TuneSat Ushers in Next Wave of Music Rights Administration by Tracking Song Usage on YouTube's Multi Channel Networks

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - May 14, 2015) - Great music is one of the hardest things to create and one of the easiest things to steal. To address this problem, TuneSat, the leading music monitoring service for the Web and TV, announced today the launch of SoundProof, a new service that uses the Company's proprietary technology to help music copyright owners recover lost revenue from unauthorized exploitations across Multi Channel Networks. Today, with the explosion of online video, unauthorized copyright use has expanded from the consumer to the corporate level.

Working through platforms such as YouTube, companies of all sizes are incorporating copyrighted music into videos without required synchronization licenses, controlling advertising alongside of the video, and keeping the revenue. Most YouTube users are subject to strict rules regarding copyrighted music, which are enforced with the help of YouTube's Content ID system. But an undisclosed number of content providers classified as Multi Channel Networks (MCNs) are exempt from the Content ID system. MCNs are self-governing and supposed to account to copyright owners. The result has been that many music rights holders are left in the dark, powerless to discover the use of their music and without means for being compensated for these unauthorized uses of their work.

Scott Schreer, Founder and CEO of TuneSat and an award winning BMI composer, best known for his 'NFL on FOX' theme, commented, "The proliferation of YouTube MCNs has paved the way for an environment in which copyright infringements run rampant. Imagine if Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off' had played in the background of 'Modern Family' on ABC. There's no way it would have gone unnoticed, or unpaid. The reality is that MCNs are vying to become (and in some cases are succeeding at becoming) the major TV networks of the Internet. MCNs are a rapidly emerging multi-billion dollar sector; their revenues are enhanced by using content that they don't own. In launching SoundProof, we have created an incredible new service to provide transparency and accountability for all music rights holders.

With SoundProof, music rights holders at all levels -- from independent composers to major artists and record labels -- can create an account, upload their music, and for the first time ever, discover, protect, and recoup lost revenue from uses of their music across the rapidly growing MCNs.

• TuneSat's proprietary technology behind SoundProof goes beyond Content ID by scouring unmonitored MCNs and identifying a song in as little as 3 seconds, even when barely audible in the background.
  
  
• Using the personalized SoundProof dashboard, rights holders are presented with unauthorized uses of their music on MCNs.
  
  
• TuneSat's SoundProof team, comprised of experts in music, technology, research, and copyright management and administration, works one-on-one with each of its clients to successfully address unauthorized exploitations.
  
  
• TuneSat has already served as the exclusive monitoring service for numerous independent and major labels and publishers, recovering millions of dollars in claims of unauthorized music usage.
  
  

Chris Woods, Chief Operating Officer of TuneSat, commented, "With the success of TuneSat, SoundProof was created for anyone who wants to protect their rights and recoup lost revenue from MCNs -- whether it's for a single song or sizable music catalog. Right now, the system is broken and the music industry is suffering. The SoundProof team has the most thorough and accurate music detection technology in the world as well as years of experience in successfully tackling these issues. Clearly, there is a need to level the playing field and TuneSat is excited to pave the way and be part of the solution."

To learn more about SoundProof, please visit https://tunesat.com/tunesatportal/home/soundproof

The Evolution of YouTube's MCN Universe

• Multi Channel Networks (MCNs) are companies presenting content on YouTube that represent popular channels and their talent to help monetize videos, which is when an ad is placed in a video. The monetization allows channels to generate ad revenue from their videos. MCNs collect a large percentage of ad revenue and also claim partial intellectual property ownership.
  
  
• On YouTube, MCNs currently can choose from one of two options to categorize their channels. A channel is designated as "managed" or "affiliate" depending on how it wishes to handle monetization. If a channel is designated as a managed partner MCN is then responsible for managing content and ensuring compliance. Managed channels have the benefit of monetizing videos with their own ad sales.
  
  
• Ordinarily, YouTube users are subject to strict rules regarding copyrighted music, and can have their channels shut down for repeated copyright violations. These rules are strenuously enforced with the help of Content ID, YouTube's own proprietary recognition technology which scans YouTube's database of videos, identifies copyrighted material (e.g. copyrighted music, movie clips). Once a match is found, the copyright owner is notified and provided with the option to either take down the video or "claim" and monetize the video by allowing YouTube to run ads over it and share the revenue.
  
  
• MCNs bypass YouTube's Content ID claims entirely and assume 100% responsibility for the channels and videos they manage. Without YouTube's Content ID system in place, YouTube has charged these entities with self-monitoring against unauthorized copyright exploitation. However, in various instances, there has been no self-regulation and/or whatever self-policing there has been has fallen short, leaving music rights holders powerless to discover, let alone be compensated for unauthorized use of their work.
  
  
• As an independent monitoring service unaffiliated with YouTube, TuneSat reveals music usage data otherwise undiscoverable.
  
  

About TuneSat
In an increasingly noisy world, TuneSat deftly detects music use under dialogue, sound effects, or voiceovers, in full duration -- even in the noisiest backgrounds -- providing unrivaled, accurate reporting information. TuneSat is actively monitoring TV channels in 14 countries and millions of websites around the world. TuneSat's SoundProof utilizes this information to help music copyright owners recover lost revenue from unauthorized use within YouTube's Multi Channel Networks.

TuneSat LLC is based in New York City. For more information, please visit
http://www.tunesat.com/