Discover How KUVO Powered by DJ Monitor Is Creating a Fairer Music Rights Ecosystem

A recently overhauled cutting-edge technology is revolutionising the way performance royalties are paid to electronic artists. It’s called KUVO Powered by DJ Monitor and at its core, it’s a music recognition software designed to improve the identification of electronic music being played in clubs and music venues.

Created in partnership between AlphaTheta and DJ Monitor, the technology empowers UK artists and creators by ensuring they are accurately paid for the use of their intellectual property. It offers a groundbreaking opportunity to enhance the music rights industry with reliable data, enabling more precise royalty payments to the creators of the music DJs play.

To understand how KUVO Powered by DJ Monitor works, how it benefits venue and club owners as well as artists, and to learn more about the installation of the technology, we spoke to Frances Shillito, Venue Relations Manager for the UK at KUVO Powered by DJ Monitor.

Read the full interview below to learn more.

What is KUVO Powered by DJ Monitor and how does it work?

“KUVO Powered by DJ Monitor is a partnership service between AlphaTheta and DJ Monitor for club event track identification and provides valuable music insights and incentives to participating venues.

“It brings together the strengths of direct metadata capture (DMC) technology and Music Recognition Technology (MRT)

“Direct Metadata Capture (DMC) is where Track names, artist names, and other metadata are captured when music is played through Pioneer DJ CDJ3000 or CDJ2000 units in a club DJ set-up.

“Music Recognition Technology (MRT) is a process where the audio in a performance is compared to a song reference database to identify which song has been played.

“Our technology works discreetly in the background to automate music play reporting for royalty purposes. It captures only the track data, which is never shared publicly, and captures no details of which DJ played which tracks.”

Why should venue proprietors adopt this new technology? How does it benefit them?

“By deploying our technology, venues can privately access insights (monthly top 50 tracks, artists, labels) on the music played in their establishment, receive extended warranties on their Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000 units, and help the music rights industry to make more accurate payments of royalties to music creators.”

Does KUVO Powered by DJ Monitor only work in clubs/for electronic genres of music?

“This particular service is designed for clubs and venues that run regular DJ events. We can successfully identify any genres played with >100 million tracks in the reference database.”

Who pays the royalties earned through using KUVO Powered by DJ Monitor?

“This is an important question! Venues already pay music licence fees to PRS and PPL. The deployment of this technology does not affect the licence fees you pay as a venue. It provides reporting which can enable PRS and PPL to more accurately and transparently distribute the licence fees, as royalties to the creators of the music DJs play.”

How big of an impact is KUVO Powered by DJ Monitor expected to have on artists both upcoming and emerging? And what steps, if any, do artists need to take to ensure they can benefit from KUVO?

“It could have a huge positive impact for both emerging and established artists/music creators as we expand our deployments across the UK and beyond. We are also running pilots in the Netherlands and Australia and intend to expand into broader global territories once we have demonstrated success in these pilot countries.

“Over £300 million is generated globally in music rights royalties from clubs and DJ events each year. Providing accurate reporting for music rights royalty organisations helps ensure this money makes its way as royalties to the creators of the music played. This helps support artist development and nurtures new creator talent within electronic music and beyond.

“Artists who release music and get plays in clubs should ensure that they join the relevant music rights royalty organisations in the country they live in – for example, PRS and PPL in the UK.”

Can the technology be taken advantage of? What measures are in place to prevent artists or venues from exploiting KUVO Powered by DJ Monitor to boost their gains?

“There is no way to take advantage of the technology. It just identifies what is being played. If a DJ decided to change what they play to only include music they have composed all the time at every gig, solely to increase the royalties they might receive, I suspect they may not continue to get so many bookings!”

Will venues or artists have to pay any fees to use or get registered with KUVO Powered by DJ Monitor?

“No, it is completely free for venues to register and participate, and it does not affect the licence fees. Likewise, the service does not require artists or DJs to register.

“This is a positive, artist/creator-supporting initiative that provides insights and benefits for venues that participate, and it creates no negative impact or inconvenience for DJs. It enables DJs to support the creators by simply playing their favourite music.”

How can venue proprietors get in touch to learn more about KUVO Powered by DJ Monitor and to have it installed?

Please reach out to me directly by emailing frances@djmonitor.com