Kobalt has today launched a new app for publishing clients which allows them to view their income in real time, broken down by individual works, type of rights or country.
The launch translates Kobalt’s celebrated online portal to a mobile-friendly format, launching on iOS with an Android version set to arrive in the near future.
Kobalt founder and CEO Willard Ahdritz calls the new tech a “giant step” towards “the same transparent, on-demand access to their data that most other industries already have”.
The app also enables Kobalt clients to compare financial data across previous quarters, and find out when their statements are due.
A sync element allows users to track opportunities ‘from pitch to payment’ – favoriting the opportunities they want to follow closely, or discover more details.
Daily updates will give clients the latest income and activity data from all revenue sources, including Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Pandora, and more.
“This connection between a creator’s works and their income is the first of its kind,” said Ahdritz. “It’s a fundamental shift in the relationship between rights owners and their data.
“Imagine how that will influence their decisions, shape their perspectives on the industry and streaming, empowering them with the facts.
“I believe this will have an enormous impact on the future of music – out of the dark ages, full access, in real time. All in one app. The revolution continues!”
“Today’s music creators deserve the same transparent, on-demand access to their data that most other industries already have. This is a giant step towards delivering that for our clients.”
Willard Ahdritz, Kobalt
In a press release announcing the app, Kobalt claimed that a recent comparison of six Top 100 songs – each administered 50% by Kobalt and 50% by one of the major publishers – showed that Kobalt collected 20-40% more cash for its clients, ‘significantly faster’.
This uplift does not include the additional increase that Kobalt is forecasting from AMRA, its own collection society.
Added Ahdritz: “Putting the power of Kobalt into the hands of creators has always been a top priority for me.
“Today’s music creators deserve the same transparent, on-demand access to their data that most other industries already have.The Kobalt App is a giant step toward delivering that for our clients.
“The feedback we are getting from our clients is incredible – no-one has seen anything like this before!
“This is the only app that delivers true transparency for creators.”
Kobalt client Gary Go (artist, producer and songwriter for Rihanna, Skrillex, Steve Angello, Benny Benassi) said, “As a songwriter and independent publisher, this app is a dream utility.
“If I could have only one app on my phone, it would be the Mail app — but if I could have two, the second would be the Kobalt app!”
Jonny Quinn of Snow Patrol and music publisher Polar Patrol stated “As a fan of the Kobalt Portal, the new app is stunning.
“At a glance, its real time info with artwork and simple to use. It gives you all the song details you need in seconds. The synch tracking and updates are killer!”
The app includes an industry news feed, helping creators stay up-to-date, as well as offering account updates from Kobalt.
Kobalt is particularly proud of the app’s ability to allow creators to see the money they’re making on YouTube – whether from ‘an official video, cover song or viral sensation’.
The Kobalt App is free to use for Kobalt Publishing Clients, and is available in countries where the the Apple App Store operates from today.Music Business Worldwide
