<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re operating a radio station, a TV network or coordinating film productions, the process of licensing music is likely going to be built into your organisation\u2019s DNA. These kinds of channels have long, well-established legacies and, all being media-related networks, the knowledge is institutional, agreements are typically long-standing and processes are standardised.<\/p>\n
What about new channels that emerge? How do app builders licence music? Those that make software like games might have some precedent to look at, but what about something a little less commonly connected to the music business, like medical tech?<\/p>\n
During the SXSW Sydney, three experts sat down to discuss this exciting and complex space. The session was moderated by Emmanuella Grace, a singer, speaker, and founder of Find Your Voice<\/a>, a voice and communication consultancy.<\/p>\n Also Read:\u00a0<\/strong>AiThority Interview Featuring: Pranav Nambiar, Senior Vice President of AI\/ML and PaaS at DigitalOcean<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Felicity Baker is a music therapist, professor at the University of Melbourne and Founder of Matchplus.ai,<\/a> a sensor-based AI solution that detects early physiological markers of agitation and delivers personalised music interventions to improve the wellbeing of people living with dementia and other cognitive conditions. With over three decades of experience in dementia care and music therapy, Baker is leading this project at prototype stage to reduce distress, medication reliance and create a more enabling environment for individuals with cognitive decline.<\/p>\n Having successfully secured US $1.3 million (AUD $2 million) from G<\/a>oogle.org<\/a> (the philanthropic arm of Google LLC) to develop scalable technology, Baker has become one of just 15 recipients worldwide from more than 800 applications.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re using wearables to actually develop algorithms that can predict when someone is going to start wandering or is going to get up and have a fall or hit another resident in the nursing home,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got it down to between five and 15 minutes, so a carer or family member can anticipate that something\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Baker said using AI to help preempt when to use music was one thing, but then what order the music should come in, what kind of music and how to be sensitive to the specific symptoms of people with dementia created further challenges they continue to work on.<\/p>\n Simone Dalla Bella, co-director of the BRAMS laboratory at the University of Montreal<\/a> is conducting research focused on rhythm interventions for patients with various disorders, including Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n The interventions include rhythmic serious games such as Beat Workers, and mobile apps such as BeatMove, developed by the start-up BeatHealth<\/a> that Dalla Bella co-founded. For example, BeatMove can adjust music tempo to help Parkinson\u2019s patients walk more effectively.<\/p>\n \u201cImagine that you have music in the background that you chose, and the music is going a bit faster than you, so it motivates you to run a bit faster. But then if you\u2019re tired and you slow down, the music will follow you gently as if you were running or walking with a theoretical partner,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cA clinical trial is currently ongoing in France to test a large group ofpatients with Parkinson\u2019s who basically take the app outside in a park, they use it, and we are seeing beneficial effects of that kind of intervention.\u201d<\/p>\n Music therapy itself is not new, and therapists have been delivering such interventions in one-on-one sessions and small groups for decades. The exciting prospect highlighted during the session was that technology and AI can now enable this at scale and with evidence-based approach.<\/p>\n If more people can gain access to music treatment through technology, there is the potential to decrease medication intake, reduce healthcare costs and improve outcomes. However, scaling these therapies does introduce new considerations and challenges that traditional clinical settings have not had to face.<\/p>\n The prospect of music-powered therapy is rather inspiring and life-affirming. Providing outcomes for patients with debilitating conditions in a non-invasive way is certainly a noble cause for academics and entrepreneurs alike to take up. However, what many might not have considered is how these medical applications acquire and manage music rights.<\/p>\n Virginie Chelles, VP and Global Head of Marketing and Communications for AI-powered music licensing and technology company, Tuned Global<\/a>, described the complexity facing these innovators.<\/p>\n In working with medical technology clients, Chelles highlighted that while founders deeply understand the science and tech behind their products and projects, they often have no knowledge of music industry operations.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen it comes to us, there is a whole new industry, being the music industry which has little or no connection with the medical industry, [which in itself also] has a lot of regulation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n In the medical music space, Tuned Global currently works with MediMusic<\/a>, a UK startup that uses AI to analyse brain responses and select music for anxiety and pain management. Companies like MediMusic are obviously performing powerful and important work, but in cases where they are not up to speed on all of the requirements to correctly licence music, they are adding layers of risk to an already compliance-heavy environment.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re dealing with the legal side of medicine in being able to have it delivered in NHS Hospitals in the UK, and going for trials and all that is involved. There is a lot of paperwork to do there,\u201d Chelles said. \u201cBut then, if they play the wrong track, [a] track that was not licensed, the business is in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n [They would be looking at lawsuits], and they wouldn\u2019t be paying the rights to the right people. There are master rights, there\u2019s publishing rights. [So they think], \u2018How do I do that? How do I find the right tracks?\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Often in these kinds of apps, an AI personalisation solution will drive the selection of tracks that resonate with certain patients, so another challenge for medtech clients in knowing the extent of what other tracks they will need access to. Companies must also consider whether their licenses permit training medical algorithms on music assets.<\/p>\n \u201cThousands of tracks are released every day, and [if you look at what\u2019s being produced] with AI. It\u2019s even more,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cMany companies don\u2019t need millions of tracks. If you work on dementia, just working on a back catalogue, like the catalog that makes sense for these people when they were in their 20s.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us, it helped us to understand what you need to license the right catalog, rather than millions of tracks, because accessing millions of tracks is a lot of money in storage and in processing.\u201d<\/p>\n For medtech companies wanting to leverage music, Chelles was direct about the challenges and decisions they face when they first approach music licensing. A lot of consideration needs to be made about how much music they need, what kind, whether they need commercial music or production music and more.<\/p>\n When MediMusic first engaged Tuned Global, these considerations presented a big challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause licensing music is not a science. It\u2019s not predictable, but we can definitely help,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Elaborating further, Chelles said that companies tended to be more successful when they addressed music licensing early in development rather than treating it as an afterthought.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to take as much time to build the music and the licensing and compliance technology as building your medical device or app or science behind it,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTalk to a music expert early on, it can be us, but it can also be entertainment lawyers or licensing specialists that are going to be able to help from the beginning \u2026 to just understand what it is about.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can also help them to build their business case to pitch to those labels, because this can be quite strategic depending on the label and their current objectives. Making big pitches without understanding them or the broader environment could cost a lot of time and money if they don\u2019t sign you up right away.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing able to demonstrate and communicate value in this industry on the industry\u2019s terms is really important for success, so if you can work with people that have these relationships and can engage with them it\u2019s very helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n Working with an established music technology company can help medtech startups navigate label negotiations. Labels recognise that companies already working with licensing specialists have typically secured funding and understand the commercial requirements.<\/p>\n \u201c[The labels are] like, okay, they are legit, because if Tuned Global can work with them, they already have the funding and they understand what they\u2019re doing,\u201d Chelles said.<\/p>\n Securing licensing agreements is only the first step. Companies then need backend technology to access the actual tracks. Tuned Global maintains 190 million tracks, with the catalog growing daily. Companies must negotiate separately with both master rights holders (the record labels) and publishers who represent musicians and writers.<\/p>\n Tuned Global<\/a> is a leading data-driven cloud and software platform that empowers businesses to integrate commercial music into their apps or launch complete streaming experiences using advanced APIs, real-time analytics, licensing solutions, and customisable white-label apps.<\/p>\n Our turnkey solutions for music, audio, and video \u2014 coupled with a broad ecosystem of third-party music tech integrations \u2014 make us the most comprehensive platform for powering any digital music project. We streamline complexities in licensing, rights management, and content delivery, enabling rapid innovation and bringing new ideas to life.<\/p>\n Since 2011, we\u2019ve supported 40+ companies in 70+ countries \u2014 across telecom, fitness, media, aviation, and more \u2014 to deliver innovative music experiences faster and more cost-effectively. For more information, visit www.tunedglobal.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Also Read:\u00a0<\/strong>The End Of Serendipity: What Happens When AI Predicts Every Choice?<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nSetting the Stage<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Licensing Challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Arrangements and Process<\/strong><\/h3>\n