Audoo—the music technology company revolutionising public performance royalties—has appointed music publishing veteran Nigel Elderton as Chairman, adding to the company’s growing team of international industry experts. The renowned executive boasts a career spanning over 45 years in the music industry.
Nigel brings decades of experience from both music publishing and PRO advisory and reform to Audoo. As company Chairman, he is tasked with steering and aiding the advancement of Audoo technology within the industry.
This appointment bolsters a team, and board, of senior experts from APRA AMCOS, BMG, BMI, Bowers and Wilkins, Shazam, Spotify, and more who have joined Audoo since its formation in 2018.
Nigel is the European President of the global independent music publisher Peermusic and has held a number of industry positions, including Chairman of PRS For Music (recently retired), Director of ICE Operations Berlin, Chairman of the Music Publishers Association (UK), Chairman of MCPS, Director of British Music Rights/UK Music, Founding Trustee of the PRS Foundation and President of the Music Publishers Association Ireland. He also worked for EMI, MCA and Polygram prior to joining Peermusic.
Recognising his contribution to the music industry, Nigel was awarded the Gold Badge of Distinction from the British Academy of Songwriters and Composers and Authors (BASCA, now The Ivors Academy), the MPA (UK) Gold Badge for services to music publishing, and was invited to become a Fellow of the Royal Society For Arts (FRSA).
His appointment follows the hire of ex-APRA executive Matthew Fackrell as SVP/GM APAC, and the adoption and widespread rollout of Audoo Audio Meters™ in Australia and New Zealand.
Nigel Elderton, Audoo Chairman, says: “The Audoo mission is worthy, and its technology highly impressive. Improving the licensing landscape and removing barriers to royalty processes is vital in rebalancing money that should be reaching music creators and performers – Audoo tech aids efficiency in these processes.
“Early adopters are showing improvement in the accuracy of data collection and, ultimately, more of those owed will receive their optimum public performance payments. As a publisher representing the best interests of songwriters and a long-time colleague within PROs, I look forward to working alongside Ryan and the Audoo team to advance this element of our industry.”
Ryan Edwards, Founder and CEO, comments: “Having Nigel join is an honour – a true champion of the songwriter and music industry with unparalleled experience and expertise. We are excited to benefit from his guidance and continue on the mission of revolutionising the public performance royalties space worldwide.”
Audoo is actively providing solutions to the challenges faced in public performance royalty data collection and payment distribution with its state-of-the-art Audoo Audio Meter™ and unique insights platform. Its dedicated hardware, software and algorithm power the commitment to improving accuracy, transparency and reporting in quasi real-time without burden for licensees, PROs and CMOs, to the ultimate benefit of music creators.
Its small, discreet plug-in solution cuts through foreground noise, takes a digital, GDPR-compliant, fingerprint of the music being played, matches the track data, and reports to PRO and CMO partners – ultimately aiding the compensation of artists and rightsholders with a much greater level of accuracy.
Audoo raised £5.2million in its 2020 Series A funding round and £7.2million in its pre-series B funding round in 2021. Its financial backers include MPL Ventures, Tileyard London, Steve Sidwell, and Björn Ulvaeus (ABBA/CISAC) who said: “Audoo is a solution I believe will change the music industry forever and that’s why I have put my money where my mouth is.”
