Data

The conference opened with a talk from the International Publishers Association president Karine Pansa about a two-year project focusing on data collection, as well as the need for more accessible books. As Pansa noted, the adoption of digital publishing practices vary wildly. In Japan, for example, digital audiobooks account for 36% of the total revenue of the book market, while they represent less than 1% in other countries with large book markets.

Source: Digital Book World Focuses on Data and Accessibility

The music industry has not shied away from its keenness to adopt Web3 solutions. From nonfungible tokens (NFTs) helping artists connect with their communities, to various blockchain use cases, including event ticketing. Another relevant implementation of the technology to be considered by industry insiders is how Web3 tools can help artists and companies manage music metadata.

Source: Web3 can help artists and companies manage music metadata: B2B music exec

Audio fingerprinting, or music recognition technology (MRT), is an established technology offering that, in recent years, has been developing into new services. Services that present some interesting opportunities for the industry but which I think need very careful consideration. There are many elements to the accuracy of what gets reported by an MRT device. Firstly, did the device really hear all the music that was played and was the fingerprint that was generated an accurate reflection of it?

Source: ‘There is a real need to look behind the marketing hype and truly understand what is being offered.’

DDEX says the ERN 4.3 update adds more functionality and reduces the complexity from earlier ERN versions. As part of the update, DDEX also updated the ERN Choreography for Cloud Based Storage standard which defines how record companies or distributors can securely transmit information to DSPs and caters for non-repudiation requirements to be met. 

Source: DDEX Publishes ERN 4.3 Update & Catalogue Transfer Standard 1.0

The music industry’s much-discussed credits problem has caused musicians to miss out on billions in owed payments. Now, VEVA Sound is partnering with universities to help the next generation of music professionals receive their due recognition and compensation. Nearly 20 institutions have already signed on to the program, including Berklee College of Music, The Blackbird Academy, Fisk University, Middle Tennessee State University, the University of Georgia, and the University of Miami, to name some.

Source: VEVA Sound Is Partnering With Major Music Universities

As part of the one-year exclusive partnership, Session’s Session Studio app will roll out for free to all UBC members, allowing them to capture song and recording data at the point of creation and deliver that data to managers, labels, publishers, CMOs and digital service providers. Session was co-founded by ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus and Swedish songwriters and record-producers Max Martin and Niclas Molinder.

Source: Song data startup Session, co-founded by Max Martin, ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, Niclas Molinder, partners with Brazil collection society UBC

Apple Music has sent word to its label partners and music sector organizations that the company is encouraging the submissions of ISNI metadata as part of its standard workflow procedure. The announcement is excellent news for creators and music industry organizations by helping to ensure that musicians, contributors, record labels, and their music will be unambiguously attributed — while making it easier for Apple Music listeners to find that content than before.

Source: Apple Music Encourages International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) Metadata Submissions by Rights Owners

Music tech company Jaxsta has added a new feature that it says matches works to recordings, allowing users of its database to secure lost royalties, source song licenses and syncs. The so-called work-to-recording data matching technology will provide songwriters, PROs, CMOs, publishers, music supervisors, TV production houses and music lawyers a source to access the right licensing, streamline revenue, and manage works they control, Jaxsta said.

Source: Jaxsta introduces new metadata matching tool for rightsholders

To people who care about literature, data is often seen as a neoliberal bogeyman, the very antithesis of literature and possibly even what’s ruining literature. Plus, people tend to think that data is boring. To be fair, data is sometimes a neoliberal bogeyman, it is sometimes boring, and it may in fact be making literature more boring (more on that to come, too). But that’s precisely why we need to pay attention to it.

Source: Where Is All the Book Data?

PRS claims that “for the first time, metadata attributed to over 2 million works will be published, with plans to release millions more, over the following 12 months.” The new online tool will allow songwriters, composers and music publishers to search and download key data about their works. It will also allow them to highlight any discrepancies.

Source: PRS for Music to launch free portal providing access to songwriter credits and industry identifiers