Blokur

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Blokur
Type of site
Music rights
Founded2017
Headquarters
London, England
Area servedWorldwide
FounderPhil Barry
URLblokur.com
CommercialYes
Launched2017 (2017)
Current statusActive

Blokur is a music rights and data platform based in London that provides global music reporting and licensing for digital products and services. The company is an official partner of the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC).[1][2][3]

Overview

Blokur was founded in 2017 by Phil Barry, a former recording artist who was inspired to build a platform that would help address the issue of artists not being paid effectively. The platform uses data engineering and subgraph matching technology to link song recordings with their underlying compositions. That tackles issues related to the misrepresentation of song data, difficulties in reporting music use, and the identification of music licensing coverage.[4]

Blokur released a 2020 Songwriters' Review, a report that calculates the best-performing global songwriters based on their shares in the top-streamed songs. Tones and I topped the chart as the sole writer of her hit song "Dance Monkey".[5][6][7] The second installment of the report, the 2021 Songwriters' Review, was sponsored by The Ivors Academy. That year, Olivia Rodrigo was named the top songwriter following the commercial success of her album Sour.[8][9][10]

Company

Blokur has partnerships with audio delivery companies 7digital and Tuned Global.[11] The company's funders include Innovate UK and Ascension.[12] In 2022, the company began building the copyright hub for IMPEL Collective Management Limited.[13]

On 6 December 2023, The MLC announced its Supplemental Matching Network, which initially consists of five companies (including Blokur) that provide data matching services to complement and enhance The MLC’s existing matching processes.[14]

References

  1. "Mechanical Licensing Collective picks more tech partners - Music Ally". 10 December 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  2. "The MLC Partners With Software And Service Providers On Data Quality Initiative". MusicRow.com. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  3. "Data Programs". www.themlc.com. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  4. "Massive Attack test remix-rights tracking with blockchain startup Blokur". 7 December 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  5. "Tones and I was the world's No.1 songwriter on streaming services last year, says new report". Music Business Worldwide. 5 July 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  6. Moore, Sam (7 July 2021). "Finneas named as world's number one songwriter on Spotify in 2020". NME. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  7. Grogan, Siobhan (19 July 2021). "The rise of Tones and I: how an unknown Australian busker outsold Ed Sheeran". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  8. Taylor, Mark (1 November 2022). "Olivia Rodrigo is the biggest songwriter on the planet, new report from Blokur and The Ivors Academy analysing digital platforms shows". The Ivors Academy. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  9. "Women make up just 15% of top songwriters, new report finds | Complete Music Update". Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  10. "Tones And I, Masked Wolf Among World's Top Songwriters In 2021: Report". The Music Network. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  11. "Partner Integration Features - 7digital". 24 August 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  12. Novac, Dragos. "Blokur raised $1.2M in seed money". Nordic 9. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  13. "Blokur to build a copyright hub for licensing agency IMPEL - Music Ally". 19 December 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  14. "The MLC Unveils New Supplemental Matching Network". TheMLC. 6 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.