Meddling launches discovery tool for music publishers

Meddling was launched as an A&R tool for labels in 2015 to help record labels discover emerging artists by using data analysis methods from music consumption globally. The company provides additional services such as data filtering, advanced analytics and customized reports, which allow its clients to make A&R decisions better and faster.

The new tool is aimed at the publishing sector, and assists users to identify emerging songwriters who are unpublished as well as those who are trending and published. The feature uses real-time data on global music markets, metadata compilers, communication tools and tracking capabilities to ensure comprehensive digital A&R coverage.

“There are more than 20 unpublished songwriters in the US Top 100 right now,” Meddling founder and CEO Travis Rosenblatt said. “Publishers have not yet had access to the same set of tools to discover songwriters that labels have been using for years to find new artists. There is a huge opportunity here for frontline publishing A&R.”

APG CEO Mike Caren said: “Travis and Meddling are always driving innovation in the marriage of music and data. Meddling for Publishers furthers this and opens the door for publishers to get quick and easy visibility of available songwriters.”

The service is being tested by a number of publishers including APG, Downtown and Concord.

Meanwhile, digital entertainment management platform Synchtank says publishers are potentially losing out on billions of dollars in revenue due to poor data management and inefficient systems that are unable to handle large amounts of data in the digital age. This is according to a new music industry report titled Drowning in Data: Royalty Accounting and Systems in the Digital Age published by the company this week.