The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) is to become a director customer of ICE, the pan-European digital licensing body created by PRS, STIM and GEMA.
The core license agreement means that that ICE will provide a full suite of licensing and administration services for online usage.
“Partnering with ICE directly ensures that IMRO stays at the forefront of the growing digital marketplace at a crucial time,” said IMRO's commercial director for media licensing, Seán Donegan.
“This partnership will expedite the payment of digital royalties to IMRO members, at the most competitive rates possible, thus shortening and simplifying the digital royalty chain. The use of ICE’s cutting-edge business intelligence tools will enhance IMRO's online monitoring, providing additional insight into how often, on what platforms, and in which countries, consumers are enjoying an ever-popular and growing IMRO repertoire”.
ICE's VP of commercial, Ben McEwen welcomed the deal with the Irish collection society, saying it would benefit rights-holders internationally.
“We are very pleased to welcome IMRO as a direct customer for ICE’s core licence,” he said. “It is validation for the expertise and focus we have put into our licensing services, which are enabling our rights-holders to access online income from a broader range of multi-territorial services and for a broader range of territories than ever before.”
Last year ICE announced it has agreed a total of 44 licences, covering all major digital music providers.
By Paul Stokes
