KUVO powered by DJ Monitor brings fair royalties for electronic music creators

AlphaTheta Corporation (former company name, Pioneer DJ Corporation) has announced significant progress with its KUVO powered by DJ Monitor initiative to help electronic music creators get paid.

Nightclubs globally pay over €400 million each year to Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) for music rights so DJs and artists can play music at their events.

If setlists are not submitted, CMOs don’t know what music has been played. Incomplete information can lead to significant delays to creators being paid for the use of their music, and in some cases not being paid at all.

This is about to change. With ongoing successful service pilots for PRS for Music & PPL in the UK, BUMA in the Netherlands, and APRA AMCOS/PPCA in Australia, the KUVO powered by DJ Monitor service has demonstrated unparalleled technology for identifying the music played in clubs to enable more accurate royalty payments for electronic music creators and rightsholders.

The service enables DJs to support music creators by simply playing their tracks. And importantly, it respects DJ setlist privacy, as no details of who played which songs are captured by the technology, and no playlists are publicised.

Why DJs and producers are on board:

“The KUVO powered by DJ Monitor project and logging tracklists is so important to supporting artists and keeping the scene alive,” said Jaguar (DJ). “Not enough DJs and artists are aware of the benefits of logging tracklists. This is something I’m passionate about - artists deserve to get paid for their work, for that sick techno tune played in a club, for that ear-wormy remix heard at a festival! In a world where it’s increasingly difficult to make money off music and the arts, I think KUVO could be a game-changer for helping artists be more sustainable. Let’s get it in every club!!”

Boris Brejcha (DJ/producer) added: “This technology aims to support electronic music creators, so it gets my full support. I play only my tracks at shows, but I know my music is also played by many other DJs in clubs all over the world, so I welcome this progress towards automated reporting for royalty purposes.”

“I’m a keen supporter of tech that helps DJs to support the producers making the music we spin and depend on,” commented Dave Seaman (DJ/producer). “It’s the lifeblood of the scene, but getting increasingly harder to earn a living from. It’s good to see AlphaTheta making this process much more operable. Hopefully, we’ll now see more clubs adopt this technology and ensure producers get the remuneration they deserve.”

Alan Fitzpatrick (DJ/Producer) said: "I'd love to see this technology deployed in more clubs to help support the producers of the music DJs play."“It’s great to know that by DJing, we can contribute to music creators getting their royalties. It’s a simple way to appreciate the artists who make our sets possible,” added Sirus Hood (DJ/producer).

Venues also benefit by using KUVO powered by DJ Monitor in the form of music insights and extended warranties on their CDJ-3000 units. There is no cost for venues to participate and it does not affect the license fees they pay to CMOs for music.

James Newmarch, FOLD, Technical Manager (UK Venue) commented: “KUVO powered by DJ Monitor has been really useful for us at FOLD. KUVO Care has been extremely important in keeping our fleet of CDJ-3000 units operational due to the harsh environment they are used in. Without this, we would have faced huge repair bills which would have been very challenging for the venue. The analytics and insights into popular tracks and artists is also very interesting and allows us to let certain artists know when their tracks are being played often in the club.”

“We are strong supporters of ensuring the fees we pay for music use are distributed more accurately to the electronic music creators who actually get played in our venues,” commented Sophie Kollmorgen, Home The Venue and ARQ By Home (Australia Venue). “KUVO powered by DJ Monitor is an important step in addressing this problem and we encourage other venues to get involved to support our community.”

Jasper Löwik, Founder, The Other Side (Amsterdam NL Venue) said: “At The Other Side, we believe music drives our community. Supporting initiatives like KUVO powered by DJ Monitor ensure the artists behind the tracks we enjoy are paid fairly. By adopting technology that respects privacy and supports creators, we can help build a more sustainable future for electronic music.”

The industry has previously struggled to find an effective and scalable solution to ensure that the money from license fees which clubs already pay to Collection Societies/CMOs for music use actually goes to the right artists and rights holders. Now there is a proven solution that provides benefits to everyone involved, we plan to expand into many more territories and venues over the coming months and years.

Mike Kill, CEO, Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) said: "The KUVO powered by DJ Monitor initiative represents a monumental step forward for the electronic music industry. Accurate and fair royalty payments are vital to supporting the creators whose work forms the backbone of our vibrant nightlife culture.

“For too long, the system for tracking and compensating these artists has faced significant challenges, with many creators not receiving the recognition or royalties they deserve. This innovative solution bridges a long-standing gap, providing cutting-edge technology that aligns with the values of our community while respecting the privacy of DJs and venues. By ensuring that music creators are fairly rewarded, KUVO is strengthening the ecosystem that allows our industry to thrive.

“We wholeheartedly support this initiative and applaud the efforts of AlphaTheta Corporation, DJ Monitor, and the CMOs involved. This is a crucial development that underscores the importance of collaboration and innovation in safeguarding the future of electronic music and the night-time economy globally."

David Martin - CEO - Featured Artist Coalition (FAC) added: “Paying artists fairly is a central tenet of the Featured Artists Coalition. The music makers should always receive what is rightly owed to them for the use of their work. In electronic music and underground club scenes - a section of the industry that is particularly close to my heart - I understand the additional complexities involved in ensuring creators are remunerated for the performance of their music.

“It is encouraging to see positive progress on this front, with tools like KUVO powered by DJ Monitor helping to address these challenges. By championing fair pay, the industry can foster a healthier, more equitable environment where artists can thrive professionally and continue creating.”

Finlay Johnson - COO - Association For Electronic Music (AFEM) commented: "The Association For Electronic Music's primary aim is a sustainable and equitable electronic music eco-system for all, so we are incredibly proud to support the work that KUVO powered by DJ Monitor is doing. Our membership is made up of venues, festivals, and promoters, as well as labels and artists, so it is vital there is collaborative effort on this."

Tim Arber, Director of Operational Improvement, PRS for Music furthered: “Music Recognition Technology has become an invaluable tool over recent years, enriching the quality of data we receive from music venues across the UK. We are continually exploring new technologies like KUVO powered by DJ Monitor to improve our systems and service to members.

“Technology that can help to deliver precise royalty payments, with improved speed and transparency to our talented songwriter, composer, and music publisher members, at no cost to the venue, is a welcome development in the industry.”

Hannah de Maat, Manager Licensing Live Event, BUMA STEMRA commented: "The Netherlands is the epicenter of the world's leading DJs and dance music. At BUMA, we take pride in our global leadership in fingerprinting over 300 dance events, and we are now expanding our reach to clubs. We are very happy with the KUVO powered by DJ Monitor collaboration. Thanks to this technology, which is deployed at no cost to the clubs, we can serve our dance rights holders and those of our international partners even better."

“With the inherent challenges of obtaining reporting in this sector, the data we receive from KUVO powered by DJ Monitor - at no cost to venues - is an important part of ensuring our royalty distributions are accurate,” said Phil Akouri, director, business operations, APRA AMCOS.

Further Comments from Clubs and Venues:

Jack Henry, Operations Director, E1 (UK)

"We want to support the electronic music scene and music creators are the foundations of that. Also, as a participating venue, we get music insight charts to help inform our business and the extended warranties on our CDJ-3000 units are really valuable. I would recommend participation in this initiative to any club."

Nick van Tiel, Head of Music & Nightlife, Merivale Group - The Ivy, Chinese Laundry (Australia):

“Having music insights of what is actually being played at our venues is an exciting development which is helping inform who we work with, and how to best program our lineups. It’s also encouraging to know this service is helping electronic music creators get paid royalties more accurately!”

Boudewijn Grootendorst, Founder at Lofi (The Netherlands):

“As a home for the diverse communities our city has to offer, artists play a vital role in connecting people and shaping our venue’s identity. The work of producers within these communities add immense value to the culture we thrive on. It would go against our core values not to support their efforts. If we can contribute to ensuring they receive the compensation they are due from performance rights organisations, it’s an easy decision for us.”

How the tech works:

KUVO powered by DJ Monitor brings together the strengths of Music Recognition Technology and Direct Metadata Capture technology.

Direct Metadata Capture (DMC): Track, artist name, and other metadata is captured when music is played through a set-up where Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000 or CDJ-2000 units are present.

Music Recognition Technology (MRT): Music identification process where an encrypted fingerprint of the audio in a performance is compared to a database of music tracks.