German collecting society GEMA has acquired a majority stake in music recognition company SoundAware. That company, based in the Netherlands, will continue to operate as a standalone business under the GEMA umbrella.
Collecting societies like GEMA have been expanding their use of music recognition technology over the years to monitor what songs and recordings are played on radio and TV, at clubs and events, and via online platforms. Companies that provide that kind of technology include BMAT, DJ Monitor, Soundmouse, Audoo and, of course, SoundAware.
Confirming its new acquisition, GEMA says: “High quality in usage recognition is crucial for correct usage-based licensing and royalty distribution. GEMA already uses music recognition technology in areas such as TV, discotheques, radio and online. With SoundAware’s MRT, GEMA will be able to further enhance its licensing and distribution processes and expand its service offering”.
The society’s CEO Harald Heker adds: “By investing in a music identification pioneer, we are adding an important key competence to our portfolio: digital music identification. The investment in a future-oriented technology is a decisive step for GEMA on the way to becoming a powerful digital collecting society”.
Meanwhile, SoundAware founder Harold de Groot adds: “GEMA is a global pioneer in the field of copyright management. With our technology, we want to contribute to extending this lead. We are convinced that the potential of our monitoring technology is far from exhausted. With GEMA as a strong partner, we want to develop new digital services for the music industry based on this technology and distribute them internationally”.
