Untapped Potential

100,000+ recordings released and 10,000+ songs registered per day. Is this an opportunity, or a data nightmare?

Photo by Michel Didier Joomun

Music publishing is the secretive cornerstone of the global music business- quietly but powerfully shaping how creators are paid when their work is used. I've been writing about it somewhat sporadically since 2021, but as the world moves deeper into the digital era the systems that underpin publishing are being stress-tested in new ways. This is both a challenge, and a turning point. Innovation in publishing doesn’t just make things more efficient- it's about unlocking new value.

The potential promised in the digital era still has more upside to be captured. If we embrace forward thinking tooling, standards, and innovation we can bring more money, transparency, and opportunity into the hands of creators than ever before.

A rapidly expanding landscape

It’s no joke that digital music consumption has exploded over the past decade. Music has always been woven into every thread of our lives. In the era of digital ubiquity this has only become more prevalent- streaming, social platforms, video content, gaming, apps… This comes enormous growth. More plays, more users, more territories, more micro-licensing opportunities.

We should be in a golden era for songwriters and rights holders. Every stream, sync, and snippet is a monetisable event. But to truly capture that value, the industry infrastructure needs to evolve in step with this digitization. The digital era has reshaped how music is discovered and consumed; that same level of dynamism and sophistication is required of our systems to make the most of the new world order this transformation has ushered in.

Why this matters now

Innovation in publishing isn’t about chasing buzzwords (I haven’t sat through a blockchain seminar in a while…). It’s about making sure creators are accurately credited, fairly paid, and empowered to make better decisions about their rights. That’s good for everyone in the value chain- writers, publishers, platforms, and other sectors of the wider industry.

Here’s some opportunities I’ve seen from my decade in publishing:

• smarter data = more revenue: When rights metadata is clean, complete, and critically open and available, it becomes easier to track and claim royalties accurately. Fewer missed payments, faster accounting, and more revenue flowing to the right parties.

• automation = scale and speed: By automating rights management tasks- from ingestion to royalty reconciliation- teams are freed up to focus on strategy and support, not spreadsheets. This creates scalability that can match the pace of global digital consumption.

• visibility = trust and empowerment: Providing creators with not only real-time insights, but tools to see and correct data issues doesn’t just build trust- it gives them agency. It makes publishing feel less like a mysterious black box and more like a collaborative partnership.

• new platforms = new licensing models: The rise of user-generated content, short-form video, and immersive environments presents new licensing frontiers (let’s not mention NFTs). By developing flexible, tech-enabled licensing frameworks, publishers can tap into revenue streams that didn’t even exist a few years ago.

The case for investment in innovation

This isn’t about replacing the fundamentals of publishing- it’s about supercharging them. The core mission remains the same: protect and monetise song rights. But the methods can, and should, evolve. That means investing in technology, collaborating on data standards, and supporting startups and teams building new infrastructure for our digital-first world.

It’s a challenge for the collective management system to invest- that’s other’s money they’re spending. However, I’d argue more could (and should) be collected and attributed via a rebalancing of investment levels. Most CMOs are not for profit- but a persistent ‘race to the bottom’ to lower commission levels should be carefully balanced with ensuring systems are future proofed, and legacy systems replaced.

Forward-thinking publishers and PROs are already making moves: cloud-based systems (... bananas that this is even worthy of note in this day and age!), partnering with data platforms, recognition services and startups to improve attribution. These steps may seem small individually, but together they represent a shift toward a more agile, creator-centric ecosystem- something we should all be encouraging.

A better ecosystem benefits everyone

Innovation isn’t just about streamlining operations—it’s about creating a healthier, more transparent industry. When creators can trust the system, when royalties arrive efficiently, predictably and accurately, when data is no longer a liability but an asset- that’s when publishing can begin to fulfil its full potential.

The upside is enormous. Better infrastructure means more efficient royalty capture. Smarter licensing means unlocking new revenue. Improved transparency means stronger relationships between rights holders, creators and the revenue collection chain. These aren’t small wins- they’re compounding advantages.

Looking ahead

The opportunity is here. The tools are emerging. The mindset is shifting. The question now is: how do we accelerate?

The future of music publishing isn’t just digital- it needs to be intelligent, responsive, and fair by design. And getting there isn’t just a matter of fixing what’s broken- it’s about building what’s possible but not yet realised.

If music is becoming more global, real-time, and connected- shouldn’t the systems that power it be the same?