Soundmouse by Orfium signs as first official Music Reporting Partner for South Korean Broadcasters

Soundmouse by Orfium has been chosen by the South Korean Broadcast Music Identifying System (BROMIS) as the official music reporting partner. This consortium, led by major broadcasters like KBS, MBC, SBS, and four collecting societies, including KOMCA, KOSCAP, FKMP, and KEPA, represents a significant stride forward in transparency and accuracy within South Korea’s music market. As part of the deal, Soundmouse’s industry-leading music cue sheet reporting and audio recognition fingerprinting technology will now be utilized by 36 broadcasters across 175 TV channels and radio stations in South Korea.

Supported by the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Copyright Commission, the three-year agreement promises to enhance transparency in music reporting processes and ensure fairer royalty payments to creators and rights holders. 

This partnership marks a significant milestone for us at Orfium, as Soundmouse by Orfium is one of the first third-party companies granted access to the Korean Music Database, allowing us to deliver seamless matching of reported music against their vast repository of 17.3 million Korean music tracks.

Steve Choi, Secretary General of BROMIS, said the partnership is a game-changer for the music industry in South Korea, stating that “The sharing of clear, transparent, and granular data from a neutral source represents a significant step towards making the music industry a more equitable environment. With the consistent accuracy and reliability of their reporting, Soundmouse by Orfium stood out as the best partner for the project. The quality and accuracy of their reporting processes will be game changing for our industry and will have a positive impact on the remuneration of creators and rights holders as well as the development of our wider industry ecosystem.”

The impact of this collaboration extends beyond mere technological advancements though. South Korean collecting societies will now be able to leverage Soundmouse by Orfium’s reports to inform royalty distributions to their members, including songwriters, recording artists, phonogram producers, and rights holders. By seamlessly meeting cue sheet requirements and streamlining reporting processes, broadcasters will be able to engage in more efficient negotiations with collecting societies, fostering a healthier music ecosystem.

Rob Wells, CEO of Orfium, said, “To be selected for such a significant project underscores the quality of our technology, team, and our commitment to the music industry. We are thrilled to expand our presence in the Asian market, supporting local creators and rights holders while enhancing the transparency and accuracy of music reporting processes.”

Bonna Choi, Head of Soundmouse by Orfium Korea mirrored this sentiment, “After such a rigorous consultation and trial process, we are excited to have been selected and accredited by BROMIS to work on behalf of creators, rights holders, broadcasters and collecting societies. We will bring extensive industry experience from an expert team, the highest standards in cue sheet reporting, and the most advanced technology in audio recognition fingerprinting to strengthen the process of music reporting in such an important market.”

This exciting new deal, officially approved in January 2024, marks another significant step in Orfium’s expansion in Asia. Following successful partnerships with entities like Avex, Bandai Namco, and the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC), Orfium continues to lead the charge in revolutionizing music reporting and rights management across the continent.

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