We’re excited to have launched our registration and account also to independent bands, self-published artists and DIY songwriters.

Join us now for free and register your music quickly – we are currently looking for more music to offer our broadcasters!

Do you know if your music is broadcasted in public spaces in Europe? Where do those royalties go?

We want to clear that up for you and make a direct connection between you and the royalties from your music used in European territories. You’ll be inserted in our catalog available to over 2,200 retail establishments (and growing). You’ll know how much you are earning, when you will be paid, and where your music is playing.

Royalty collection does not have to be unclear and untraceable.

Use your dashboard to see analytical data concerning your earnings.

Want to know exactly where your music is playing? 

We’ll even give you the street addresses.

Would you like to know how many times each song gets played, and where?

There it is, playcount by song, by channel.

How about having a faster, more direct process to collecting your foreign royalties? 

Done. We’ll collect your royalties in the European territories and send them directly to you, no matter where you live.

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Soundreef, avant-garde music management company in Europe, is looking for musicians worldwide to insert into their catalog due to client demand. Soundreef specializes in background music for retail chains – an unexplored source of income & promotion for many musicians.

They are an alternative to performance rights organizations & collecting societies such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SIAE, SACEM, GEMA & more for background music licenses used in Europe.

The agreement is non-exclusive so you can be a part of ASCAP/BMI/SESAC, etc. and still sign up with Soundreef.

Musicians collect their royalties every 6 months and get their dashboard online where they can see where their music is playing, how much they are earning, and when they will be paid. All earnings are distributed analytically along excel reports with relevant data – no market sampling!

Sign up for the chance to be broadcasted in over 2,200 points with more than 17.8 million in-store monthly radio listeners.

Use these apps for songwriting  – to organize, remember and develop your words:

1) Evernote

Photo Credit: @philcampbell

A life saver in so many ways. With a ton of intuitive features that can help you make sense of your daily life, such as task lists and tags, this app is a must-have for any songwriter on the go. It’s a note-taking app on steroids that automatically syncs to your Evernote web account so you can organize your lyrics (and life). You can even make audio recordings and post pictures on your account. Next time you’re waiting in line and come up with a brilliant line, whip out your iPhone and document it (no promise on that you’ll remember what you were thinking when you re-read it later though)

2) Soundhound

Similar to Shazaam – the music finder app. Ever listen to the radio and hear a great melody or lyric that you just need to revisit, but don’t know the artist & song name? No more worries. Just tap soundhound and hold it up to the speaker while the song is playing to find out all the information you need on that particular song. You can even view the lyrics (if available) through the app.

3) Tap That

This is a great tool for songwriting and music creation. Have you ever come up with a great melody or rhythm, but can’t figure out how to identify the tempo? Or maybe you’re hearing a song and want to create something with a similar mood – it starts with tempo right? Tap That is an app that lets you tap out a tempo using your iPhone screen. It’s a quite accurate and it will calculate the BPM based on your tap rhythm. Simple, but essential to a songwriter’s arsenal.

4) FreeStyle

Freestyle is a writing, recording and sharing tool for poets, emcees and songwriters. You can record vocals, write down song lyrics, share things and even find that perfect rhyme. The app contains Schimer’s Complete Rhyming Dictionary which is an industry standard that contains over 96,000 rhymes! For the rappers out there, the app also contains some stock beats you can use to well… freestyle over.

5) iMaschine

Great app for songwriters & music producers. iMaschine is described as a sketchpad for musicians. If you’ve seen the Native Instruments Maschine music production studio, you’re familiar with the set up. You can create your own beats, melodies and rhythm lines easily by tapping it out on your iPhone or iPad. You can record, edit, and share your beats. If you’re an emcee or singer, sketch out a beat idea before you get in the studio. If you’re a singer/songwriter, add some accompaniment while you’re writing that next song. Definitely a great aide for a songwriter’s creative process.

If you’re a singer, songwriter, musician, emcee or producer, the above apps will become an essential part of your music creation arsenal. Download them now and try to implement them into your existing workflow. If you’ve got your own great songwriting apps not mentioned here, feel free to share them in the comments below.

And now, go make some music!

About The Author: Omar Zulfi is a music artist, producer and songwriter with PhatBootyEnt.com. He often writes tutorials and blog posts about building a career in the music business. To download his new Free Guide called “How to Become a Rapper or Singer: The Ultimate Guide,” click here.

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These are the ingredients of the new-age Collecting Society

“We need a European digital Single Market that works for creators, consumers and service providers”

(Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier)

Photo credit:@harshlight

The European Commission gathered Wednesday, 11th of July, to discuss the modernization of the royalty industry. They since published the new directive, reinforcing that the collecting societies have to provide transparency , pay right holders on time, and need to realize they are no longer a monopoly.

New digital technologies have no technical restrictive borders: it’s time for National European Collecting Societies to update and catch up.

The reasons and the need for change are quite evident to the general public, musicians and consumers:

• Several scandals on collected royalties lost after poor investment policies and internal corruption.
• The uncertainty, lack of clarity and unfairness of how royalties are collected, calculated and distributed.
• The slow speed in which royalties are paid (sometimes up to 3 years after collection).

The Modernization of Collecting Societies

The directive aims to create transparency and improve governance  by giving right holders control over their works and establishing clearer reporting requirements on behalf of the collecting societies. It also facilitates cross-territorial and poly-repertoire licensing of author’s rights for uses online. This means:

• Right holders can chose the collecting society that is most efficient / convenient (no monopoly)
• Right holders will be paid out much quicker (no more than 12 months after collection)
• Collecting Societies will have to report revenue streams and payment details with transparency
• Collecting Societies will provide an annual transparency report to stakeholders (this includes other societies)
• A mechanism for the resolution of disputes between collecting societies and right holders
• One open market across all European territories

Been there, Done that

The goals discussed not entirely new, in reality.

This is just dotting the i’s of the 2008 European Commission Decision that requires the collecting societies that are members of the CISAC, such as SIAE, SGAE and others, to abolish the membership clause that prevents an author from choosing or moving to another collecting society (this means they can choose their society) and the territorial restrictions that prevent a collecting society from offering licenses to commercial users outside their domestic territory. (music users can choose who to get license from)

Does it work?

There’s a lot of catching up for conventional National Collecting Societies.

Soundreef, however,  already follows the “modernized” method, with over 2 years of experience in the field, they are the true pioneers of technological, cross-territorial and segmented copyright management in Europe.

Thanks to the European Commission’s 2008 decision, they gather and distribute royalties to respective right holders  for background music in retail chains in Italy, Spain, France, UK and Sweden.

“There is a 6 billion Euro industry to modernize and now there is finally the opportunity to create a completely new infrastructure that can help manage royalties more efficiently, analytically and transparently.” Davide d’Atri, President of Soundreef.

Through the use of technology and transparent management, Soundreef offers both right holders AND consumers a progressive, cost-effective and personalized alternative to their National Collecting Societies such as SIAE.

What are their results so far?

• 18 million store visitors are exposed to Soundreef radios every month.
• Over 200k hours of music delivered.
•  Musicians now have access to full traceable reports and get paid every 6 months.
• One of the top right holders earned  45,000 Euro in the last semester.

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 Right Holder, Musician, Band, Songwritter, Label ?

Major objective for this position:

This web designer position requires designing web applications & user interfaces. The ideal candidate will be able to design user friendly designs that can be easily implemented by developers for enterprise business application development projects.

Sub objective:

As the web application designer, duties will include:
• Designing application mockups and styles
• Working with developers on implementing your design into the application

We prefer the candidate to be based in Rome but there is also the possibility to work in our London office.

Skills and experience:
The usual web design software plus understanding of HTML and CSS

Company Description
Soundreef is the most progressive and efficient music rights management company in Europe. In one simple package, your alternative to music copyright collection societies such as GEMA, BUMA/STEMRA, STIM, SIAE, SGAE and TONO.

We specialize in background music for retail chains (electronics, clothing, furniture, etc.), supermarkets, malls, restaurants, and more. We gather and distribute royalties to respective authors, editors and labels for the music played on our in-store radio channels.

Send us your CV and portfolio . Click here

How did I never hear about this?

In the U.S, musicians are used to having a free market concerning the collection of royalties. However, for decades, many European countries could only rely on their national society.This changed in 2008, when the European Commission passed an antitrust decision, essentially jail-breaking the artists’ options regarding who they choose to represent and collect their royalties. This decision, in simplest terms, incorporates two fundamental elements that give musicians the power to take control of their own works and money. The decision requires the collecting societies that are members of the CISAC, such as SIAE, SGAE and others, to abolish:

• “The membership clause… that prevents an author from choosing or moving to another collecting society.” (this means you can choose your society)

• “Territorial restrictions that prevent a collecting society from offering licenses to commercial users outside their domestic territory.” (music users can choose who to get license from) (source)

Ah yes, legal-speak for: Musicians have gained control of who manages their work & where… Thank you European Commission.

… Unfortunately though, the complexity and thus lack of word-of-mouth has left these significant changes in the music industry widely undiscovered. (Let’s change that – use the share buttons below !)

So how does this work? I can be with both Soundreef AND my local collecting society?

Short answer: yes.

Medium answer: as long as you do the correct paperwork and establish who takes care of WHICH types of rights for WHICH territories.
An artist can work with more than one society, as long as the two societies collect different types of territories and/or rights – such as, using one society for concert royalties and another for public performance of registered works – or one society for USA and another for Europe.

And how will these societies know how and where they have to work for me?

Simply let us know…

For example, in Italy, to establish the limits of mandate that SIAE holds over your works (considering that you are currently a registered member), you would have to let them know which works and which territories you want them to stop collecting royalties for. You can do this by using the form that SIAE has published in their own website here. So to appoint Soundreef to collect your royalties for background music use, you would simply inform SIAE that they should stop managing your royalties for background music in the European Union.

Of course we make this process even clearer by compiling the letter for you, online, once you register with us. You’re welcome boss.

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Main ways that royalties are collected and distributed

For example, because Soundreef supplies the users of music with technologies that allow us to track what is actually played, we have the playlist data needed to accurately and fairly divide royalties among our members.

For example, let’s say a Bob’s Store pays his local PRO a blanket license for the right to play music to create a nice environment for his clients. He then fills his iPod with thousands of tracks to play in his store. Because the PRO in this example does not have a way to accurately track what Bob has in his iPod or how many times he plays each song, they must resort to sampling. In layman’s terms, this PRO will request some information from a small sample of the market regarding playlists and scheduling and then plug that into a formula that the PRO’s board deems fair. This formula tells them how to split the royalties among its members.

Clearly, this strategy can become a problem particularly for non-mainstream musicians, who although may have a strong niche, local or cult following, may get overlooked by the PRO’s sampling and/or chosen formula. Some will get what they actually deserve, some might get more, some will get less, and some won’t get any at all. Why?
Because the PRO does not have (or doesn’t want to have) the capability to calculate royalty distribution accurately.

International Royalty Collection :
The Unclear Travel Path of Royalties from Country To Country

When you consider the problems and inefficiencies that many PROs unfortunately already suffer from thanks to sampling and administration, the mental map of the travels your international royalties make is even scarier.
Not only was there already an uncertainty in the way the initial calculation was made, but now it is also passed through another set of hands … So this brings forth the question… Do you know where your foreign royalties are?

Time for Improvement

By now we are all accustomed to using technology and internet tools to improve our efficiency and reach precision. But a lot of these technologies didn’t exist at the time when many procedures or business models were born.
Sampling as a means of royalty distribution calculation is not purposefully evil, it’s just outdated. The reason the PROs sample a small part of the market and not all or even most of the “users”, is that it would be immensely inefficient and costly.
And costly processes means the need for higher fees, and higher fees means less bottom line, and…well, you see where I’m going with this.
So the answer is new processes and the exploitation of technologies at our disposal for a more efficient, analytical and fair distribution.
This is why we commit to not only applying the software we developed to change the way the industry works, but also to continuously evolve and implement the latest technologies available.

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Types of Music Licenses

We’ve created a quick glossary of music licenses for newbies and curious musicians.

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Master Recording License.

This type of license gives the license holder the right to use a recording that someone else made. The master license is obtained from the rights holder (usually record label or artist) for each song that wants to be used for the project. The difference between a master license and a sync license is that the sync permits the license holder to re-record the song for a specific project, for example a video cover a famous song, while the master permits using a pre-existing record, therefore the voice of the original singer. One example of Master Recording License is the use of compositions in an original compilation CD such as “20 best rock songs of 2012.”

Performance License.

The performance license includes music used at live performances, clubs, business establishments, multimedia presentations, music used in a meetings and conventions, or simply played through a CD for the benefits of the people listening to it. A performance license gives permission to use an artist’s musical creation by paying royalties for publishing rights to songwriters, composers and/or publishers for each track. Performance Licenses are not just for concerts – for example, business establishments that wish to play background music in in their stores usually obtain performance licenses for the right to do so. If the songwriter is a member of a performing rights organization agency, like Soundreef, BMI, ASCAP, or PRS, the collecting society will keep track of performances of the songwriter’s material, collect royalties, and transfer earnings on to the songwriter.

Synchronization License.

It is one of the most used licenses in the market. It ties the copyright owner and the licensee, granting permission to use a song and “sync” it with a visual media. Synchronization licenses are usually used in television shows, movies, commercials and other videos. Licenses are many times granted by the composer. Fees may vary according to:

(a) How the song is used, e.g. background music, theme song

(b) Where it will be played e.g. TV network, local channel

(c) How many people will hear it: e.g. at regular sporting event, Super Bowl

(d) Type of media using the song e.g. independent film, Hollywood movie

(e) Song writer name and experience

(f) When royalties are collected, publishers and songwriters generally split the payment that comes directly from collecting societies in a 50:50 proportion.

Mechanical License.

This type of license is paid every time a copy of a song is made, for example for every CD produced. The music publisher or songwriter usually have control over the mechanical licenses. This type of license is a formal agreement with the copyright holder, the publisher or the songwriter allowing the holder to reproduce the sound of a recording. An artist that does not write his own songs and is recording a cover version will need a mechanical license. For this type of license, royalties goes to the songwriter, however in some cases the payments are divided with the band, the label and the publishers. This license is relevant to sound recordings and not videos. Typical payments for this type of license are within the range of 0.20 € to 0,50 € per song.

Print License.

This license is obtained to copy or reprint lyrics of sheet music for a song that someone else wrote for personal use or reproduction. The royalties are paid to the composer or author of the song for the right to print the work. The Print License is required for every song copied or used by a third party. This type of license can be necessary to create a music book or a song sheet. The price of Print Licenses is negotiated on a case-by-case basis between the copyright holder and the licensee, thus there is no set price range.

So What is a Blanket License?

Performing rights organizations and collecting societies offer blanket licenses that allow a licensee to have access to a portion or complete repertoire of songs for a flat annual fee. The licensee (client) can be for example, a radio station or a shopping center that wants to play background music. From the Licensee’s point of view, it is less time-consuming than other options because it enables them to avoid clearing each song’s right with the relative copyright owner. These blanket licenses allow the system to flow smoothly and efficiently while minimizing unnecessary administrative time waste. To distribute the money collected from the fees paid by the licensees, performance rights groups track the executions of the songs through a mix of digital tracking, direct reporting and sampling. This system does not always permit accurate tracking and some plays aren’t evaluated by the collecting society’s tracking system. Other companies offer a digital tracking system that allow an analytical count of the plays for each song, giving the certainty to the right holder of being paid the correct amount.

Hai una radio in-store per i tuoi punti di vendita?

Soundreef ti offre la possibilità di un’assistenza rapida ed efficiente, lavorando direttamente con la tua radio in-store.

Noi forniamo dei contenuti musicali e le licenze per diffusione nei tuoi esercizi, così come la SIAE, direttamente alla tua radio in-store – con la garanzia di alta qualità e convenienza.

Dopo la nostra quotazione e la nostra consulenza gratuita, si stipula un contratto e si comincia a lavorare subito con la tua radio in-store per fornirti dei contenuti più adeguati alle vostre esigenze di marketing.

Sei una radio in-store?

Con Soundreef, hai accesso a un catalogo con oltre 150,000 canzoni, dal quale, lavorando insieme, scegliamo i brani da utilizzare nei  programmi di radio personalizzata. Tutto esente dalle licenze SIAE e SCF. Inoltre, puoi gestire il tuo account e catalogo musicale 24/24 online.

Lavoriamo insieme…

• La radio in-store sceglie i brani dal nostro catalogo o possiamo proporre noi delle nostre selezioni
• I brani selezionati in accordo con le esigenze artistiche della radio in-store e dei clienti saranno consegnati attraverso  ftp, link via email o su una chiavetta USB / Hard Drive
• I brani saranno catalogati per genere, mood, tempo
• La radio in-store prepara il palinsesto ed aggiunge i programmi di promozione e di pubblicità personalizzata per i clienti
• La radio in-store ci invia – preferibilmente ogni mese o trimestre – i log dei brani suonati in modo che Soundreef sia in grado di pagare correttamente ed in maniera analitica gli aventi diritto

…Ci avvaliamo di una sinergia collaborativa per offrirti dei palinsesti su misura.

I Music Talk di Promuovere Musica avranno l’aspetto di una videoconferenza online a due totalmente aperta al pubblico grazie alla presenza di un back-channel che ti consentirà di fare domande, proporre un thread sull’argomento, in modo da evitare la separazione tra te e l’ospite, favorire il tuo coinvolgimento  durante l’evento.

Alcuni temi principali:

• Le carenze della Siae sotto l’aspetto organizzativo e le azioni dimostrative per migliorare il sistema di ripartizione dei proventi
• Le esigenze odierne dei musicisti indipendenti e degli artisti in generale che hanno motivato la necessità di realizzare un servizio come Soundreef
• Modelli di business musicale

Save the date! Vi aspettiamo!