Working together to make more music legally available online

Being able to track the right holders of every musical work over the Internet is crucial for ensuring that creators receive fair payment for the online use of their work. The Global Repertoire Database, an ambitious and innovative project embarked on by a range of stakeholders across the music industry, including author societies, will ensure music creators the world over are properly paid for the work they produce.

The Global Repertoire Database will establish – for the first time – a centralised and authoritative data store of who owns the rights on musical works worldwide and how their right holders are paid when they are used online or via mobile services.

Global Repertoire Database – invaluable benefits for musicians and music fans

  • Creators deserve to be paid when their work is used. But that’s hard in today’s increasingly global and digital world where every day a song might be streamed, for example, hundreds or even thousands of times a day. This database makes the complicated possible, accurately consolidating data on each piece of music so the whole supply chain – from online services to actual creator wherever they are –  moves faster and more accurately. Better tracking means more reliable payment for creators.

 

  • The Global Repertoire Database streamlines existing data processing overlaps, ultimately saving money. This margin can then be reinvested back into increasing the licensed use of music.

 

  • The Global Repertoire Database supports the digital single market by cutting down on the administrative barriers to businesses keen to legally distribute online content.

 

Partnerships and innovation

The Global Repertoire Database emerged from a European Commission online commerce roundtable dedicated to the provision of online music services. The roundtable saw author societies PRS for Music, SACEM, GEMA and STIM sit alongside industry players like Amazon, Nokia and iTunes to find the best way to promote the legal distribution of music online.

The roundtable established a dedicated GRD working group, including CISAC, an array of European author societies and a number of industry players, which is now working hard to transform ambition into reality.

When up-and-running, the Global Repertoire Database will transform how rights are managed the world over, bringing countless benefits to musicians and music fans everywhere.