Following its launch at industry conference Midem earlier this year, the new database technology CatCo is now available to all UK record companies. CatCo is an electronic means for record companies to send their rights registrations to copyright groups PPL and MCPS. The new database package means record companies will only have to submit data once, and the same data can be inputted into the national discography database that is jointly owned by the recording and publishing industries.
Clive Bishop, director of the company that created CatCo told reporters last week: “CatCo has made significant progress since the launch, with around 40% of the industry’s sound recording data being sent pre-release to us. The manual process is being phased out and we now need the rest of the PPL members on board.”
Martin Mills, chairman of Beggars Group added: “Replacing the existing manual process with an electronic one brings many benefits of cost and efficiency, especially to the independents who can access it through the AIM labeldata software. This is a forward thinking project as well as an essential one, and a crucial central resource to facilitate the future business of rights owners as the digital age becomes reality.”
Rob Dickins, chairman of Instant Karma Records said: “The future of our business will be tied up with our ability to manage our catalogues not just individually but as a whole industry. CatCo is a brilliantly managed database and extremely comprehensive but its genius is in its simplicity of use. If CatCo did not exist we would need to invent it.”