View source for Blokur

{{Short description|Music rights and data platform}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Blokur
| logo = Blokur logo.svg
| logo_size = 180px
| screenshot =
| website_type = [[Music rights]]
| founded = <!-- if known: {{start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} in [[city]], [[country]] -->
| area_served = Worldwide
| founder = {{ubl|Phil Barry}}
| url = {{URL|Blokur.com}}
| commercial = Yes
| launch_date = {{Start date|2017}}
| current_status = Active
| location_city = [[London]], [[England]]
}}
'''Blokur''' is a music rights and data platform based in [[London]] which provides global music reporting and licensing for digital products and services. The company is an official partner of the [[Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)|MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective)]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mechanical Licensing Collective picks more tech partners - Music Ally |date=10 December 2020 |url=https://musically.com/2020/12/10/mechanical-licensing-collective-picks-more-tech-partners/ |access-date=2022-12-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-12-09 |title=The MLC Partners With Software And Service Providers On Data Quality Initiative |url=https://musicrow.com/2020/12/the-mlc-partners-with-software-and-service-providers-on-data-quality-initiative/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=MusicRow.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Data Programs |url=https://www.themlc.com/dataprograms |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.themlc.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Overview ==
Blokur was founded in 2017 by Phil Barry, a former recording artist who was inspired to build a platform that would help address the issue of recording artists not being paid effectively. The platform uses data engineering and sub-graph matching technology to link song recordings with their underlying compositions to tackle issues with misrepresentations of song data, difficulties with reporting on music use and identifying music licensing coverage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Massive Attack test remix-rights tracking with blockchain startup Blokur |date=7 December 2018 |url=https://musically.com/2018/12/07/massive-attack-test-remix-rights-tracking-with-blockchain-startup-blokur/ |access-date=2022-12-30}}</ref>
Blokur released a 2020 Songwriters' Review, a report which calculates the best-performing global songwriter based on their shares in the top streamed songs. [[Tones and I]] topped the chart due to being the sole writer on her hit song [[Dance Monkey]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-05 |title=Tones and I was the world's No.1 songwriter on streaming services last year, says new report |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/tones-and-i-was-the-worlds-no-1-songwriter-on-streaming-services-last-year-says-new-report/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Sam |date=2021-07-07 |title=Finneas named as world's number one songwriter on Spotify in 2020 |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/finneas-named-world-number-one-songwriter-spotify-2020-2987673 |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Grogan |first=Siobhan |date=2021-07-19 |title=The rise of Tones and I: how an unknown Australian busker outsold Ed Sheeran |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/rise-tones-unknown-australian-busker-outsold-ed-sheeran/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> The second instalment of the report, the 2021 Songwriters' Review, was sponsored by [[The Ivors Academy|The Ivor's Academy]]. That year, [[Olivia Rodrigo]] was announced as the top songwriter following the commercial success of her album [[Sour (album)|Sour]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Mark |date=2022-11-01 |title=Olivia Rodrigo is the biggest songwriter on the planet, new report from Blokur and The Ivors Academy analysing digital platforms shows |url=https://ivorsacademy.com/news/olivia-rodrigo-is-the-biggest-songwriter-on-the-planet-new-report-from-blokur-and-the-ivors-academy-analysing-digital-platforms-shows/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=The Ivors Academy |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Women make up just 15% of top songwriters, new report finds {{!}} Complete Music Update |url=https://completemusicupdate.com/article/women-make-up-just-15-of-top-songwriters-new-report-finds/ |access-date=2022-12-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-02 |title=Tones And I, Masked Wolf Among World's Top Songwriters In 2021: Report |url=https://themusicnetwork.com/tones-and-i-kid-laroi-masked-wolf-top-songwriters-2021-report/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=The Music Network}}</ref>
== Company ==
Blokur has partnerships with audio delivery companies [[7digital]] and Tuned Global.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-24 |title=Partner Integration Features - 7digital |url=https://www.7digital.com/partner-integration-features/,%20https://www.7digital.com/partner-integration-features/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |language=en-US}}</ref> The company's funders include [[Innovate UK]] and Ascension.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Novac |first=Dragos |title=Blokur raised $1.2M in seed money |url=https://nordic9.com/news/blokur-raised-1-2m-in-seed-money-news8372840651/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Nordic 9 |language=en}}</ref> In 2022, the company began working to build the copyright hub for [[IMPEL Collective Management Limited|IMPEL]] Collective Management Limited.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blokur to build a copyright hub for licensing agency IMPEL - Music Ally |date=19 December 2022 |url=https://musically.com/2022/12/19/blokur-to-build-a-copyright-hub-for-licensing-agency-impel/ |access-date=2023-03-23}}</ref>
On the 6th December 2023, [[Mechanical Licensing Collective|The MLC]] announced their Supplemental Matching Network, which initially consists of five companies (including Blokur) that will provide data matching services to complement and enhance The MLC’s existing matching processes and capabilities.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Supplemental Matching Network |title=Supplemental Matching Network |url=https://blog.themlc.com/press/the-mlc-unveils-new-supplemental-matching-network |website=TheMLC |date=17 September 2021 |access-date=6 December 2023}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Music publishing]]
[[Category:Music licensing organizations]]
[[Category:Music databases]]
[[Category:Music organisations based in the United Kingdom]]