The issue of modified audio – digital music that has been sped up, slowed down or otherwise altered – is increasingly on the radar of music companies, given the lost revenue these types of tracks represent.
According to recent research from Pex, a company that tracks and analyzes content on digital music services, there are over a million tracks on audio streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music that are modified, and in many cases, the royalties from that music aren’t flowing to the actual rightsholders.
The situation is even more extreme on TikTok, where Pex found that 38% of music on the platform is modified.
Simply put, that’s a lot of lost revenue for artists, labels and publishers.
To address the issue, music streaming and discovery platform Audiomack earlier this year released Audiomod, a set of filters that allows Audiomack users to modify the tracks they listen to – while ensuring that copyright on those tracks is respected.
Users can “speed up, slow down, or adjust distortion, reverb, delay, pitch, and more with the intuitive equalizer until [they] find the perfect sound,” Audiomack said.
Now the feature is part of a new strategic partnership between Audiomack and Merlin, the digital rights music licensing partner for indie record labels, distributors and other rightsholders.
Through the partnership, Merlin’s members will “gain access to Audiomack’s global audience of engaged listeners, thereby expanding the digital footprint of Merlin members’ high quality music,” the two companies said in a statement issued on Thursday (April 18).
“Through Audiomack’s partnership with Merlin, we’re not just amplifying independent music – we’re revolutionizing how artists connect with their fans and how fans listen to their music,” said Dave Macli, CEO, Audiomack.
“Merlin members can now claim their artists’ Audiomack accounts to send messages to their fans, and, using Audiomod, those fans can listen to their favorite artist’s music in a brand new way.”
Audiomack apparently isn’t the only music streaming service doing something along the lines of Audiomod. Earlier this month, it was reported that Spotify is working on a feature that will enable users to create sped-up or slowed-down down versions of tracks, and will pay royalties to the rightsholders of the original track.
“Merlin members can now claim their artists’ Audiomack accounts to send messages to their fans, and, using Audiomod, those fans can listen to their favorite artist’s music in a brand new way.”
Dave Macli, Audiomack
However, Audiomack stands out from other music streaming platforms in that it’s an early entrant in the (now) growing field of direct-to-fan music platforms that offer artists tools to engage directly with their audience.
In 2022, it launched a ‘Creator App’ giving musicians access to a range of detailed metrics, including fan’s listening habits, geographical distribution of their fan base, and the ability to identify influential tastemakers on the platform. The Creator App surpassed 1 million downloads in spring of 2023.
Not long after, Audiomack launched a ‘Connect Tab’ that allows artists to send messages to their fans. The service also features a ‘Supporters’ tool that lets fans fund artists directly by purchasing ‘support badges’ for individual song and album releases.
The New York-headquartered company has signed licensing agreements with record companies and distributors including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and DistroKid.
Last year, Audiomack inked an agreement with Atlanta-headquartered label and management company Love Renaissance (LVRN) to use Audiomack’s ArtistRank tech to identify rising stars on the platform.
“This partnership is a testament to our ongoing mission to open new doors for our members, offer unparalleled opportunities to recording rights holders, and further enrich the global music ecosystem.”
Jeremy Sirota, Merlin
Audiomack says it has half a million active creators, and is a top-five music app on Android in 17 African countries.
“We are excited to embark on this journey with Audiomack, a platform that shares our passion for amplifying the voices of independent artists,” Merlin CEO Jeremy Sirota said of the new partnership with Audiomack.
“This partnership is a testament to our ongoing mission to open new doors for our members, offer unparalleled opportunities to recording rights holders, and further enrich the global music ecosystem.”Music Business Worldwide
