On behalf of my client, I spent the week conducting conference calls and long email exchanges with ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, The Harry Fox Agency, National Music Publishers Association, Association of Independent Music Publishers, Crunch Digital, We Are The Hits, Tresona Music, and Audible Magic securing public performance licenses, obtaining synchronization licensing information, obtaining copyright identification service & royalty administration information for their UGC video hosting platform.

  I Saw Great Startups @SFMusicTech, But They Have A Lot To Learn About The Music Business

What I learned (or confirmed, rather) is that there is a HUGE need to streamline and make efficient the process of securing synch licenses, a HUGE need to standardized/equalize deal structures between labels and digital service providers vs. publishers and digital service providers, and a HUGE opportunity for a collective-bargaining startup to secure pass-through licenses on behalf of many music tech startups, and we should consider making some forms of synch licensing compulsory.

Nevertheless, as long as the music industry is slow to innovate in how it deals with digital startups, there will continue to be confusion and frustration among all stakeholders and work for me to do as a consultant.