Blokur
Type of site
Music rights
Headquarters
London, England
Area servedWorldwide
Founder(s)
  • Phil Barry
URLblokur.com
CommercialYes
Launched2017 (2017)
Current statusActive

Blokur is a music rights and data platform based in London which provides global music reporting and licensing for digital products and services. The company is an official partner of the MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective).[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 recording artists not being paid effectively. The platform uses data engineering and sub-graph matching technology to link song recordings with their underlying compositions to tackle issues with misrepresentations of song data, difficulties with reporting on music use and identifying music licensing coverage.[4]

Blokur released a 2020 Songwriters' Review, a report which calculates the best-performing global songwriter based on their shares in the top streamed songs. Tones and I topped the chart due to being the sole writer on her hit song Dance Monkey.[5][6][7] The second instalment of the report, the 2021 Songwriters' Review, was sponsored by The Ivor's Academy. That year, Olivia Rodrigo was announced as 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 working to build the copyright hub for IMPEL Collective Management Limited.[13]

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

References

  1. ^ "Mechanical Licensing Collective picks more tech partners - Music Ally". Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  2. ^ "The MLC Partners With Software And Service Providers On Data Quality Initiative". MusicRow.com. 2020-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  3. ^ "Data Programs". www.themlc.com. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  4. ^ "Massive Attack test remix-rights tracking with blockchain startup Blokur". Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  5. ^ "Tones and I was the world's No.1 songwriter on streaming services last year, says new report". Music Business Worldwide. 2021-07-05. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  6. ^ Moore, Sam (2021-07-07). "Finneas named as world's number one songwriter on Spotify in 2020". NME. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  7. ^ Grogan, Siobhan (2021-07-19). "The rise of Tones and I: how an unknown Australian busker outsold Ed Sheeran". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  8. ^ Taylor, Mark (2022-11-01). "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 2022-12-30.
  9. ^ "Women make up just 15% of top songwriters, new report finds | Complete Music Update". Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  10. ^ "Tones And I, Masked Wolf Among World's Top Songwriters In 2021: Report". The Music Network. 2022-11-02. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  11. ^ "Partner Integration Features - 7digital". 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  12. ^ Novac, Dragos. "Blokur raised $1.2M in seed money". Nordic 9. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  13. ^ "Blokur to build a copyright hub for licensing agency IMPEL - Music Ally". Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  14. ^ Supplemental Matching Network. "Supplemental Matching Network". TheMLC. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
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