Global Repertoire Database makes strong progress with plans for 2013 well underway
Progress on the creation of a Global Repertoire Database (GRD) has moved ahead strongly over the past 12 months with the completion of the Scoping Study and the commencement of the Requirements and Design Phase. 2013 will mark some important milestones in the realisation of the project.
The scope of the GRD is to provide, for the first time, a single, comprehensive and authoritative representation of the global ownership and control of musical works. Once deployed the GRD will save extensive costs, currently lost to duplication in data processing.
Delivery of the project is driven by the GRD Working Group. This consists of representatives from 14 organisations of creators, publishers, collective management societies, digital service providers and their trade associations1. In all, nearly 30 companies represented by nearly 100 individuals are directly involved in the work worldwide.
ICMP and its music publisher members around the world are committed to the development of the Global Repertoire Database which will benefit all those who have a stake in improved music licensing processes including creators, music publishers, collecting societies, music suppliers and fans of music everywhere. Indeed, it is impossible to argue against the benefits of the GRD for the wider community and all of us involved are working together to deliver something that will be a game-changer for the industry.
The GRD marks a crucial initiative in improving the operational efficiency of the whole licensing process for musical works for all stakeholders and will help ensure that creators of music are quickly and efficiently compensated for their work.
Thirteen collective management societies for music are supporting the project with funding, knowledge and access to their databases. The project is managed by Deloitte with support from ICE and FastTrack as technology solution providers.
Authors’ societies recognise that collaborative projects such as the GRD are an important tool in the online world for the administration of the intellectual property rights of the creators and the publishers who make up their membership. The GRD will benefit from the significant expertise and experience that societies have gained in the management of copyright data and an impressive number of societies are prepared to support this ambitious project.
A series of distinct project phases have been completed thus far and the period since March 2012 has been spent ensuring that all parties are comfortable with the way forward and putting the necessary structures in place.
Work on the Requirements and Design phase of the project began in October 2012 and will run until May 2013. During this project phase, focus will be on the business requirements and rules of the database including a definition of standards for works, agreements and repertoire mandates as well as definition of the GRD logical data model.
As a digital music service provider we fully support the activities of the GRD because a fully functional GRD will make it easier to operate in the online music world, reduce barriers to entry and thus enable a growing and viable digital music market to the benefit of all stakeholders and most importantly consumers.
The Global Repertoire Database is the building block for the future success of the legal online music market. PRS for Music has supported the project from the outset and we are committed to making the initiative work for the benefit of rights holders and rights users globally.
GRD will be set up as a legal entity during this project phase, the business plan will be completed and the logical technology architecture for the system will be defined. In mid-2013, the project will move into the technology build, with a first release of the database due in 2015.
1 APRA, GEMA, PRS for Music, SACEM, STIM, CISAC, Sony/ATV/EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, ICMP, ECSA, Google, iTunes and Omnifone.
2 APRA (Australia), ASCAP (US), BMI (US), BUMA (Netherlands), GEMA (Germany), PRS for Music (UK), STIM (Sweden), SACEM (France), SOCAN (Canada), SABAM (Belgium), SGAE (Spain), SIAE (Italy) and UBC (Brazil).
Notes to editors:
Global Repertoire Database (http://globalrepertoiredatabase.com/) is a project to provide, for the first time, a single, comprehensive and authoritative representation of the global ownership and control of musical works. Once deployed the GRD will save extensive costs currently lost to duplication in data processing. The project is supported by the global creator, music publisher, music collective management society and digital music service provider communities.
Contacts:
For Australia and Asia: Kirti Jacobs (kjacobs@apra.com.au)
For France: Catherine Boissière (catherine.bloyssyiere@sacem.fr)
For Germany: Katharina Reindlmeier (kreindlmeier@gema.de)
For US and South America: Lauren Iosa (liossa@ascap.com)
For Sweden: Karin Jihde (karin.jihde@stim.se)
For UK and rest of world: Barney Hooper (barney.hooper@prsformusic.com)
Deloitte: In this press release, references to Deloitte are references to Deloitte LLP, which is among the country's leading professional services firms. Deloitte LLP is the United Kingdom member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (“DTTL”), a UK private company limited by guarantee, whose member firms are legally separate and independent entities. Please see http://www.deloitte.co.uk/ about for a detailed description of the legal structure of DTTL and its member firms. Member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. Contact: Laura Parsons (lauparsons@deloitte.co.uk)
ICE (http://www.iceservices.eu) is a world-class service centre for the global management of copyright. It offers a professional, trustworthy and efficient service that enables music societies to manage copyright and helps organisations, music societies and interested parties adapt to the challenges they face in today’s ever-changing rights management business. Contract: Carsten Drachman (karsten.drachmann@iceservices.eu).
FastTrack (http://www.fasttrackdcn.net) is a global technical alliance among 12 Music Copyright Shareholder societies in 11 different countries. It was founded in 2000 in order to build a global, decentralised network that allows its shareholder societies to share data on copyright documentation for musical and audio-visual works, and to streamline internal operations. FastTrack is also the technology provider for CIS-Net and ISWC-Net networks, now serving 100+ Collective Rights Management Organisations around the world.
Contact: Chris van Houten (chris.vanhouten@fasttrackdcn.net) or Annick Duflos (annick.duflos@fasttrackdcn.net).
The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going to press.
About PRS for Music
PRS for Music is a world-leading music collective management organisation representing the rights of more than 165,000 talented songwriters, composers and music publishers around the globe. Headquartered in the UK, it works diligently on behalf of its members to grow and protect the value of their rights. With a focus on innovation and integrity, PRS for Music is redefining the global standard for music royalties to ensure creators are paid whenever their musical compositions and songs are streamed, downloaded, broadcast, performed and played in public. In 2022, PRS for Music collected £964m and paid out £836.2m in royalties. prsformusic.com
