovative technology complements our efforts in safeguarding the rights of creators and ensuring a fairer music ecosystem.” <blockquote>ESMAA is at the forefront of building a modern rights company and through implementing the best technology from Audoo, we bridge the path of identifiable potential income with a system that optimizes the use of music recognition in public performance spaces.</blockquote><blockquote> </blockquote><blockquote>SPEK, ESMAA</blockquote> Ryan Edwards, Founder &amp; CEO of Audoo added: “This partnership with ESMAA aligns with Audoo’s mission to ensure artists are fairly compensated. “Our technology promises to bring a new level of precision to royalty distribution across the Middle East, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on the music community.” The Audoo team and board include senior experts from renowned entities such as APRA AMCOS, <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/companies/bertelsmann/bmg/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BMG</a>, Bowers and Wilkins, <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/companies/prs-for-music/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PRS For Music</a>, <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/companies/sony/sony-music-group/sony-music-publishing/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sony Music Publishing</a> and more. Established in 2018, Audoo <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/music-technology-start-up-audoo-joins-abbey-road-red-incubator/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">joined</a> Abbey Road’s tech start-up incubator Abbey Road Red in 2019. The company then introduced the Audoo Audio Meter, a device designed for the collection of data pertaining to public music performances. This technology is aimed at enhancing real-time accuracy, transparency, and reporting, all while minimizing any substantial impact on licensees, performance rights organizations, and collective management organizations. <blockquote>Our technology promises to bring a new level of precision to royalty distribution across the Middle East, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on the music community.</blockquote><blockquote> </blockquote><blockquote>Ryan Edwards, Audoo</blockquote> When deployed in business establishments like cafes, bars, salons, restaurants, gyms, and retail locations, the Audoo Audio Meter operates by identifying the playing music, aligning it with song data, and subsequently transmitting this usage information back to PROs and CMOs. In 2020, Audoo secured GBP £5.2 million (approximately USD $6.6 million) in its series A funding round, followed by an additional £7.2 million in its pre-series B funding round in 2021. Notable backers of the company include MPL Ventures, Tileyard London, Steve Sidwell, and Björn Ulvaeus (ABBA/CISAC). Audoo last month <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/elton-john-joins-5m-fundraising-in-music-tech-company-audoo/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">raised</a> another $5 million in funding from a group of investors including legendary British musician Sir Elton John and his husband and manager, David Furnish. In August, Audoo <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/the-uks-prs-for-music-and-ppl-team-up-with-music-startup-audoo-for-public-performance-royalty-allocation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">partnered</a> with UK-based music rights management organizations PRS for Music and <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/companies/ppl/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PPL</a> to enhance the distribution of music royalties to more than 300,000 artists, composers, writers, music publishers, and recording rightsholders. The deal saw the integration of Audoo Audio Meters in establishments across Great Britain. The latest partnership with ESMAA follows the <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/melanie-johnson-appointed-chief-commercial-officer-at-music-tech-company-audoo/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">appointment</a> of Melanie Johnson as Chief Commercial Officer, reporting directly to CEO Ryan Edwards. Johnson has been tasked with overseeing the global expansion and adoption of the Audoo Audio Meter. Source: <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/uk-music-tech-startup-audoo-partners-with-abu-dhabis-esmaa-on-public-performance-royalties1/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/uk-music-tech-startup-audoo-partners-with-abu-dhabis-esmaa-on-public-performance-royalties1/</a>

Music technology company Audoo has partnered with ESMAA, an Abu Dhabi-based music rights organization, to enhance the management and distribution of public performance royalties in the Middle East.

UK music tech startup Audoo partners with Abu Dhabi’s ESMAA on public performance royalties

After partnering with Australasian music rights management organization APRA AMCOS last year, Music Recognition Technology (MRT) company Audoo has now announced an expanded rollout of its Audio Meters in the region. Audoo’s CEO reveals that the first tranche of installations in key Australian and New Zealand cities was a success — and ‘scaling is now the next step.’

Audoo Secures Expansion With Foundation Client APRA AMCOS in Australia and New Zealand

The Rocket Man artist's investment adds his name to those of ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus and Sir Paul McCartney as investors in the London-based company, Sky News learns. A music technology company which helps artists to receive fairer royalty payments is adding Sir Elton John to its repertoire of famous industry backers. Sky News has learnt that Sir Elton, whose appearance at this year's Glastonbury Festival drew a television audience of millions, and his husband, David Furnish, are among the investors in a new funding round for Audoo. City sources said the $5m (£4.1m) injection would be announced publicly on Tuesday. The capital-raising adds Sir Elton's name to those of ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus and MPL Ventures, Sir Paul McCartney's investment company, as backers of the five-year-old business. Audoo, which was established by former musician Ryan Edwards, aims to address the perennial issue of public performance royalties, in order to ensure musicians are rewarded when their work is played in public venues. Mr Edwards is reported to have been motivated to set up the company after hearing his own music played at football stadia and in bars, without any payment for it. Estimates suggest that artists lose out on as much as $3bn globally in unaccounted royalties each year. London-based Audoo uses a monitoring device - which it calls an Audio Meter - to recognise songs played in public venues, and which is said to have a 99% success rate. It has struck what it describes as industry-first partnerships with organisations including the music licensing company PPL/PRS to track and report songs played in public performance locations such as cafes, hair salons, shops and gyms. The Audio Meter is now present in 10 countries across four continents, according to Audoo. The addition of Sir Elton, whose final gig of his farewell tour took place in July, cements Audoo's share register's standing as arguably one of the most star-studded of any British start-up. In a statement sent to Sky News, Sir Elton said: <blockquote>"Working as a musician can be seen as all glitz and glamour but for the vast majority of artists, especially new and emerging acts, this isn't the case. It's often brutally unfair and this sadly extends into being paid correctly. Right now, artists are not being paid accurately for their plays because the data simply doesn't exist. People have given up on their dreams and we've lost talent and future stars because of this disparity. That's why we've invested in Audoo and their world-class technology, to help create a more transparent system for everyone, and ultimately to keep the music alive."</blockquote> The latest funding round takes the total amount of money raised by Audoo since its launch to $22m. Mr Edwards has spoken of his desire to establish a major presence in Europe and the US because of their status as the world's biggest recorded music markets. <blockquote>"Being able to draw on the support of artists in our mission to revolutionise the royalty space has been key to Audoo's success, and we are incredibly proud to welcome even more icons to aid in the next stage of our journey. With Elton and David's strategic investment, we will be able to continue to champion and deliver a fairer, and more transparent music industry for creatives to benefit for generations to come. We look forward to welcoming more international partners, licensees and creators to join us on this industry-changing journey."</blockquote> Audoo has moved in recent months to recruit several heavyweight industry figures, including the appointment of Nigel Elderton, a music publishing veteran, as its chairman.

Sir Elton John's investment adds his name to those of ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus and Sir Paul McCartney as investors in Audoo.

Sir Elton John hits high note with backing for music tech company Audoo

The concept of Audoo was born from my own personal experience. Most of us would agree that our favourite music artists deserve to be paid fairly for their work, but for many musicians, this isn’t the case, and artists globally currently lose out on up to $2.7B in unaccounted royalties. In the early 2000’s, I was a musician with a top 10 hit in the UK. A few years ago whilst shopping I heard one of our songs being played in a store, and discovered that I wasn’t being paid royalties for the broadcast. Previously, the only way to monitor music being played everyday in bars, cafe’s, and other public performance areas was done manually – and inaccurately. <blockquote>Failing to monitor these public performances means that musicians and songwriters are missing out on royalties each year.</blockquote> I founded Audoo in 2018 to develop a technical solution for the problem. Audoo is a music technology company revolutionising the royalty reporting system for musicians through the our Audoo Audio Meter™, which monitors music played in public venues. Through Audoo, I sought to create a simple and smart tech solution to lay the groundwork for a more fair and transparent music royalty distribution. <h3>How does Audoo answer an unmet need?</h3> Before we developed the Audio Meter™ at Audoo, the technology deployed to track music played across public performance locations was often limited to a clipboard and a pen and royalties were paid using estimations based on popular radio plays. Our Audio Meter™, which can be installed in commercial spaces, accurately tracks the music which is being played using real-time data analytics, streamlining the process of data capture. This real-time data helps Performing Right (PROs) and Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) to accurately pay their members public performance royalties.&nbsp; <h3>What makes Audoo unique?</h3> At the core of our work is technology, which stands out from everything else on the market right now. Using a microphone array, our GDPR-compliant Audio Meter™ can track large amounts of music in any given setting and match against a vast library of over 120 million songs. Our innovative edge signal processing techniques mean that it can accurately identify tracks, whilst stripping out the foreground noise in a venue. <h3>How does Audoo help to protect smaller artists? Where are you currently operating?</h3> It can be incredibly difficult for up and coming music artists to make a living off their work, especially when they are not attached to a record label. <blockquote>Royalties are one of the only things they can rely on to make a living whilst pursuing their dream.</blockquote> Yet, many small artists receive little to nothing if there is no way to effectively monitor public performance broadcasts of their music. Independent artists can have their songs reach the top 20 charts, yet will not be fairly paid unless they have the data to show their song has been performed. This is an issue affecting musicians across the world. Over the last few years, we have successfully launched in Australia and New Zealand, and are currently rolling out across Europe and the Americas. <h3>What is the working culture like at Audoo?</h3> In two words, modern and flexible. We’re a business that entered the pandemic as three people and grew to 35 employees by the end of it – and have continued to grow ever since. The team is based around the world from Bristol to Barcelona, Sydney to Staffordshire – and everywhere in between. Although we are a global business, we do value the importance of face-to-face contact and twice a year we get everyone together for our ‘Start of Year’ and summer events – we’ve done everything from go-karting and ping pong to playing polo on horses and, of course, going to concerts. <h3>How has the business evolved since launch?</h3> We have been lucky to have such an incredible team at Audoo, and as the business has evolved we have been able to bring on some of the best talent from the music industry to join our mission to ensure artists are paid fairly. Recently, we appointed Alistair Macdonald, former CEO of a NASDAQ-listed Contract Research Organisation Syneos Health (SYNH) as a board advisor, alongside our newly appointed Chairman, Nigel Elderton, European President of the global independent music publisher Peermusic and former Chairman of PRS for Music, to assist the business as we continue our international growth. <h3>How are you funded?</h3> Since we first launched, we have collectively raised over £14M. Artists and songwriters are at the heart of everything we do at Audoo, and we are proud to have been backed by some of the biggest names in the music industry including ABBA founder and CISAC President, Björn Ulvaeus and MPL Ventures. <h3>What has been your biggest challenge so far, and how did you overcome this?</h3> The biggest challenge, and one shared by many, was the pandemic. We were planning to launch the business fully in April 2020, however when restrictions came in and we weren’t legally allowed to leave our homes, this caused a major delay. This delay lasted for over 12 months, including attempts to reschedule the launch later that year that were put on hold due to more restrictions. We adapted and eventually launched in April 2021 in Australia. Overcoming these disruptions and challenges was not easy – the honest answer is that sheer grit and determination is what pulled us through. Following late nights testing over video calls, we finally deployed hardware and software on the opposite side of the world without leaving our homes! <h3>What is the one piece of advice you would give to other founders or future founders?</h3> My one piece of advice is ‘go for it’. If you have an idea and ambition, never give it up. With the right people, from team members to advisors, you’ll always find your way. There will be times you struggle and it often requires big decisions – but once you get through them, it’s always better on the other side of those moments! <h3>What is your daily routine and the rules you’re living by at the moment?</h3> My daily routine tends to follow Rihanna’s famous song – “Work Work Work Work Work”, although I can never quite make out what she sings next! On a serious note, I had the most amazing news just weeks after creating Audoo that my wife was pregnant. Parenting and looking after our daughter (who is now four years old) has ensured I factor in down time to just have fun. Although, you’ll often find me with pink toe nails now! Ryan Edwards is the CEO and founder of Audoo. Source: <a href="https://www.maddyness.com/uk/2023/08/22/meet-audoo-the-company-that-helps-musicians-get-paid-when-their-songs-are-played/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.maddyness.com/uk/2023/08/22/meet-audoo-the-company-that-helps-musicians-get-paid-when-their-songs-are-played/</a>

As part of our quick founder questions series – or QFQs – we spoke to Ryan Edwards, CEO and founder of Audoo, about the need to ensure recording artists are paid fairly for their work, revolutionising the royalty reporting system, and the power of pink toe-nails!

Meet Audoo, the company that helps musicians get paid when their songs are played

Wednesday 9th August 2023 - London - <a href="https://www.prsformusic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PRS for Music</a>, a&nbsp;world leading music rights management organisations for songwriters, composers, and music publishers, and <a href="https://www.ppluk.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PPL</a>, the world’s largest collector of international royalties for performers and recording rightsholders, have announced a partnership with Audoo, the music technology company on a mission to revolutionise public performance royalty distributions.&nbsp; The installation of Audoo’s unique Audoo Audio Meters™, in businesses including cafés, bars, hair salons, restaurants, and retail locations across Great Britain, aims to help drive forward and accelerate accurate and transparent royalty distribution to music creators, by identifying the background music being played and reporting this usage back to PPL and PRS for Music.&nbsp;This initiative will help PRS for Music and PPL to continue to define the global standard of music royalties, enhancing distribution efficiency and delivering optimum payments for their 300,000 collective members. The Audoo Audio Meters™ are designed to be GDPR-compliant and use smart plug-in technology to securely track and report the music being played in quasi real-time, without capturing any non-music audio, whether that’s the weather report or private conversations.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ryan Edwards, Audoo founder and CEO, said: “This collaboration with PRS and PPL is a milestone in the evolution of the public performance royalty space, for creators, performers and rights holders, as well as licensees delivering an enhanced experience for customers through the joy of music played in public spaces. Audoo is a proud British business that has designed, developed and continues to manufacture all products in the UK, so it is particularly poignant to launch Audoo at home with global leaders PRS for Music and PPL following the successful impact in other territories.” Tim Arber, PRS for Music’s Director of Operational Improvement, said: “We are continually investing in new technologies and services to ensure we can pay out royalties more quickly and accurately, delivering the best possible service to members. We have been working with music recognition technology for many years and are excited to see how this collaboration with Audoo can support our ambition to pay out over £1 billion annually in the next few years. Helping businesses across the UK to report the music they play through smart data capture will be integral to reaching this milestone and maximising our members’ public performance royalties.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Russell Chant, PPL’s Head of Distribution, said: “At PPL, we’re always working to ensure that performers, record labels and self-releasing artists are fairly and accurately paid for the music they create. This initiative with Audoo will complement our existing suite of advanced technological tools and public performance music usage data, offering us a further way to check that our distributions are as accurate as possible. We look forward to working with the Audoo team over the coming months.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For more information, please contact: <a href="mailto:audoo@wordsandpixels.co" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">audoo@wordsandpixels.co</a> for AudooFor more information, please contact: <a href="mailto:press@prsformusic.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">press@prsformusic.com</a> for PRS for MusicFor more information, please contact: <a href="mailto:quinton.drawbridge@ppluk.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">quinton.drawbridge@ppluk.com</a> for PPL&nbsp;

The partnership aims to improve music royalty distribution for over 300,000 artists, recording rightsholders, music publishers, writers and composers.

PRS for music & PPL partner with music tech company Audoo to enhance public performance royalty distributions

Money with David Buik and Michael Wilson This week David &amp; Michael are joined by Ryan Edwards, CEO of Audoo, a music technology company that is revolutionising public performance royalties. They discuss why musicians have never been paid accurately based on how their music is played in public venues and how Audoo is setting about to change that. Also, how exactly do you manage to grow a business during Covid, and what is the business landscape in the UK like after Brexit. <iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/radical-change-in-how-music-royalties-are-paid/id1634834894?i=1000622924091"></iframe>Podcast URL: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/money-with-david-buik-and-michael-wilson/id1634834894?i=1000622924091" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/money-with-david-buik-and-michael-wilson/id1634834894?i=1000622924091</a>

This week David & Michael are joined by Ryan Edwards, CEO of Audoo, a music technology company that is revolutionising public performance royalties.

Radical change in how music royalties are paid

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It's not about the money. It's all about the mission.

FEBE Founder Stories - Audoo

The renowned CEO has over three decades of experience across Manufacturing, Consulting, Clinical, Commercial and Private Equity sectors. Having collectively raised £14m in funding by the end of 2022, including investments from MPL Ventures and Bjorn Ulvaeus (ABBA/CISAC), Audoo’s Audio Meters™ have been widely rolled out in Australia and New Zealand, to improve accuracy, transparency and reporting in quasi-real-time to aid licensees, Performance Right Organisations (PROs), Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) and, ultimately, music creators. Macdonald will be joining the newly appointed Audoo Chairman, Nigel Elderton. Elderton is the European President of the global independent music publisher Peermusic and former Chairman of PRS for Music. Adding to the breadth of experience held by Audoo’s senior team, from household names like Visa and Vodafone to music giants such as Shazam and Bowers &amp; Wilkins, Macdonald brings a global business perspective. Macdonald’s experience at Syneos Health, as well as additional experience as the Chairman of the Association of Clinical Research Organisations, and other governance experience, will be utilised at Audoo to help accelerate their international growth. Alistair Macdonald said: “Having been the CEO of a global biopharmaceutical organisation for six years and over two decades in Executive Management, I’m very excited to bring my expertise to Audoo and the world of music. The music industry is something new to me, but using my experience I will be assisting Audoo’s expansion around the world, helping PROs and CMOs to digitalise, modernise and streamline their processes, ensuring music creators receive fair royalties for their work. “Joining such a talented team with a diverse range of experiences both from within and outside the music industry is something I’m looking forward to.” Ryan Edwards, Founder and CEO of Audoo, said: “Alistair has a wealth of experience and management skills that are hard to come by. Having been the CEO of a NASDAQ-listed company employing over 28,000 people globally it’s an honour to welcome him to our team. “His guidance will be invaluable both to Audoo’s expansion into further international markets, our British manufacturing and strategic company growth delivering for our investors.” Full article on Business Leader: <a href="https://www.businessleader.co.uk/alistair-macdonald-appointed-board-advisor-at-audoo/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.businessleader.co.uk/alistair-macdonald-appointed-board-advisor-at-audoo/</a>

Audoo, the music technology company on a mission to revolutionise public performance royalties, has appointed Alistair Macdonald, former CEO of a NASDAQ-listed Contract Research Organisation Syneos Health (SYNH) turning over $5bn a year, as a Board Advisor.

Alistair Macdonald appointed Board Advisor at Audoo

Ryan shares his journey from musician to tech entrepreneur, highlighting the challenges of starting Audoo and the impact of music piracy on the industry. He delves into how Audoo uses technology to track public performance and ensure accurate royalty payments, benefiting artists worldwide. Ryan talks about securing funding, working with investors, and scaling Audoo globally despite the challenges of the pandemic. His insights on resilience, innovation, and the importance of a supportive team provide valuable lessons for any entrepreneur. Tune in to hear about the future of music rights and how Audoo is changing the game.

In this episode of FounderMetrics, Ifty Nasir talks with Ryan Edwards, CEO and founder of Audoo, about how he managed to get backing from music industry legends.

How I Got Elton and Sir Paul McCartney to invest in my idea

How I Got Elton and Sir Paul McCartney to invest in my idea...

Audoo is amongst the first businesses joining the community at the previously known Rutland Mills, in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. A previous resident of Tileyard London, Audoo was created in 2018 by CEO &amp; Founder, Ryan Edwards with a vision to create a more accurate system for compensating artists and composers. In under 4 years Audoo has garnered a very impressive international presence, having deployed their technology in over 10 countries, across 4 continents. So you would be forgiven for thinking Audoo could be located anywhere but Ryan Edwards CEO would be quick to tell you, they are very proud to be a British based operation. While HQ is based in London, Audoo truly embraces the hybrid working approach with colleagues located across the UK. Ryan Edwards CEO said: “From the beginning I have always been focused on attracting the very best talent to the Audoo mission. For me, geography should play a very limited role in that decision, if indeed one at all. This is why we have an amazing 30+ team spread the length and breadth of the country. That however does sometimes pose a challenge when we need to collaborate in person. What we have learnt, growing as a company throughout the pandemic is, trust your talented team to deliver and giving them a dedicated workspace is an essential component to this. As we have seen the team organically grow in the North, finding such a space had become a priority for us. So when Paul [Tileyard North Co-Founder] mentioned to me about your Northern expansion, having been part of the Tileyard family in London for number of years, we signed up without hesitation.”&nbsp;&nbsp; Tileyard Co-Founder, Nick Keynes, shared his excitement for the northern hub of Audoo, adding: “Audoo are a very exciting edition to our Northern community and it makes for a great story in that we have been long term advocates, supporters (and indeed investors) of Audoo. We are delighted to welcome this great business into our Tileyard North community and very much look forward to continuing this exciting journey together.” Discover what’s to come at <a href="https://tileyardnorth.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tileyard North</a>. Full article: <a href="https://tileyardnorth.co.uk/stories/audoo-launch-northern-office-at-tileyard-north/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://tileyardnorth.co.uk/stories/audoo-launch-northern-office-at-tileyard-north/</a>

Audoo – technology solution revolutionising performance royalties – has announced its expansion to the North of the UK, opening an office at the new creative destination, Tileyard North.

Audoo launch Northern office at Tileyard North

Perhaps international superstars like Celine Dion and Mariah Carey are in fact garnering the lion’s share of public plays today. Or, perhaps a slew of 90s grunge bands are being massively undercounted in specific countries, cities, or establishments. There are also perplexing cross-territorial questions: artists based outside Europe, for instance, could be in heavy rotation in France and have no idea under the current system. So what’s the solution to this quandary? Bucking a long legacy of rough reporting estimates is Audoo, a company working to optimize performance royalties with a simple device called the “Audio Meter.” Designed to monitor and identify (via digital-fingerprinting technology) all public plays, the Audio Meter is already being used in establishments from restaurants to shopping malls, according to the London-headquartered company. Audoo has been collaborating with DMN to further expand Audio Meter adoption and more accurately count public plays. “Installing an Audio Meter in venues is just a matter of plug, play, set, and forget,” Matthew Fackrell, Audoo’s SVP and GM for the Asia-Pacific region, told Digital Music News. “Our Asia-Pacific rollout, which started in Australia and New Zealand across gyms, retail, dance studios, cafes, restaurants, and bars, has been really positively received. “We’ve obtained the largest set of public performance data ever created, now surpassing millions of reports every quarter and bringing to life our mission of revolutionizing performance royalties through accurate play totals,” continued Fackrell. “We’re also making best-practice reporting easy for individual venues, which ultimately benefits performance rights and collective management organizations.” With time, the Audio Meter could establish exact figures as the foundation of public play accounting. And along the way, more than a few musicians may learn that their work is entertaining a sizable number of fans in far-flung parts of the world – a possibility that’s not without historical precedent.&nbsp; The documentary Searching for Sugar Man introduced viewers to Rodriguez, a singer-songwriter who famously flew under the radar for decades starting in the 1970s. Unbeknownst to the Detroit native, his work had for years been making waves in South Africa. It’s estimated that Rodriguez has sold more albums in the nation than Elvis, but before the film, the artist had been unaware of his significant listenership figures. These days, the odds of encountering a situation of a similar scope are exceedingly low. But the fact remains that lesser-known acts frequently go unnoticed – and potentially miss out on public play compensation. Without precise play counting, it’s impossible to know. More broadly, for indie artists, smaller IP owners, and others without strong representation, global PRO connections, or proper metadata, the implications of undercounted plays extend well beyond royalties. Utilizing the insights associated with accurate performance data, musicians and rightsholders can better plan tours, promotional initiatives, and different career endeavors yet. A musician with a UK top 10 song to his credit, Audoo founder and CEO Ryan Edwards has personally experienced the frustration of undercounted plays.&nbsp; And this firsthand understanding prompted him to create Audoo and help the industry put its payment problems in the rearview. “Experiencing this frustration as a musician,” Edwards told DMN, “I delved into the wider ecosystem, looking to find a solution within public performance distribution with music royalties. The Audoo mission is simple: to have all songwriters and artists receive more accurate compensation with the most optimized data and transparent reporting.” PROs are taking note. July of 2022 saw Audoo ink a song-detection agreement with Australian PRO APRA AMCOS, under which OneMusic-licensed businesses in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and Auckland were equipped with Audio Meters. Evidence suggests that the pact will deliver potentially game-changing stats and payments while simultaneously laying the groundwork for a wider expansion. Aside from clear-cut advantages on the data and compensation fronts, PROs as well as participating businesses and establishments are also benefiting from the Audio Meter’s simplicity and ease of use, Audoo told DMN.&nbsp; The Audio Meter takes just minutes to set up in any standard outlet and, by eliminating manual-reporting requirements, removes human error (including inadvertent omissions) from the equation. For business owners, the Audio Meter is likewise an important step on the multifaceted road to guaranteeing that royalties end up with those who actually created their patrons’ preferred music. And with the tool’s growing prevalence, future consumption data appears positioned to become increasingly precise and accurate – ushering in potential upsides for both indies and key players. As highlighted, for smaller rightsholders and acts without massive global followings, the perks of knowing about (and being compensated for) each public song usage go without saying. Tech-centered approaches to monitoring radio have in the past <a href="https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/09/11/hit-song-not-know-warm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pinpointed indie plays</a> that had fallen through the cracks. But the industry’s biggest names and most popular tracks also stand to gain from a pivot to hard numbers and concrete data, including when it comes to understanding core listening trends and assuring that all the usages of today’s top songs are being counted. Ultimately, making empirical stats the foundation of public play calculations is a matter of bringing fairness and accuracy to the forefront of the industry in the long run, regardless of where the cards fall in the short term.&nbsp;&nbsp; In an era where physical sales are tracked down to the unit and stream totals reveal exact personal-consumption habits in real time, proper performance tracking may be sorely overdue. That’s a memo being received by PROs and CMOs across multiple continents, with major upgrades and partnerships likely to emerge over the next few quarters. “The Audoo mission has attracted support from a number of industry peers who believe it will change the landscape in this sector,” Edwards told us. “There are some influential investors too, including music and business icon Björn Ulvaeus, who believes our product ‘will change the music industry forever.’ We’re excited to demonstrate this to more music fans, players, creators, and executives.” Full article: <a href="https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2023/06/14/audoo-public-performance-tracking-solution/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2023/06/14/audoo-public-performance-tracking-solution/</a> Photo Credit:: Jezael Melgoza

Despite the widespread availability of detailed music consumption figures, royalties attributable to public usages have long been distributed based upon extrapolated data. And without precise play counts from the many bars, restaurants, stadiums, stores, and malls that operate around the globe, it’s difficult to tell what’s actually playing – a potentially glaring unknown when stream totals require only seconds to identify.

Is Your Band Big In Japan? Shifts In Public Performance Tracking Could Generate Some Major Surprises

As company chairman, he is tasked with steering and aiding the advancement of Audoo’s technology within the industry. The firm was set up to help transform <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/recognise-the-music-launches-to-improve-accuracy-for-artists-public-performance-royalties/086221" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">public performance licensing</a> with greater accuracy and efficiency. Elderton’s appointment follows the hiring of ex-APRA executive Matthew Fackrell as SVP/GM APAC, and the adoption and roll-out of Audoo Audio Meters in Australia and New Zealand. <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/a-rebalancing-needs-to-take-place-nigel-elderton-on-30-years-of-supporting-songwriters-at-prs/087244" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nigel Elderton</a>, Audoo chairman, said: “The Audoo mission is worthy, and its technology highly impressive. Improving the licensing landscape and removing barriers to royalty processes is vital in rebalancing money that should be reaching music creators and performers - Audoo tech aids efficiency in these processes.&nbsp; “Early adopters are showing improvement in the accuracy of data collection and, ultimately, more of those owed will receive their optimum public performance payments. As a publisher representing the best interests of songwriters and a long-time colleague within PROs, I look forward to working alongside Ryan and the Audoo team to advance this element of our industry.” <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/audoo-founder-and-ceo-ryan-edwards-on-fixing-the-royalties-data-gap/085661" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ryan Edwards</a>, founder and CEO, said: “Having Nigel join is an honour - a true champion of the songwriter and music industry with unparalleled experience and expertise. We are excited to benefit from his guidance and continue on the mission of revolutionising the public performance royalties space worldwide.” Full article: <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/audoo-appoints-nigel-elderton-as-chairman/087531" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/audoo-appoints-nigel-elderton-as-chairman/087531</a>

Audoo has appointed music publishing veteran Nigel Elderton as chairman. The former PRS For Music chair has decades of music publishing experience, including his current role as European president of Peermusic.

Audoo appoints Nigel Elderton as chairman

Royalties are monetary payments given to artists when their music is used in alignment with copyright laws. While streaming services, such as Spotify, track how many times a track gets played, there is still a gap in the market that sees artists missing out on income. As the industry continues to digitise, innovation is needed, which is where Audoo comes in. Originating in the United Kingdom, the device aims to change how music in venues and businesses is recorded, passing the records on so that payments accurately reflect play time.&nbsp;&nbsp; Licensing body OneMusic has been helping with the rollout of the device to businesses in Australia, and a number of Canberra retailers and organisations have already signed on. Drew Meads is the franchisee at Forty Winks Fyshwick, a non-executive director of Forty Winky Pty Ltd, and treasurer of the Australian Retailers Association. For him, the device just made sense. Mr Meads says he didn’t really look into the fine print or detail when he first signed up, just trusting it was the right thing to do. “I think it’s really important that the right people get the revenue for the work they’ve put in. I know there’s a lot of retailers you walk into and they’ve either got the radio playing … [or] they’ve got a track plan that they don’t pay for,” he says. Forty Winks in Fyshwick uses a few set playlists on Spotify that they rotate through; the lounge music, as Mr Meads calls it, helps people feel calm. He says the business already pays for a licensing subscription to keep the tunes filling the store, and the additional charge of setting up the device seemed like a no-brainer. “It was really just to try and do the right thing to make sure the money goes to the right people,” he says. Mr Meads encourages other businesses to sign up, saying that the more transparent things can be when it comes to issues like royalties, the better. He also says if the choice is between the production label taking all the money and it being distributed fairly, he knows which one he would make. “I wouldn’t walk into a retailer and steal something. So why do we think it’s okay to not pay the artists or not do everything you can to make sure the artist gets paid properly?” he says. Canberra Dance Theatre (CDT) is another local business on the list to have one of the Audoo meters installed. Artistic director, Jacqueline Simmonds, says they are keen to support the initiative to assist in the more accurate payment of royalties. “Organisations like CDT depend on music; it is a vital element of teaching dance and offering a complete experience to participants. The dance teachers are paid for their work; it makes absolute sense that the composers and musicians are paid, too,” Ms Simmonds says. Picture note: Drew Meads, Franchisee Forty Winks Fyshwick wants to see artists paid for their music. Full article: <a href="https://canberraweekly.com.au/canberra-businesses-want-to-see-artists-paid-their-fair-share/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://canberraweekly.com.au/canberra-businesses-want-to-see-artists-paid-their-fair-share/</a>

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted all fields of work, some grew busier while others struggled to stay afloat. The Australian music industry is still finding its way out of the darkness and the Audoo Audio Meter Device is hoping to help. The innovative technology aims to ensure all artists are paid accurate royalties.

Canberra businesses want to see artists paid their fair share

The Audoo Audio Meter, a device introduced from the UK, is able to fingerprint music being played in venues to better reflect the royalties being paid to artists, enabling them to continue sustaining their careers in the midst of the challenges they have faced in the past couple of years. A OneMusic licence gives users legal access to the majority of the world’s music and enables them to take part in the music economy, allowing more music to be created. Music creators’ names are displayed on a selection of devices to reflect the impact of the technology on the music scene, including high-profile names such as 2022 ARIA Song of the Year Winner Tones and I, Casey Donovan, Client Liaison, Illy, John Foreman and Tash Sultana.&nbsp; Some notable investors are behind Audoo Audio Meter, including ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus. Already, a number of businesses across the country have installed the device in a show of support for music and the arts in general. Sydney-based Luxury salon Barney Martin Hair was one of the first venues nationwide to install the device. Owner Barney Martin explained the decision saying, “We chose to install the Audoo Audio Meter, being creatives ourselves, for our guests in the industry and just in general, we believe proper recognition for one’s work is of the utmost importance, and we believe this is a great way to give them the recognition and royalties they deserve.” Senior Vice President &amp; General Manager for Asia Pacific at Audoo, Matthew Fackrell, said, “It is so pleasing to see in the first data back from the Audoo Audio Meter installs that some venues are huge fans of local music. A gym in Brisbane’s suburbs featured Ocean Alley, Pnau, Hermitude, Bag Raiders, Cosmo’s Midnight, George Maple, Jungle Giants, Letters to Lions, Jack River, Lime Cordiale, Greta Stanley and Tash Sultana in their first plays, while a music store in Melbourne’s CBD featured KYE, Julia Jacklin, Sensient amongst others.” Catherine Giuliano from OneMusic Australia praised what she describes as “an outpouring of support from businesses around the country” and expressed her optimism at the impact the Audoo Audio Meter will potentially have for music creators around the country. Full article: <a href="https://insidesmallbusiness.com.au/latest-news/technology-helping-businesses-provide-support-for-aussie-musicians" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://insidesmallbusiness.com.au/latest-news/technology-helping-businesses-provide-support-for-aussie-musicians</a>

A new technology is helping Australia’s musicians receive the credit and compensation when their music is being played in business establishments across the country.

Technology helping businesses provide support for Aussie musicians

Songwriter compensation has become a particularly hot topic in 2022. In the wake of multibillion-dollar bets on song rights, the imbalance between publishing and recording payouts has assumed greater importance. And the late-August announcement of a long-sought royalty-rate hike on streaming services is part of a years-long battle over who gets what. With signs pointing to a streaming plateau ahead, Hipgnosis Songs founder and CEO Merck Mercuriadis recently reaffirmed his bullish vision for the segment. But songwriter payouts remain a touchy subject. “When I presented [the Hipgnosis] investment case to the financial community, I told them that this was going to be a great way to make money, because Spotify and streaming was going to go from having 30 million paid subscribers to having 100, 200, 300, 400, now we’re at 500 million,” said Mercuriadis. With that rise, Hipgnosis’ hit-heavy holdings are poised to enjoy a material revenue jump. But Mercuriadis warned that shorting songwriters could come with a cost. Recent dips in Spotify’s subscriber growth, far from being indicative of a plateau in the wider music streaming market, only reflect deficiencies in the company’s business model and approach to songwriters, Mercuriadis relayed. “I think what is plateauing [for Spotify] is because of the negative stance that they’ve taken on songwriters – and because of being preoccupied with some other things. I think Spotify perhaps isn’t going to end up with the same share of the global market that I expected them to have.” Meanwhile, National Music Publishers’ Association president and CEO David Israelite promptly touted the 15.35 percent headline royalty rate that streaming services agreed to pay songwriters and publishers during the 2023 to 2027 stretch. “This historic settlement is the result of songwriters making their voices heard. Instead of going to trial and continuing years of conflict, we instead move forward in collaboration with the highest rates ever, guaranteed,” Israelite stated of the deal. Conspicuously absent from these and other streaming-focused assessments is a mention of accurate data captures, which could well be the most important component of songwriter compensation in the contemporary music industry. Audio-recognition companies including Audoo have arrived on the scene with the ambitious goal of delivering technology to identify every song played in public spaces — and assure that music professionals receive the entirety of their owed pay. It’s a simple concept, but one that is far from being actualized. Instead, methods for counting public plays are shockingly outdated. The song-recognition model currently utilized by performance rights organizations (PROs) centers on extrapolating play data from estimates and limited samples. Royalties are distributed accordingly — often to the benefit of superstars and the detriment of those without a massive following. Earlier this year, DMN joined forces with Audoo to bolster their vision of improving song IDs and resulting payouts. “In the U.S. last year, across all four PROs, I think there were less than a few thousand samples. What are they distributing between them a year? $3.5 to $4 billion. And they’re doing that off of small samples. You’ve got to get your data set bigger – you’ve got to get it accurate,” Audoo founder and CEO Ryan Edwards told Digital Music News. Employed on a global scale, a reliable data-capture infrastructure for public establishments – from small restaurants that occasionally flip on the radio to department stores that play music for the better part of 24 hours per day – would paint a far clearer picture of actual consumption. “We’ve seen that in a U.K. test where an artist saw a lot of streams. She had about 2,000 followers on Instagram, and she’d never earned a [performance] royalty in her life. We reached out to her and said, ‘Hey, we just wondered how much you’re earning? Because this is what we do.’ And she said, ‘No, I’ve never ever received a royalty payment.’ She’d been PRO registered for two years. “Can you spot [the use of tracks] if every nightclub suddenly starts to play a song that’s never been played, or hasn’t been played recently? We can inform that, and that’s what this data will do,” Edwards continued. Now, Audoo is looking to make the fully automated (and far more accurate) logging of public plays a reality with its inconspicuous ‘Audio Meter.’ The four-year-old company last spoke to DMN about the hardware – a compact product that plugs into any standard outlet and then identifies and recognizes any song played&nbsp;– and its broader objectives back in March. That followed a nearly $10 million funding round to close out 2021 and a partnership with Japanese PRO JASRAC. Since then, Audoo has recorded several high-profile victories in its quest to reshape the song-identification process, including a July agreement with Sydney-headquartered PRO APRA AMCOS. To start, the pact has brought the Audio Meter to businesses in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and Auckland. That same month, Audoo partnered with entities including the Music Venue Trust (which represents hundreds of grassroots venues in the U.K.) on a campaign called “Recognize the Music.” As its title suggests, the initiative aims to bring reliable and accountable music recognition technology to public establishments. Edwards told us that the undertaking is achieving the desired result, prompting some participating businesses to register with PROs for the first time. “We had thousands of sign-ups in less than a week,” Edwards said of Recognize the Music, which has framed the Audio Meter as a straightforward way for business owners to compensate their favorite acts directly. “We also have a toggle switch to see if they [public establishments] have a license. About 30 percent didn’t!” “I think the PROs struggle to market particularly well to new potential licensees,” Ryan continued. “Whenever we have articles, anything about us as a business or about the campaign, people are like, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t know I needed a license to play music. Where do I go?’” With several European PRO deals in the works, the continued onboarding of clients, and conversations with stateside performance rights organizations, Audoo intends to keep delivering the use of Audio Meter globally. The big vision is also a granular one. If every song played is properly identified, then every rights owner, artist, and publisher is paid properly. That could actually mean more for some superstars who are currently overcompensated by their PROs. Or, it could translate into smaller paychecks for others. But at least the checks would be closely aligned with reality. According to execs, every identified play – and every bolstered paycheck – is a step towards making songwriter compensation as accurate and equitable as possible in the long term. That’s good news for artists who aren’t getting paid properly, but also a big step toward crafting better valuations around song catalogs. After years of high-flying music acquisition prices, that’s also good news for investors looking for more accurate valuations. Full article: <a href="https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2022/09/21/audoo-accurate-performance-data-songwriter-payout/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2022/09/21/audoo-accurate-performance-data-songwriter-payout/</a> Photo Credit: Eric Tompkins

The debate over songwriter compensation is unlikely to end anytime soon — though fast-evolving technology will play a big role in the discussion moving forward. Case in point: Audoo is working to improve songwriter pay by optimizing performance data from public establishments. The resulting changes could be dramatic.

One Play at a Time, Audoo Is Making Accurate Performance Data Part of the Songwriter Pay Conversation

<h3>Recognise the Music and give back to music creators</h3> No matter the business, big or small, chain or independent, music sets the tone. Whether that’s the local pub, your weekend spin class or your favourite chill-out café, the individuality of the music - often hand-picked by the owner and their staff - helps breathe life into ordinary spaces. An important step for any emerging, mid-career, or heritage music creator is to get paid. Audoo audio meters will better identify the songs being played in public at a micro level – all day and all night – with macro effect. An artist’s biggest fans in commercial spaces are set to become significant financial supporters. Audoo says, <blockquote>"If our technology is adopted by all Australian and New Zealand licenced premises, it will log over 15.3 million plays Every. Single. Day.* We’ll know – with certainty and in detail – exactly what music everyone’s enjoying, for the very first time in public performance history."</blockquote>*Based on the average 8hr working day Over 400 music rights management organisations in the world will be watching industry-leading Australian- and New Zealand-based <a href="https://onemusic.com.au/apraamcos.com.au" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">APRA AMCOS</a> and OneMusic. <iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KoqYiCZhfjw?showinfo=0"></iframe> <h3> </h3><h3>How can OneMusic licensees get involved?</h3> OneMusic Australia will be installing the mobile-phone-sized audio meters in a range of licensed businesses across Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra over 2022-23. OneMusic NZ will be doing the same in their country. Sign up for the installation of an Audio Meter with OneMusic Australia <a href="mailto:audiometer@onemusic.com.au" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>, to have your business’ taste in music make more of an impact on the income of the music creators you love. <iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Of3MH0E5XOc?showinfo=0"></iframe> How to get an Audoo device into your business <a href="mailto:audiometer@onemusic.com.au" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ENQUIRE</a> A technician will come to your business and install the audio meter into a power point. The audio meter device will recognise what music is playing after just 10 seconds and will securely fingerprint it, with no audio ever being stored on (or sent from) the device. Audoo has a database of over 60 million tracks. The songs being played are relayed back to Audoo as data (not audio) and each month will be reported to APRA AMCOS (one of the partners behind OneMusic) to ingest the data into their systems. AN EXAMPLE: On 21 December 2022, Paul Kelly’s ‘How To Make Gravy’ was played 12 times at Do Drop In Café, and consequently identified using the Audoo audio meter. In the December report to OneMusic these same 12 plays are then reported to be included in the relevant royalty distribution. Paul Kelly and his music publisher are recognised more accurately than ever before. Catherine Giuliano, Director of OneMusic Australia encourages businesses to put their hand up for the meter to be installed in their space, she says <blockquote>“for all the times you have wondered if your fees are going to the makers of the exact songs you play in your business, this is the chance to drive that change”.</blockquote> <h3>Who is Audoo?</h3> Music-tech start-up Audoo has financial backers that include ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus. Audoo's CEO and founder, Ryan Edwards (himself a musician) is on a mission to revolutionise public performance royalties. Audoo is backed by high-profile investors and is supported by an advisory board of industry stakeholders. Four-year-old Audoo has raised a total of nearly AUD$26.8 million in private funding. The audio meter “is packed with some of the world’s most sophisticated signal processing capabilities, which enable accurate track IDs even in noisy environments”, as reported in PROs Are Quietly Reinventing Themselves — By Potentially Counting Every Single Song Played (Digital Music News) When tracks are individually recognised, artists can expect to be paid fairly and accurately whenever and wherever their music is played. <h3>How does OneMusic pay APRA AMCOS members?</h3> OneMusic Australia is a joint initiative between music rights organisations APRA AMCOS and PPCA in Australia. OneMusic collects public performance licence fees (royalties), these royalties are then distributed by APRA AMCOS and PPCA. <ul><li>APRA AMCOS looks after public performance royalties to songwriters and music publishers.</li><li>PPCA looks after public performance royalties to sound recording rights holders e.g. record labels and recording artists.</li></ul> These two companies have their own ways of distributing their share of royalties to their members and licensors. The Audoo rollout means APRA AMCOS will adjust how it splits its share of royalties, essentially a change in the algorithm based on data from real-time businesses in the Australian marketplace. <iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/anKMDf2tN-c?showinfo=0"></iframe> Useful links: <a href="https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2022/03/14/audoo-pro-performance-royalties/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PROs Are Quietly Reinventing Themselves — By Potentially Counting Every Single Song Played</a> (Digital Music News)<a href="https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2022/07/26/audoo-song-detection-deal-apra-amcos/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Audoo Inks Song Detection Deal With APRA AMCOS In Australia &amp; New Zealand</a> (Digital Music News)

In a world-first, OneMusic is investing in the widespread rollout of audio meter tech which recognises music played, real-time, in Australian and New Zealand businesses; with a mission to pay public performance royalties to musicians more accurately.

OneMusic Recognises the Music with Audoo

Audoo, which in 2020 raised £5.2 million in a Series A funding round backed by <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/labels/read/fantastic-voyage-polydor-on-the-second-coming-of-abba/084823" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ABBA</a> singer-songwriter Björn Ulvaeus and others, has developed the audio meter to securely monitor the music a venue is playing. The company has arrived at a time when there’s an increased focus on streaming remuneration and the data gap, which means some artists and songwriters are missing out on royalties. The Ivors Academy found that around <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/black-box-disorder-ivors-academy-research-reveals-500m-streaming-data-gap/083934" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">£500 million of royalties a year just for songwriters and rights-holders is affected by poor data</a>. <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/labels/read/inside-the-beatles-disney-documentary-with-giles-martin-and-orla-lee-fisher/084727" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Paul McCartney</a> is another famous backer of the company, which is focused on improving accuracy in public performance royalties. Audoo is working with performing rights organisations around the world to make installation a condition of venues gaining a licence to play music. Audio is not alone, of course. In the <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/media/read/digga-d-covers-the-new-issue-of-music-week/085632" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">latest issue of Music Week</a>, <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/labels/read/swiss-tech-firm-utopia-acquires-proper-music/085009" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Utopia Music COO Roberto Neri</a> opens up about the tech company’s plans to work with collection societies to improve accuracy.&nbsp; Here, Audoo founder and CEO Ryan Edwards - a former artist himself - opens up about his mission to fix the problem... <h3>What was the vision for Audoo in terms of accuracy in remuneration for artists and songwriters? How can it help transform the music industry in the streaming era?</h3> “At Audoo we have&nbsp;developed a physical hardware solution - a patented Audoo Audio Meter - to a real life problem that’s decades old, to help artists and rights holders get paid more accurately. It is a small plug-in device ready to fit into a standard electrical socket, which securely monitors the music that premises (such as a bar, gym or shop) are playing. This means, for the first time, there is a viable and scalable solution to deliver accurate reporting when it comes to real world public performance - a huge step closer to artists and publishers being paid fairly and accurately for the broadcasting of their work. “Music is identified by Audoo’s proprietary technology, and then matched against a library of over 75 million songs, to report the exact version of the song broadcast. Music captured by Audoo’s Audio Meter is never recorded, stored or transmitted, therefore no personal information is ever captured.”&nbsp;&nbsp; <h3>How will the latest investment help the company's growth?&nbsp;</h3> “We are incredibly proud to have recently announced £7.2 million of new investment, including backing from MPL Ventures [funded by Paul McCartney], taking our total funding to over £14 million in under three years following our £5.2 million Series A round last year which involved ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus.&nbsp;&nbsp; “We have identified a huge global opportunity, quite simply because we are solving a worldwide issue. This latest round of funding will be used to drive the <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/brands/read/for-the-record-september-10-sony-atv-tunecore-audoo-songtradr-and-more/081082" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">business’ growth</a> into new markets as we expand across Europe, North America and the APAC regions.” <blockquote>"We are committed to delivering the most accurate data for public performance to PROs and CMOs around the world"</blockquote><blockquote class="ql-align-right">Ryan Edwards</blockquote> <h3>How much data processing and computer power is required for Audoo to deliver the information?</h3> “Our Audio Meter requires minimal data processing and computer power. Reporting can be turned around in as little as one hour. However, the majority of our customers will require weekly or monthly reporting.” <h3>You have some big names as backers and advisers - how does that help the company as it spreads the word and builds industry relationships?</h3> “It goes without saying that having major household names and industry legends as <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/abba-s-bj-rn-ulvaeus-among-investors-in-audoo-s-5-2-million-funding-round/081980" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">key supporters of our technology and vision</a> is a major benefit to our brand and its credibility. It also&nbsp;helps others recognise and understand our value proposition too. We are incredibly proud of the community we have created in just a short space of time, and to have the likes of <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/talent/read/abba-s-bjorn-ulvaeus-talks-modern-songwriting/084248" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Björn Ulvaeus</a>, the president of CISAC, and an internationally recognised artist on board as part of our journey is really special. Our mission is everything to us, and to have continued support from our musical heroes goes a long way towards helping us deliver our vision globally.” <h3>What are the plans for the company in 2022?</h3> “Our main focus in 2022 is to supercharge the adoption and roll-out of our technology across Europe, North America and the APAC regions. You can expect to see some major announcements on this front throughout the year. We are committed to delivering the most accurate data for public performance to PROs and CMOs around the world, and 2022 will see us make some significant strides towards this goal.”&nbsp; Full article: <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/audoo-founder-and-ceo-ryan-edwards-on-fixing-the-royalties-data-gap/085661" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/audoo-founder-and-ceo-ryan-edwards-on-fixing-the-royalties-data-gap/085661</a>

London-based music tech start-up Audoo has been expanding its reach globally. The company recently announced a partnership with the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC), which will see Audoo’s Audio Meter technology rolled out in multiple bars and clubs in Tokyo this month.

Audoo founder and CEO Ryan Edwards on fixing the royalties data gap

Public Performance rights account for 12.6% of global revenues* yet historically it has taken a back seat to its the far more publicised cousin, Streaming Rights. As the global live music market continues to find its feet in the wake of Covid-19, Public Performance is playing a vital part in driving a broader range of much needed revenue streams for artists, songwriters and rights holders. We have assembled a fantastic cross section of some of the best minds in the music industry to discuss and explore the challenges that this area of the value chain faces. In what we are sure will be both an educational and informative discussion, where all can learn what they can be doing to ensure those Public Performance Royalties are not getting lost in the ‘Blackbox’ ether.*IFPI 2019 Listen recording at: <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/2022/events/PP115804#audoo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://schedule.sxsw.com/2022/events/PP115804#audoo </a>

Public Performance rights account for 12.6% of global revenues* yet historically it has taken a back seat to its the far more publicised cousin, Streaming Rights. 

Are You Getting Yours? Public Performance Explored

In December 2021, the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) will conduct a trial for Audoo Audio Meter, a device which utilizes fingerprint technology to automatically identify the music being played. The device will be placed in venues to verify its accuracy in identifying music and to understand its operational issues. It will be the first time for JASRAC to collect the log of music played in the category of performing rights using fingerprint technology. The Audio Meter is a device developed and provided by Audoo Limited (CEO: Ryan Edwards), a startup company based in London, UK. It continuously captures the fingerprints of music played in venues, matches them against a database, and automatically produces a list of identified titles. Audoo Limited was named the winner in the Music Marketing &amp; Data/Analytics category of Midemlab 2020, a competition of music tech startups hosted by Midem. Upon the trial, the devices will be placed in DJ bars "Shibuya CLUB BALL" and "THE ROOM" located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, with cooperation from Japan Dance Music &amp; DJ Association (Representative Director: TSUNODA Atsushi). The association's online live DJ program "Japan DJ.net -ONLINE-" will also be an occasion for the trial, verifying music at the location of the DJ play. JASRAC will continue to promote its initiatives in distributing royalties received from music users to right-owners more accurately and at a lower cost through utilization of technologies. TSUNODA Atsushi (Watusi)- Representative Director of Japan Dance Music &amp; DJ Association, COLDFEET <blockquote>"Back then, in that club, the DJ played my song. Feeling of joy, but there aren't many musicians who imagine that the rights of that song will work for the benefit of themselves. The reason for that - the mystery behind blanket licensing, how usage reports are in fact collected - and its issues have been discussed, but concrete future didn't come into our sights. Now, JASRAC is trying to break new ground, opening the way for such a future by utilizing a new device. While thanking the historic clubs which launched bids to this trial, I'd like to see a future that's clear and concrete as soon as possible. And that's because sampling methods just don't fit in the era of blockchains."</blockquote> SUZUKI Takayuki- EnterTech Accelerator, Japanese Ambassador for Midem, Midemlab jury member <blockquote>"The world's music technologies have resolved the music industry's issues and are liberating creators' expressions and possibilities. From the global music tech startup event Midemlab, which I am a jury member of, young and promising music tech companies have come up one after another. It is wonderful for JASRAC to form a partnership with one of these companies, Audoo, and to work towards solving the issues of Japanese creators and right-owners by utilizing data."</blockquote> Ryan Edwards- Founder and CEO, Audoo Limited <blockquote>"We are delighted to be announcing our partnership with JASRAC and are committed to delivering the most accurate data possible to both them and performing rights organizations across the world. By working in close partnership and offering the newest technology solutions, we can ensure artists are paid more accurately both now and for years to come. This mission is everything to us."</blockquote> Article URL: <a href="https://www.jasrac.or.jp/ejhp/release/2021/12-2.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.jasrac.or.jp/ejhp/release/2021/12-2.html</a>

JASRAC conducts trial with Audoo for the roll-out of Audio Meters, to automatically identify the music played within public performance locations.

JASRAC partners with Audoo

JASRAC conducts trial roll-out for Audoo Audio Meter

The former Beatle joins existing investors Edinv and Tileyard London, <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/former-abba-star-helps-artists-say-thank-you-for-the-music-0b3r9q7xz" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">alongside Abba’s Bjorn Ulvaeus</a>, in financing the company. Audoo has collectively raised £14 million in pre-Series B funding and according to its chief executive is aiming at the European and North American markets “as they are generally the biggest music markets in the world.” Founded by Ryan Edwards in 2018, Audoo is a music technology company seeking to revolutionise the royalty payment system for musicians through its Audio Meter device, which monitors music played in public venues. Full article on The Times: <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sir-paul-mccartney-tunes-into-audoo-music-start-up-bnpgd3l2d" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sir-paul-mccartney-tunes-into-audoo-music-start-up-bnpgd3l2d</a>

Sir Paul McCartney is among a group of investors behind a £7.2 million funding round for the music start-up Audoo.

Sir Paul McCartney tunes into Audoo music start-up

<h3>What did you do before you became CEO of Audoo?</h3>Before my professional career, I pursued my dream of being a musician and signed a record deal at the age of 18. Sadly, we didn’t achieve global rock god status. Thereafter I grew my career across retail &amp; digital business including Carphone Warehouse, Grapple Mobile which became Europe’s largest app developer and sold to Monitise PLC in 2013, then to Visa heading up data partnerships. I’ve been fortunate to work in great mix of corporate, and entrepreneurial business. <h3>Why did you become an entrepreneur?</h3>It’s funny, I never set out to be an ‘entrepreneur’ – the vision was a desire &amp; idea to help. I’m motivated by the constant desire to deliver a level playing field for musicians. There has been a long-term challenge for the music industry for royalties to be distributed on real world/more accurate data and that’s where everything came together. <h3>How much have you raised?</h3>I have raised over £25 million to grow and accelerate the business through directly investment. I have avoided venture capital funds favouring family offices and those with deep industry knowledge to wrap the most experienced and successful people I could find around me. <h3>What does private wealth mean to you now?</h3>It’s about the obvious things like financial security for my daughter, wife and I, then it’s about making a difference. Wealth is a responsibility to ensure those in need can be helped and to create a better future. It sounds obvious, but I learn daily about how to do more. <h3>What one tip would you give to someone thinking of changing of direction and becoming an entrepreneur?</h3>Just do it. There is nothing better than being your own boss. I’ve been able to recruit all the best people I’ve ever worked with across my career. We’ve created our own culture and I get to spend my time with people who inspire me daily. My largest regret in life is that I didn’t do it earlier. Full article: <a href="https://www.kleinworthambros.com/en/insights/entrepreneurship/interview-change-direction-becoming-entrepreneur/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.kleinworthambros.com/en/insights/entrepreneurship/interview-change-direction-becoming-entrepreneur/</a>

Audoo provides technology that tracks music played in public places to ensure rights holders are compensated accurately.

INTERVIEW: A change of Direction - Becoming an Entrepreneur

As selected by the TechRound team, their criteria for the list includes:<ul><li>Creativeness and innovation by the company</li><li>Usefulness of the product</li><li>How the company stands out in its niche</li><li>Experience of the founders/team</li></ul> Find more information and the full list here: <a href="https://techround.co.uk/music-audiotech/top-28-uk-music-and-audiotech/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://techround.co.uk/music-audiotech/top-28-uk-music-and-audiotech/</a> Audoo is creating a royalty revolution to ensure accuracy is delivered for artists. Audoo have created an audio meter, which captures actual played music, using real-time data, to help Performing Right Organisations (PROs) digitise and streamline their processes. This means that with Audoo, artists are able to ensure that rights holders never miss out on their royalties. Audoo was founded in 2018 with a vision to create a more accurate system for compensating artists and composers for the public performance of their work. The idea was conceived when CEO &amp; Founder, Ryan Edwards was shopping in a retail store and heard his own top 10 hit being played. Shortly afterwards, when checking his royalty statement, he was surprised to see that he hadn’t been paid for the broadcast and started to wonder why. Ryan found that historically, Performing Right Organisations (PROs) &amp; Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) have paid public performance royalties from estimations based on popular radio play and manual data-entry. As a result, artists and composers often miss out. Since conception, Audoo have created a technical solution which tracks music played across public performance locations. Their low-cost highly effective Audio Meter simply plugs in to premises such as shops, restaurants, gyms and bars, and takes a GDPR compliant digital imprint of the music playing. From there the information is relayed in real-time to PROs &amp; CMOs, ensuring rights holders are compensated fairly and accurately every time their music is played.

Selected by the TechRound team based on criteria like creativeness and innovation, usefulness of the product, how the company stands out in its niche and experience of the founders/team.

Audoo is selected in Tech Round's list of Top 28 UK Music and AudioTech companies

Audoo ranked No.3 in Tech Round's list of Top 28 UK Music and AudioTech companies

3. June 2021 Still, I have seen first-hand over the past few weeks the desire for businesses to jump back into action after, what I consider to be, the most challenging environment our generation will ever experience. With this, I’m going to give a hybrid approach of what’s been my typical week over the past few weeks and how I expect it’ll be over coming weeks/months. But, firstly, those who are close to me know I value three things most of all:1. Time with my Wife, Daughter and Dog... a Frenchie called Frank (he’s on the Audoo team page!)2. My passion, and relentless drive to deliver the best experience for the Team, our Clients, and Investors3. Music... after all, I have created my entire business to deliver fair distribution of Royalties to Artists globally The juggling of these three things is difficult to say the least, and I often find myself trying to make all of them a priority which doesn’t help. Pre-COVID 19 I was constantly travelling, in fact, I nearly missed my daughter’s first birthday as the first UK lockdown was put in place. The key learning these various restrictions have taught me is how many business trips I took that could have been via a video conference service. I’m the first person to advocate the importance of a good face-to-face meeting but, sometimes you can be just as productive for those ‘in between’ ones virtually. A few weeks back the Audoo Team got to go to The BRIT Awards and it was an incredible feeling to immerse in live music for the first time in 18 months (Dua Lipa was the highlight for me!). So, let’s get into my typical week... <h3>Monday</h3> I typically wake at 6am. We’re a global business, so on waking up I’ll quickly scan through emails/messages on my phone in case there is anything urgent. If not, then my daughter (who’s now 2) will wake anytime between 6:30-7am and I endeavour to always be a ‘hands on Dad’, so it’s all about getting her ready, ensuring Frank has been fed and then we’re off to drop her at nursery before heading into the office. I like to be in the office on a Monday, it just starts the week right. Monday’s are very much about checking in with the team. The always entertaining chat about ‘how was everyone’s weekends’ and then, plans for the week – all in a very social way, no regimented or formal meetings. As you can imagine, my dairy varies, but I would typically expect a combination of conversations with Board/Advisory Board Members, the Team, Investors, Suppliers and Clients to ensure all are up-to-date on various aspects of the business. I’ll be in the office until approx. 5:30 p.m. and then, head home for family dinner, along with the staple TV item of the evening (Peppa Pig!). This is the point I must admit, I rarely switch off, so whilst Peppa Pig is a family must-watch TV moment daily, on evenings I typically will sit with my laptop replying to emails. Reading insight or speaking with various members of the team around the world. <h3>Tuesday</h3> I won’t repeat my mornings &amp; evenings, as it’s very much the same start &amp; end to each day. Tuesday mornings is about the C Team, we have a weekly check-in where each will give an update from their area of the business. We’ll discuss wins, progress, plans for the week, risks and wider updates the whole team need to know, e.g. if a sale is in the pipeline our Operations &amp; Technology teams need to know when to be involved and assign the resource – or to speak with our Spinks On Site Partner about new roles. This meeting is very much the pillar of each week as it’s one of the only times the whole C Team is together and uninterrupted. My Tuesday afternoons will typically consist again of various meetings with Board Members, the Team, Investors and clients. Also, I’ll name drop here, Bjorn Ulvaeus (ABBA) is an investor in Audoo so, I often speak to him. <h3>Wednesday</h3> Wednesday is always a great start to the working day for me, I’ve just checked my diary and for the past 3 weeks (and upcoming 4 weeks), I have a brunch in with different people. To really share the intimate details of what I get up to, if on the menu, I always go for an omelette – tomato, cheese, and ham with a side of sourdough toast! After breakfast, I’m back to the office for meetings, calls and to bring in an office ‘hump day treat’- always Chocolate Fingers! My ‘coming out of lockdown’ resolution was to run more ... my wife did the London Marathon in 2015 and I did most of the training with her so, although I have never been able to get a space, I have decided to start running again (after about a 3-year break!) in the hope I can get one soon. I managed to get back up to running 10k in a matter of weeks, I just need to focus on bettering my pace now as it’s about the 58-minute mark. <h3>Thursday</h3> I’m very lucky to have various mentors throughout my life. These including two of the best managers I ever had in James Leech (at Carphone Warehouse/Best Buy) and Mark Gable (at Vodafone), and these extend to Greg Gormley and Chris Herbert who are Non-Executive Directors in Audoo, along with our largest investor who is one of the most successful British Business people I’ve ever met. So, typically, on a Thursday morning I’ll have a session with the Investor, Chris or Greg to discuss anything about the business, my personal life, or just anything that’s on my mind. They help give clarity and always guide my thinking in a way that gets me to the answer or plan without giving me the answer. On a Thursday afternoon, I have a formal update with the team from our largest investor who work for the aforementioned British Business mentor. This is always a good opportunity for me to update them on the teams’ great progress in key areas of our business like: our sales pipeline, technology build, IP progress (we have multiple patents and trademarks globally) and growth plans. Last year we moved from start-up to scale-up, this requires a lot of planning from a funding, working capital and legal prospective – so it’s very important they are involved to ensure we have the correct levels of cashflow, and to be involved in planning the next funding round (which we’re also in the middle of!). I typically keep Thursday evenings free for business, I often will go for drinks with the team, or a dinner with star performers or investors – it’s always a good evening to do something social and have a night off the battle of getting a toddler to bed! <h3>Friday</h3> Friday is my ‘work from home’ day, I always told myself that if I ever had my own business, everyone should finish early on a Friday and, we do! We all finish at 3pm and it’s the one thing I’m ‘strict’ about with the team - if I see emails/messages after 3 p.m. I call them to say, ‘stop working’! So, on Friday mornings we have a company-wide video conference to download how the week has gone, chat about plans for the weekend and each week someone gives their ‘words of wisdom’ – this can be anything from an interesting fact, a quote or something silly, they then nominate someone else for the following week. As I’m home on a Friday, I try to use this to close out my week and catch up on admin I’ve put off for the week. <h3>​Saturday &amp; Sunday</h3> I grew up near Wolverhampton, so this will make me sound ‘posh’but, we have a dog walker in the week. So Saturday mornings always start with a great walk with Frank on Wimbledon Common (whilst my wife is with my daughter at her swimming lesson). It’s a great way to get a fresh mind for the weekend and the mobile signal is terrible there, so I know my phone won’t be buzzing for an hour or so. Then it’s all about family time - I do sneak in a little laptop time in the evening when my daughter goes to bed. Sunday’s we flip and I always take my daughter for brunch. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been to Soho House, Granger &amp; Co (the best pancakes) and Bills – it’s our one-on-one time and nothing beats it. Sunday evenings are about my own prep for the week ahead and, off we go again! Article URL: <a href="https://www.wearespinks.com/blog/2021/06/a-week-in-the-life-of-ryan-edwards-ceo-from-audoo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.wearespinks.com/blog/2021/06/a-week-in-the-life-of-ryan-edwards-ceo-from-audoo</a>

It feels like a strange time to write My Life in a Week as a Founder & CEO, as the UK is just one step from the removal of all COVID-19 related restrictions and things are still a little weird.

A Week in the Life of Ryan Edwards, CEO from Audoo

Audoo, which recently closed a £5.2m series A funding round, including investment from ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus and Tileyard London, has developed technology to analyze and report public performance royalties. The company claims that the real time data analyzed by its patented audio matching technology provides Performing Right Organisations “with the ability to deliver public performance royalties to their members with accuracy like never seen before in the music industry”. Robbins leaves his previous role of Head of Software at audio equipment company Bowers &amp; Wilkins. As Chief Technology Officer, Robbins will oversee the delivery and rollout of Audoo’s ‘Audio Meter’, which tracks played music using real-time data to help Performance Rights Organisations digitise its processes, as well as the development and deployment of the company’s data platform’s. At Bowers &amp; Wilkins, Robbins was tasked with building out the software development team along with the design and set up of its cloud platform. This platform allowed users access to multiple hi-resolution music services in the Bowers &amp; Wilkins Music app. Prior to Bowers &amp; Wilkins, Robbins was CTO at SaaS start-up Audiogum, as well as CTO for the Nokia MixRadio music service, making Robbins “extremely well positioned to deliver the end to end technology that underpins Audoo’s mission of ‘revolutionising through accuracy’,” says Audoo. <blockquote>“This is an important role for the company as we are currently rolling out Audio Meters around the world.”</blockquote> Ryan Edwards, Audoo Ryan Edwards, CEO and Founder of Audoo, said: “This is an important role for the company as we are currently rolling out Audio Meters around the world. “Steve brings a wealth of experience and understands both the nuances of the music &amp; technology industries with the level of accuracy Audoo is committed to delivering to all our partners” <blockquote>“What Audoo has achieved in such a short space of time is really inspiring.”</blockquote> Steve Robbins Robbins said: “What Audoo has achieved in such a short space of time is really inspiring. “As the company makes the move from start-up to scale-up, I couldn’t imagine a better time to join the business. The desire to deliver a greater level of data accuracy in the public performance space has never been more timely as the world starts to emerge from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Audoo is going to play a huge part in this and I’m excited to be making this happen for all artists”. Article: <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/steve-robbins-joins-uk-music-tech-startup-audoo-as-chief-technology-officer/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/steve-robbins-joins-uk-music-tech-startup-audoo-as-chief-technology-officer/</a>

London-based music technology company Audoo has hired Steve Robbins as its Chief Technology Officer.

Steve Robbins joins UK music tech startup Audoo as Chief Technology Officer

<ul><li>Audoo’s technology will track billions of songs as they are played in real-time in public performance areas</li><li>Who’s Who of backers includes Björn Ulvaeus from ABBA and Spice Girls’ creator Chris Herbert</li><li>Working in partnership with Performing Right Organisations around the world</li><li>Power to harness Big Data to revolutionise royalty distributions, music charts and beyond</li><li>New ability to find the trending superstars of tomorrow</li><li>£5.2m raised in ten weeks during COVID-19 lockdown</li></ul> In Audoo HQ at TIleyard London, the excitement is tangible. After two years of preparation, the first real-world test results of the company’s cutting-edge audio meter are in. The data is way beyond what anyone dared to imagine: Audoo’s product is accurate to an unparalleled level, even in sub-optimal, noisy conditions. “Typically with music-recognition technology, 70-80% accuracy is pretty good,” says Audoo founder and CEO Ryan Edwards, a former musician turned senior digital executive. “But we’re in the high 90s – even in the noisiest environments.” The implications for the global music industry could be significant, as we’ll soon see. Those stellar test results top a massive 12 months for Audoo. In June 2020 the company won a prestigious MIDEM Lab Award – the equivalent of a Grammy for music and technology start-ups. Next, it embarked on an ambitious £3.5m Series-A fundraising round but outperformed expectations by securing £5.2m in just ten weeks, which was led by a British private family office, EdInvest. The other notable investor was none other than ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus – a man with a serious reputation for predicting a big hit. However, this Swedish musician is not the only member of music royalty to be backing Audoo. Chris Herbert, the creator of the Spice Girls, is a non-executive director. And other big-hitters on the Audoo board include Rick Riccobono, a former vice-president at Broadcast Music International, and Alexi Cory-Smith, former president of repertoire and marketing at BMG. Björn and fellow backers have not only been won over by Audoo’s cutting-edge, high-accuracy technology, but also by its mission to give artists and publishers what’s rightfully theirs. Currently, that doesn’t happen. In fact, each year the music industry loses $2.7 billion in revenue because venues such as cafés, bars, gyms and shops stream music illegally. Audoo’s audio meter has the power to help, recoup and accurately redistribute all that revenue by recognising and logging any song played in any venue. And vitally, Performing Right Organisations (PROs) are keen to partner with Audoo to make audio-meter installation a condition of a venue’s license to play music. “We’re talking to PROs in every corner of the world,” says Ryan. He goes on to explain the ethos behind his company – that’s winning hearts and minds across the music industry: “It doesn’t matter who you are – whether you’re Sir Elton John or a local singer-songwriter, we deliver accuracy to ensure artists are paid correctly. To us, that’s everything.” However, in reality, that’s just the start, because Audoo’s potential goes far beyond cash recovery and distribution. Once its audio meters are in place, the company will harvest vast amounts of data. Head of Creative Community, Jessica O’Brien says: “When our technology is in place in the c. 400,000 UK venues, it will log around 80 million plays in every 12 hours. We’ll know – with certainty and in detail – what people are listening to. We will collect the biggest set of public performance data ever created, which in turn will give us the power to revolutionise beyond royalty distributions for labels, publishers, and independent artists.” Jessica continues: “When our advisory board were showed the results of our real-world tests, Rick Riccobono, who is a global authority for publishing and rights in the music industry, said: ‘You’ve just changed everything.’ We could show them hour by hour, minute by minute, what was being played. We could tell them what gyms and restaurants were playing on the radio and what they were playing through Spotify. We could see exactly what Spotify playlists were being used and whether they were being played in order or on shuffle. With all that data we’ll soon be able to identify the most-listened to song each day, each week and each year. The impact will be mind bending.” Audoo’s technology has another by-product, too: trend-spotting. Ryan says: “Everyone’s looking for the next big artist. Who’s the next Ed Sheeran? Where is the next Dua Lipa being played? The data we collect will show us what people are listening to in Birmingham, Brisbane, Burbank…everywhere. We’ll see who’s getting high numbers of plays by city and by region.” With proven accuracy, the desire to be a force for good in the music industry, and ability to harvest and harness Big Data, it’s easy to see why Audoo is attracting so much attention and so many impressive backers. Indeed, in April and June 2020, two separate companies approached Ryan to buy the business. “One went to a formal offer stage,” says the CEO. “It would have been life-changing if we’d accepted – I would never have had to work again. But we declined the offers because we passionately love what we’re doing and we’re having the time of our lives. So, why stop now? This is the start of a hugely exciting journey.” Article URL: <a href="https://www.clic.co.uk/the-future-reporting-tool-for-the-music-industry-has-arrived/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.clic.co.uk/the-future-reporting-tool-for-the-music-industry-has-arrived/</a>

How Audoo’s ultra-accurate new audio meter will revolutionise the music industry.

The future reporting tool for the music industry has arrived

London-based Audoo has raised £5.2 million in less than 10 weeks in an investment round backed by Edinv, <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/cisac-report-shows-impact-of-covid-19-on-global-creators/081695" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus</a> and existing investors including Tileyard London. The funding will go towards ensuring that artists and songwriters receive revenue that is rightfully theirs by accurately recognising and reporting music played in public performance areas, such as shops, gyms and cafés. Audoo has invented an audio meter, shaped as a small plug, which fits into a standard electrical socket. The meter securely monitors what music a venue is playing, recognises and logs it, meaning that artists and composers can accurately receive the royalties they are owed for the broadcasting of their work. To maximise the audio meter rollout, Audoo is working with Performing Right Organisations around the world to make installation a condition of venues gaining a license to play music. Beyond royalty reporting, the data captured can also be leveraged by record labels, publishers, catalogue owners, managers, booking agents and artists themselves to refine their strategy, book tours and better understand how music is consumed. Audoo have won music and technology industry awards, including <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/digital/read/midemlab-unveils-2020-winners/080002" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MIDEM Labs</a> earlier this summer.&nbsp; The company board includes familiar names such as former BMG UK boss Alexi Cory-Smith, former BMI VP Rick Riccobono, international rights expert Cliff Fluet and Adam Parness, former global head of publishing at Spotify. <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/digital/read/necessary-and-essential-royalty-distribution-start-up-audoo-recruits-chris-herbert-and-rick-riccobono/077169" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Audoo CEO Ryan Edwards</a> said: “It doesn’t matter who you are – from Sir Elton John to the local singer-songwriter – we will deliver accurate data to ensure artists are paid fairly. The mission is everything to us. If our technology is in place in all UK licenced premises, it will log around 80 million plays every 12 hours. We’ll know – with certainty and in detail – exactly what people are listening to. We will collect and report the biggest set of public performance music data ever created.” <blockquote>"Audoo is a solution I believe will change the music industry forever and that’s why I have put my money where my mouth is"</blockquote><blockquote class="ql-align-right">Björn Ulvaeus</blockquote> <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/digital/read/cisac-president-bj-rn-ulvaeus-speaks-out-on-brokenrecord-debate/079938" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Björn Ulvaeus</a> said: “For a long time, I have urged Performing Right Organisations to use intelligent third-party technology. Audoo is a solution I believe will change the music industry forever and that’s why I have put my money where my mouth is.” Chris Herbert, Audoo non-executive director and music manager, remarked: “Having worked closely with Ryan and the team for the past year, I couldn’t be prouder of our achievements, and how quickly we have raised these funds in such a challenging environment from industry leading &amp; experienced investors. It is further validation of the need for such technology on a global scale.” <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/media/read/tech-that-first-speakers-revealed-for-music-week-tech-summit-2019/076919" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cliff Fluet, Audoo board advisor and chair of the Ivors Academy Trust</a>, said: “As a rights lawyer passionate about using technology to generate, find and distribute greater revenues, I have observed the importance of better data leading to more equitable distributions. This is a challenge experienced by all those in the music value chain and mission-critical for creators, from some of the largest artists on the planet to the emerging talent we are supporting in the early stage of their careers at the Ivors Academy Trust. Fair distributions of these revenues are even more important given the decimation of live music during the pandemic, which is a core focus of the <a href="http://www.musicweek.com/opinion/read/what-the-dcms-committee-streaming-investigation-means-for-the-music-biz/081593" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">DCMS inquiry into new music revenues</a>.” Full article on MusicWeek: <a href="https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/abba-s-bj-rn-ulvaeus-among-investors-in-audoo-s-5-2-million-funding-round/081980" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/abba-s-bj-rn-ulvaeus-among-investors-in-audoo-s-5-2-million-funding-round/081980</a>

Music technology company Audoo has announced it has closed its Series A funding round.

ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus among investors in Audoo's £5.2 million funding round

L-R: Cliff Fluet, Adam Parness and Alexi Cory-Smith Audoo, a start-up that uses tech to accurately count songs played in public, announces the appointments of Alexi Cory-Smith, Cliff Fluet and Adam Parness to its expert-led advisory board. Through a data-driven approach to music analytics, Audoo provides Performing Right Organisations (PROs) with insight and analysis to ensure musicians are being paid fairly and accurately. They join an already-impressive lineup of long-time industry executives Nigel Elderton, Chris Herbert and Rick Riccobono. In their new roles as advisory board members, they will work closely with the Audoo team to provide strategic counsel. Their main focus will sit with offering guidance on strategy, navigating the industry, networking and elevating the business as a whole in order to support Audoo in achieving the goal of making public performance royalties more transparent, fair and accurate. On its new advisory board members, CEO and Founder Ryan Edwards said: “As ever, we are thrilled to welcome our three new advisory board members to the Audoo team. “Over the past two years, having advice and guidance from a team of experts has proven to be invaluable and we’re very excited to bring Alexi, Cliff and Adam on board. “With a team of such experienced industry professionals at Audoo’s side, we know that we will continue to make strides in revolutionising the royalties industry and provide fairer and more transparent compensation to all artists.” Cory-Smith brings knowledge and expertise after spending seven years at BMG UK, where she tripled frontline revenue through significant signings such as The Rolling Stones and George Ezra. During her time at BMG UK, she spearheaded the company’s rapid expansion and acquisition. Prior to that, she developed a successful private legal practice and represented the X Factor finalists, including negotiating deals One Direction. Cory-Smith is an advisor to some of the leading independent rights management and technology businesses in the music sector. On joining the board, Cory-Smith said: “Having worked in the music industry for over two decades, I witnessed how detrimental the inaccurate distribution of music royalties can be for up and coming musicians. “With the blend of innovation and forward-thinking from Ryan, and the wealth of industry experience from both new and existing board members, I truly believe that we will be able to make shifts and enormous advancements within the industry. I have every confidence in Audoo, and am very excited to join the team.” Founder and managing director of Eleven, a business advisory and corporate finance firm, Fluet advises large corporations, brands and investors on digital innovation and works with startups at the cutting edge of music and technology. In addition to this, he acts for some of the world’s largest names in brands, recorded music, mobile, live music, radio, audio-visual production and online. On his appointment, Fluet said: “It’s both a privilege and a pleasure to be invited to join Audoo’s advisory board. Ryan has assembled a world class team of executives, technologists and advocates to create a unique product and platform to execute on Audoo’s vision of nothing less than a royalty revolution. I’m looking forward to yet more adventures with the team and to help guide them to even greater heights” Joining Cory-Smith and Fluet is Adam Parness, an experienced music and technology industry executive, veteran of music streaming services, and an expert in building global business affairs, licensing strategy, operations and creative relations teams. In his most recent role as Global Head of Publishing at Spotify, Parness launched Spotify Publishing Analytics, the first analytics tool built by a digital music service specifically for music publishers and songwriters, and helped bring songwriter and producer credits to the Spotify platform. “The technology being developed by Audoo brings the promise of near real-time analytics obtained from analog environments into the digital realm, providing data that can be used by publisher organizations to make timely creative and business strategy decisions,” said Parness. “I am confident that Audoo will play a pivotal role in bringing additional transparency and insights to the realm of public performance royalties and general licensing.” Article: <a href="https://businesscloud.co.uk/news/music-industry-leaders-appointed-at-royalty-tech-firm-audoo/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://businesscloud.co.uk/news/music-industry-leaders-appointed-at-royalty-tech-firm-audoo/</a>

Alexi Cory-Smith, Cliff Fluet and Adam Parness join the advisory board of music industry start-up from likes of Spotify and BMG

Music industry leaders appointed at royalty tech firm Audoo

Tileyard London is an innovative hub for creatives in the city and houses the biggest independent music community in Europe. Located in King’s Cross, it has over 70 state-of-the-art music studios and more than 75 creative office spaces. Audoo’s new neighbours will include Beats 1 Radio, Pretty Green, Hipgnosis and Noel Gallagher’s personal studio. Founded in 2018 by Ryan Edwards after discovering that he had not been compensated for a song that he’d written which was broadcast in a popular department store, Audoo has created a technological solution for millions of other creatives who have experienced similar circumstances. With other backers including established music business heavyweights like Chris Herbert and Nigel Elderton, Audoo is working closely with Performance Rights Organisations (PROs) to streamline data-entry processes and royalty distribution by creating a Audio Meter to be installed in commercial spaces such as bars, gyms and retail locations. Nick Keynes, Tileyard London Founder, stated:“What Audoo are creating finally offers true and fair insight across the music industry. Like Ryan, I was a musician and have experienced the challenges of hearing my work in public areas without compensation. “We’re proud to have invested in such an entrepreneurial business, and cannot wait to have the team here at Tileyard within our thriving creative community.” Audoo Founder and CEO Ryan Edwards stated: “We’re excited to have received investment from the team at Tileyard and to become a part of the most exciting music hub in Europe. “Our mission to create a more transparent music industry will not be easy, but with incredible backers like Tileyard, it’s helps accelerate our vision.” Full article: https://www.uktech.news/news/audoo-raises-15-million-with-tileyard-london-as-its-latest-investor-to-build-a-more-transparent-music-industry-20200305

Audoo, the technology start-up aiming to revolutionise music royalty distribution, has announced it has eclipsed its latest funding target by raising £1.5 million and in June 2020 is set to move its office location to Tileyard London, its newest investor.

Audoo raises £1.5m seed funding

PROs haven’t yet tried to track every song played in the thousands of businesses that hold music licenses — restaurants, stores, gyms and more. Out of economic necessity, they have used various ways of estimating which songs businesses use as background music, and how often. Audoo, a new startup based in London, hopes to revolutionize music royalty distribution by taking the guesswork out of this process. “We want to make it completely accurate,” said Ryan Edwards, Audoo’s founder and CEO.&nbsp; To play live or recorded music in public, most businesses have to purchase licenses from PROs like <a href="https://www.ascap.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ASCAP</a>, <a href="https://www.bmi.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BMI</a> or <a href="https://www.prsformusic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PRS for Music</a>; or subscribe to a commercial music provider like <a href="https://us.moodmedia.com/ga/muzak-background-music/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mood Media</a>. PROs sometimes sue businesses who fail to comply with these copyright laws. So far, it hasn’t been cost-effective for PROs to monitor every song played by their license-holding businesses when calculating royalty payments. Instead, they analyze smaller data sets, like surveys of radio playlists, to determine a songwriter’s share of the total revenue from licensing. Audoo hopes its “audio meters” will enable PROs to track what businesses are playing, song-by-song, in the same way that they monitor radio stations.&nbsp; “I would liken our technology to a meter service; like a water or gas meter that can measure your usage on a second-by-second basis,” Edwards said. Audoo’s audio meters resemble small smart speakers, and are able to identify a recording by “listening” to snippets of music, like the Shazam app. After identifying a track, Audoo searches through a database to match the recording with the writers, rights-holders and owners of the song.&nbsp; “It’s the database that drives everything, with organized records and metadata in a cloud environment,” Edwards said. “Rights organizations can take that data and make payments to the artists.” Before founding Audoo, Edwards led digital initiatives at Visa Europe and was commercial director of Bink, a British fintech startup. His new venture was inspired by his original dream job: writing songs and playing drums in a rock band. In 2008, Edwards’ former band, the Lines, appeared to be on the way to stardom with a debut single that reached No. 10 on the U.K. Indie-label Singles Chart. “Domino Effect”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/independent-singles-chart/20080302/130/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">appeared on the chart</a> alongside songs by Radiohead and Adele. Unfortunately, the Lines were dropped by their record label soon afterward.&nbsp; Today, Edwards is amused to find “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvIupxBCcIc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Domino Effect</a>” still in rotation at shops and pubs in London. But he also has been frustrated to discover that these performances often go unnoticed and uncompensated by his PRO, even when the song is played in large corporate venues.&nbsp; “Artists have no chance [of being paid fairly],” Edwards said. “No chance at all.” <a href="https://www.lls.edu/faculty/facultylistc-d/doughertyfjay/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jay Dougherty</a>, Director of the Entertainment &amp; Media Law Institute at LMU Loyola Law School, said Audoo could encounter difficulties when trying to identify the songwriters, composers and publishers who are owed royalties from a public performance. Musical recordings and compositions are considered two separate works for copyright purposes. This allows songwriters to receive royalties when other performers cover their songs. “Audoo can pick up and identify the sound recording, but will it have access to who wrote and owns the song? That data is not widely available… and compiling that data is challenging,” Dougherty said. “You might burn through the money you would earn [from music licensing].” In an email, Edwards said Audoo is using a database with music rights information provided by some of the world’s largest record labels. And he’s confident that Audoo’s technology will be a worthwhile investment for PROs. “The PROs we have spent time with... are very driven to innovate and capture as much data as possible,” Edwards said. “They have an obsession with fairness, and the ability to pay out at a granular level.” Edwards said Audoo will begin distributing its audio meters to businesses in 2020, in partnership with major PROs. The company recently completed the first £600,000 of its £1.2 million seed funding round. Audoo will prepare for its global roll-out as a member of Abbey Road Red, a music technology incubator managed by <a href="https://www.abbeyroad.com/abbeyroadred" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Abbey Road Studios</a> and Universal Music Group. The six-month program will help Audoo to refine its long term strategy and find its niche within the music industry ecosystem. Audoo has brought several music industry veterans onto its advisory board, including Nigel Elderton, chairman of PRS for Music; Chris Herbert, the original manager for the Spice Girls; and Rick Riccobono, a music industry consultant and former Vice President of BMI Western Region and Australia. “We want to streamline administrative process so musicians are getting paid as much as we can pay them,” Riccobono said. “This is a real tool to bring more money to creators.” Full article: <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshmandell/2019/10/27/uk-startup-audoo-wants-to-transform-how-songwriters-get-paid/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshmandell/2019/10/27/uk-startup-audoo-wants-to-transform-how-songwriters-get-paid/</a>

Performing rights organizations (PROs) are entrusted with a difficult task: getting businesses to pay to use music, and distributing royalties fairly to songwriters, composers and music publishers. 

U.K. Startup Audoo Wants To Transform How Songwriters Get Paid

Audoo’s addition to the incubator follows last month’s news that music manager and Spice Girls creator Chris Herbert and music industry heavyweight Rick Riccobono, <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/music-industry-veterans-chris-herbert-and-rick-riccobono-join-the-board-of-music-tech-start-up-audoo/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">have joined</a> Audoo’s advisory board. The program will see Audoo working closely with Abbey Road Studios and <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/companies/universal-music-group/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Universal Music Group</a> to enhance its offering and receive bespoke mentorship. Founded in 2015,&nbsp;Abbey Road Red has assisted 13 businesses leveraging Artificial Intelligence, immersive audio-visual projection and smart production assisting tools. The start-ups now have a collective valuation of $150m. Audoo was launched in 2018 to monitor and distribute music royalties by leveraging a smart plug-device which tracks the music played in commercial spaces such as bars, shops and gyms. It was created by CEO and founder Ryan Edwards after he discovered his Top 10 hit single was being played in a London department store, but he was never paid for it. Audoo is also&nbsp;backed by high profile investors including Greg Gormley (Founder of Bink), Luke Heron (co-founder and CEO of Testcard), Tim Davies (Director of Ventures and Chief Innovation Officer of Co-op), Ed Matthews (Investment Banker), and Marcus Watson (CEO of Adoreum). <blockquote>"Audoo’s solution for improving public performance royalty reporting could have a real impact benefiting both songwriters and PROs – and we are happy to help them navigate the journey."</blockquote><blockquote class="ql-align-right">Isabel Garvey, Abbey Road Studios</blockquote> “Audoo’s solution for improving public performance royalty reporting could have a real impact benefiting both songwriters and PROs – and we are happy to help them navigate the journey,” stated Isabel Garvey, Managing Director at Abbey Road Studios. “With Abbey Road Red, we’re pushing the boundaries of what is possible across the value chain through constructive innovation, and couldn’t be happier to be a part of Audoo’s journey.” Edwards added: <blockquote>"It’s such a privilege and honour to be recognised by an organisation as highly esteemed as Abbey Road Red."</blockquote><blockquote class="ql-align-right">Ryan Edwards, Audoo</blockquote> “We envision a fruitful relationship with Abbey Road Red, and with their assistance, propel the business to new heights.” Full article: <a href="https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/music-technology-start-up-audoo-joins-abbey-road-red-incubator/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/music-technology-start-up-audoo-joins-abbey-road-red-incubator/</a>

UK-based music technology start-up Audoo has joined Abbey Road’s tech start-up incubator Abbey Road Red.

Start-up Audoo joins Abbey Road Red tech incubator

Up until the age of 22, Ryan was a drummer with indie band The Lines. Compared to most musical careers, his was a success. He scored a Top Ten hit with ‘Domino Effect’ in 2007, supported The Charlatans, and opened a gig for The Killers – experiences that most musicians can only dream of. But those moments of adrenalised ecstasy soon came to a crashing halt. Not long after scoring their Top Ten hit, The Lines’ record label dropped them. Simultaneously, other indie bands came powering through. So that was that – Ryan’s band was finished, crushed under the unforgiving weight of the music biz.&nbsp; However, this is a tale of guts and determination, not of woe. Colour and joy did not drain from Ryan’s life when the label sacked him. Nor did he end up sitting at a desk wearing stiff grey suits and eating stale cheese sandwiches for the rest of his career, constantly reminiscing about the time he high-fived Brandon Flowers. Instead, Ryan, who is now 34 years old, dusted himself down and moved on. His gritty high-street door-knocking exercise won him a job at Carphone Warehouse, and he got stuck in, soon rising from raw recruit shop assistant to regional manager.&nbsp; After six years at Carphone Warehouse (“a great business to work for,” he says), Ryan was made redundant. However, he bounced back quickly for the second time, joining mobile-app developer Grapple. Here he learned a new set of entrepreneurial skills under his youthful boss, Al Crane. Before long, FinTech company Monetise bought Grapple, and Ryan absorbed more business and tech knowledge, becoming head of digital for Visa Europe and commercial director of loyalty scheme start-up Bink. Now the twist comes – a twist that would take him full circle back into the music industry, but this time as an entrepreneur. The moment that set it in motion came in a department store’s menswear department.&nbsp; “Two years ago I was walking around the store with my wife,” says Ryan. “Suddenly my song Domino Effect came on over the speakers, which made us laugh. My wife – being the accountant that she is – asked me just how much in royalties I’d get for that single play. I told her it would be peanuts – certainly not enough to buy the Mulberry bag she’d been looking at! But I promised to find out how much.” Ryan logged onto his online royalty account where – theoretically – he’d be able to locate the department store’s playlist and see how much he’d been paid for it. But there was no record of it, so he went on a mission to find out more about how the royalties system works. “What I discovered is that generally speaking, it’s hard for royalties’ organisations – such as PRS For Music and PPL – to keep tabs on who’s played what,” says Ryan. “These are not-for-profit outfits set up to fight for musicians’ rights. They’re not tech savvy businesses; they’re not accountancy firms. They collect money by charging licences. They work out the number of radio plays, and they do stuff like stand in commercial spaces with clipboards listening to what’s coming out of the speakers. They also ask businesses to supply data about what they’ve played, which, unsurprisingly, very few do.” A solution to this knowledge gap struck Ryan. “I immediately thought technology could fix it. A music-recognition app could monitor what’s played, record the time of each play, and report the details to royalties organisations. Then I’d get paid each time a business played Domino Effect, and so would millions of other musicians who currently go unrewarded.” A shiver of excitement ran through the former drummer. Properly executed, this idea could offer justice – and revenue – to fellow musicians. What’s more, it felt like a winner both from a business and technology perspective. There was no time to lose. He went to work, pitching his idea to his ex-boss Greg Gormley, co-founder of Bink. Greg immediately agreed to invest and put Ryan in touch with other potential investors. The embryonic start-up team came together quickly and forged a plan. They’d create a small plug-in device – similar to an Echo Dot – containing a cloud-based music-recognition. The royalties’ organisations would send this device to all commercial businesses when they applied for a new licence to play music in public spaces. The ‘audio meter’ would then ‘capture’ everything played, log it and report back to the royalties’ organisation, providing a perfect picture of what had been played, resulting in the accurate and fair distribution of royalties.&nbsp; “We registered the business in August 2018 and got going lightly,” says Ryan. “But I’d say we really started to accelerate from about January 2019. We built a prototype device to prove that the technology worked and we took it to some of the royalties societies in the UK and US. They showed interest and we took our first order within weeks. Another of societies also sent us a letter of intent saying they want to work with us. Also, a few weeks ago, we got a message from a royalties organisation on the other side of the world. We hadn’t even tried to talk to anybody over there yet.” The early signs are about as encouraging as it gets. Audoo’s list of backers reads like a who’s who of big hitters in the music and tech industries. In addition to Greg Gormley (co-founder of Bink), there’s Luke Heron (co-founder and CEO of Testcard), Tim Davies (chief innovation officer of Co-op), Ed Matthews (MD of Jefferies), Marcus Watson (CEO of Adoreum) and Nigel Elderton (chairman of PRS). Not surprisingly, raising funds has not been difficult. “So far we’ve raised just over £600,000,” says Ryan. “And we are closing out a further £1.2 million funding round, with another round planned for 2020.” Audoo promises huge things. The global music industry is worth $43 billion, and artists are currently paid only 12% of the revenue generated. Indeed, artists and record companies lose $2.7 billion in revenue annually because SME owners (such as cafés, gyms and barber shops) typically stream music from personal accounts instead of buying a commercial-use license. Audoo has the potential to shift a good proportion of that lost revenue to the people who should rightfully get it. “If we can make the music industry fairer and royalty distribution more accurate, our mission will be complete,” says Ryan. These figures are exciting, but there’s another angle to the story too: the lessons Ryan’s journey can teach us. Like so many great entrepreneurial ideas, his was a long time in the making. It was forged in the fires of disappointment and honed by years of grit and hard work. Without experiencing sweet joy and then bitter anti-climax with The Lines, Audoo would never have happened. Its creation and development also depended on Ryan dusting himself down and hammering out a new career with Carphone Warehouse, Grapple and other tech companies. Only after those experiences – collected through positivity and a strong work ethic – was he in a position to receive and act upon the idea that hit him while strolling through a well-know department store. And now the future looks bright. It might just even top the feeling of sharing the stage with The Killers whilst playing in front of 50,000 people…

One minute you’re on stage playing your songs to 50,000 fans, partying with The Killers and rubbing shoulders with your idols. A few weeks later you’re knocking on shop doors in the rain begging for a job, breathing a sigh of relief when the manager of Carphone Warehouse invites you in for a trial. That’s life – and that’s how life was for Ryan Edwards. 

How bitter disappointment led to plans to generate $2.7 billion for the music industry

Audoo Founder & CEO Ryan Edwards speaks to Samantha Simmonds & Karin Giannone on BBC News & BBC News Worldwide.

BBC News : Worklife - November 2019