Licensing

Music is one of the most culturally powerful forces on earth. It anchors memories, shapes identities, moves crowds, ignites movements, defines decades, and travels further and faster than almost any other creative expression. It also underpins nearly every other entertainment and social experience we care about. And yet… commercially and systemically, it is profoundly undervalued.

For decades, sub-publishers formed the backbone of the global music publishing network- local partners handling collections, licensing, and promotion in markets where a publisher lacked direct presence. They were the trusted representatives on the ground, fluent in the local language, culture, and society politics and nuance. But in today’s hyper-connected, digitally-driven industry, consumption has become overwhelmingly global.

There’s never been a better time to be a global music fan. Korean pop groups dominate the Billboard charts. Latin megastars headline the world’s biggest festivals. Afrobeats is on everyone's playlists. A user in Jakarta can stream a Nashville singer-songwriter seconds after their release… music’s reach is truly borderless.

The Major record labels and two of the most prominent generative music platforms, Suno and Udio, have reportedly moved from trading lawsuits to negotiating licenses. These generative AI platforms were(/still are) facing litigation for using copyrighted music to train their models. Now they’re sitting at the table with the very same rights holding companies, working out deals that will both legitimise and monetise their models.