AudioValley launches Bridger, a new independent rights management entity for songwriters

Regulatory News:

AudioValley (Paris:ALAVY) (Brussels:ALAVY), an international specialist in B2B solutions in digital audio, (ISIN code: BE0974334667 / mnemonic: ALAVY) officially launches the business of its subsidiary Bridger. This new independent copyright management entity offers songwriters an efficient and cost-free solution for collecting their streaming royalties.

Open to songwriters from around the world, Bridger collects and distributes the royalties generated by the streaming of musical works. It is aimed at independent songwriters who are not members of a collective management organization, as well as songwriters who wish to benefit from a fully digital service as a complement to their membership of a collective management organization.

“Bridger has arrived at just the right time in a music streaming market that has been experiencing tremendous growth since the start of the pandemic but that generates far less royalties than it should. It is estimated that, globally, hundreds of millions of dollars per year of royalties generated on streaming platforms are not paid to their rights holders. Either because the songwriters are not members of a management entity, or because incorrect metadata for the works makes it impossible to identify the rights holders. After several years of development within AudioValley, we are proud to now offer a digital audio solution that allows songwriters to receive the income to which they are entitled", says Alexandre Saboundjian, CEO of AudioValley.

The royalties cover the composition and writing of lyrics to a musical work. Every time a piece of music is played on a digital platform, it generates royalties. To receive them, songwriters must join a collective management organization or an independent management entity like Bridger.

To distribute their music on streaming platforms, artists generally go through distributors (such as Distrokid, CDBaby and Tunecore) who, in addition to distributing the tracks, collect and pay over the mechanical royalties to the artists. However, the mechanical royalties are not the performance royalties. Unknowingly, many independent songwriters are missing out on some of their musical royalties.

Greater income for songwriters
By entrusting management of their intellectual property to Bridger, songwriters are assured that their royalties are collected. Bridger's digital platform is easy to use, intuitive and free.

“Bridger puts songwriters at the heart of its services by removing all financial barriers to entry. At Bridger, there are no registration or annual fees and artists keep 90% of their income. They therefore earn money as soon as their music generates listens on streaming platforms”, explains Jocelyn Seilles, General Manager of Bridger.

Simplified administrative management
Registering with Bridger takes only a few minutes. Songwriters simply have to provide some information and accept an online agreement that formally gives Bridger the right to collect royalties on their behalf.
Songwriters can then import and save their repertoire of musical works simply by linking them to their Bridger account. Members may also make a declaration of sharing between joint authors or any other contributor and choose the proportional distribution of royalties accordingly.

Educating artists
Knowledge of the workings of the music industry is essential to managing the income from an artist’s career. In addition to its copyright management service, Bridger offers educational resources on its blog, accessible free of charge to all.
A series of audio podcasts will also be available in the coming weeks to answer questions independent artists may have about the music industry.

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NEXT MEETING
Annual results: April 26 2022, before market close

Access our Media Kit: http://bridgermusic.io/press

About AudioValley
AudioValley, based in Brussels in the heart of Europe, has been a pioneer and leader in digital audio since 2007. Active throughout the value chain in its sector, and with a global network, AudioValley offers its customers & partners solutions to develop their business through digital audio, both locally and internationally.
The Group is home to iconic brands: Targetspot for the monetization of digital audio content, Jamendo for music sales, Bridger for music rights management, Shoutcast for streaming technologies and podcast management, and Winamp, the iconic audio player.
The audio sector is undergoing an unprecedented digital revolution with ultra-connected consumers who want access to the best audio content wherever and whenever they want. To cater for these new consumer trends, AudioValley is developing technologies that allow people to instantly enjoy the benefits of digital audio and services that create links between brands and consumers, between publishers and their audience, between publishers and brands, and between artists and music lovers. AudioValley is present in 9 countries and employs 150 people worldwide. www.audiovalley.com

About Bridger
Bridger, a subsidiary of AudioValley, is an independent copyright management entity incorporated in Luxembourg. It has the European legal status of an IME (Independent Management Entity, cf. Directive 2014/26/UE).
Launched in 2022, Bridger offers independent songwriters an innovative solution for collecting their royalties from music streaming.
Joining Bridger does not require registration fees or annual fees and artists keep 90% of their income. They therefore earn money as soon as their music generates listens on streaming platforms.
Bridger also offers information to artists free of charge via its blog, webinars and master classes. http://bridgermusic.io

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