Ladies and Gentlemen, esteemed members of RadioPRO Ltd, colleagues, and friends,
I stand before you today with a profound sense of responsibility and pride. As the Managing Director of RadioPRO, I am honored to address this Special General Meeting, where we come together as a united body to reflect on the progress we’ve made, the challenges we’ve faced, and the vision we hold for the future of this organisation and the wider music industry.
Before I begin, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to all of you—our members, our team, and our board. Your dedication, passion, and relentless commitment to supporting the rights of artists, composers, producers, and other rights holders have been the driving force behind RadioPRO’s success. It is because of you that we have become a leading voice in the collective management sector. Together, we ensure that creators, the very heart of our cultural landscape, are treated with the respect and fairness they deserve.
To start, let me reaffirm what RadioPRO stands for. We are more than just a Collective Management Organisation (CMO); we are the guardians of intellectual property rights for all our members. Our mission is clear: to manage copyright and rights related to copyright across all sectors, not just in radio, but from broadcast to streaming, from public performance to reproduction. We serve creators in music, film, literature, and beyond, ensuring that every creator receives their fair share when their work is used.
In this modern digital age, where the use of creative content has grown exponentially, our role as a CMO has never been more critical. Whether a song is streamed on a platform, played at a concert, used in an advertisement, or broadcast on television, RadioPRO ensures that royalties are collected and distributed fairly. We operate not only within the United Kingdom but also in international territories, making certain that our members’ rights are protected globally.
One of the key issues I want to address today is the importance of having multiple CMOs operating within the UK. This is a subject that is crucial to understanding the wider ecosystem in which we operate, and I know it is of particular interest to many of you in the room.
Some might ask: Why do we need multiple CMOs when we could potentially consolidate and centralise these efforts into one organisation? Wouldn’t that make things simpler?
The answer, of course, is more nuanced.
In the United Kingdom, and indeed across the world, the creative industries are multifaceted. The diversity in the types of works created—be it music, literature, visual art, or digital media—requires specialised knowledge and systems. By having multiple CMOs, each dedicated to different aspects of rights management, we ensure that each creator, each rights holder, receives the tailored expertise and attention their work requires.
RadioPRO, for example, handles an immense variety of rights—from public performance rights and reproduction rights to synchronisation licenses and digital transmission. But other CMOs, such as those focusing on audiovisual content or visual arts, have their own specific mandates. Together, we form a network that allows the creative industries to thrive, offering both competition and collaboration that ultimately benefits the creators.
Let’s take a closer look at how RadioPRO fits into this network.
One of the most distinguishing features of our organisation is that we do not confine ourselves to a single medium or sector. While our name may suggest a connection to radio, our mandate is much broader. RadioPRO’s focus extends across all areas of rights management, covering both copyright and related rights. This means that whether a piece of music is being played on the radio, streamed online, performed live, or used in a commercial, we ensure that the creator is compensated appropriately.
We are here for songwriters, producers, publishers, performers, and all rightsholders. Our commitment is to ensure that every time their work is used, no matter the platform or location, their intellectual property is respected, and they receive their rightful earnings.
This comprehensive approach also allows us to stay at the forefront of changes in the industry. We’ve seen enormous shifts in how music and other creative works are consumed in recent years. The rise of streaming platforms, the growing importance of digital licenses, and the use of creative works in emerging fields like podcasts and video games have transformed the landscape. At RadioPRO, we are constantly adapting our systems and strategies to ensure that we are not only keeping pace with these changes but that we are leading the way in setting fair standards for the future.
Transparency and fairness are two principles that lie at the heart of everything we do at RadioPRO. For too long, the process of royalty collection and distribution has been seen as opaque, with creators often left in the dark about how their earnings are calculated. We believe that every artist, every producer, and every rights holder has the right to know how their royalties are being managed.
To that end, RadioPRO has implemented cutting-edge technologies to streamline our operations and enhance transparency. We’ve introduced automated systems that track and record every instance of a work’s usage, providing our members with real-time insights into where and how their content is being used. This level of detail is unprecedented, and it has empowered our members to take control of their rights in ways that were not possible just a few years ago.
Moreover, we’ve simplified the process for registering works and receiving payments. Our goal is to remove the complexities that have traditionally been associated with royalty management, ensuring that every member, whether they are an emerging artist or an established producer, can navigate the system with ease.
As we talk about transparency, it’s also important to address how RadioPRO is positioning itself for the future of royalty distribution, particularly in the digital world. We’ve witnessed a seismic shift in how creative works are consumed over the past decade. Streaming services, digital downloads, and online platforms have become the dominant means of accessing music, film, and literature.
While this shift has made creative content more accessible than ever before, it has also introduced new challenges when it comes to tracking usage and ensuring proper compensation. The fragmented nature of digital platforms means that creators often struggle to receive accurate and timely payments for the use of their work.
At RadioPRO, we are tackling this challenge head-on. We have invested heavily in digital tracking systems that allow us to monitor the use of our members’ works across multiple platforms. Whether a song is streamed on Spotify, played in a YouTube video, or broadcast through online radio, our systems ensure that every usage is recorded and that royalties are distributed fairly.
Additionally, we are exploring the use of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology for royalty payments. This is an exciting area of innovation, and we believe it has the potential to revolutionise how royalties are managed in the future. By using blockchain, we can create an immutable, transparent ledger that tracks every transaction related to a creative work, providing creators with an unprecedented level of trust and security in the payment process.
Beyond the technical aspects of rights management, RadioPRO is also deeply committed to supporting the wider creative community. We believe that our role goes beyond just collecting and distributing royalties. We are here to advocate for creators and to ensure that their voices are heard at both the national and international levels.
As part of this commitment, RadioPRO has been actively involved in lobbying efforts to improve the legal and regulatory frameworks that govern copyright and related rights. We work closely with government bodies, industry associations, and other CMOs to ensure that the laws keep pace with the rapidly changing landscape of the creative industries. We are advocating for policies that protect creators, ensure fair compensation, and promote innovation.
We are also investing in education and outreach programs to help creators better understand their rights. Many artists, especially those at the beginning of their careers, are not fully aware of the protections that copyright law affords them. Our educational initiatives aim to bridge this gap, providing creators with the knowledge and tools they need to protect and monetise their work.
As we look to the future, I am filled with optimism about the direction in which we are headed. The world of rights management is evolving rapidly, but I have no doubt that RadioPRO will continue to lead the way, providing our members with the best possible service, the most advanced technology, and the strongest advocacy.
We are on the cusp of major developments that will further enhance how we manage and protect creative rights. The increasing use of artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and blockchain technology will allow us to offer even greater levels of transparency, accuracy, and efficiency.
But even as we embrace these innovations, we remain grounded in our core mission: to protect the rights of creators and to ensure that their work is valued fairly. This is what drives us, and this is what will continue to guide us in the years to come.
In closing, I want to reiterate how proud I am of everything we have achieved together at RadioPRO. We have made incredible strides in improving the lives of creators, and we have built a system that is more transparent, more efficient, and more fair than ever before.
But our work is far from done. The creative industries are constantly changing, and we must remain vigilant in defending the rights of those who create the music, films, literature, and art that enrich our lives.
I call on all of you—our members, our partners, and our colleagues—to join me in this mission. Together, we can build a future where every creator is respected, every right is protected, and every work is valued for the contribution it makes to our society.
Thank you.