London-based tech company OCL has announced new agreements with Warner Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Beggars Group and Bucks Music among others to assist app developers, content owners and music fans navigate potentially contentious issues like user generated content (UGC).
Following the agreements, OCL’s ‘Totem’ service will enable app developers to access licensed music as they build and beta test their products. Previously app developers had to approach rights holders individually and negotiate access to licensed music before they could develop their product.
Speaking about the agreements, PJ Dulay, SVP, Music, OCL, said: “We are confident that our approach and technology will open up significant new revenue for the music industry. We’ve listened to rights holders and licensees and developed a licensing solution that addresses both their needs. Simplicity is the hardest thing to design and we’re delighted that many rights holders have faith in us."
In an official communication, OCL said it is “in active conversations with additional rights holders, adding new agreements on a weekly basis.”
Rights holders have hailed the agreements as an exciting development.
John Rees, VP, digital strategy & business development, Warner Music, said: “Warner Music is excited to work with OCL’s rights transaction solution, to help facilitate music licensing within the app developer community. The partnership aims to bring innovation and development around music, delivering great new consumer experiences, whilst ensuring rights holders and artists are equitably compensated.”
Simon Wheeler, director digital, Beggars Group added: “We love the idea that we can accelerate the use of high quality licensed music within the app ecosystem via OCL technology. Enabling the massive developer community to use, report and pay for music rights as simply as they buy in servers or bandwidth will be a new area of growth for the music industry and finally remove any arguments for 'launch first and pay for forgiveness later.”
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