Groundbreaking technology promises fairer and faster payments to music creators worldwide alongside setlist privacy.
AlphaTheta Corporation has announced significant strides in its KUVO powered by DJ Monitor initiative, designed to ensure electronic music creators receive fair and timely royalty payments.
Currently, nightclubs globally contribute over €400 million annually to Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) to cover music rights. However, incomplete or missing setlist submissions often hinder accurate royalty distribution, leading to payment delays or, in some cases, no payments at all for the artists whose music fuels these events.
KUVO powered by DJ Monitor aims to solve this long-standing issue. The service uses cutting-edge technology to accurately identify tracks played in clubs, enabling CMOs to distribute royalties more efficiently to creators and rights holders.
After successful pilot programs with organizations like PRS for Music and PPL in the UK, BUMA in the Netherlands, and APRA AMCOS/PPCA in Australia, the initiative has proven its capability to transform the landscape of music royalty payments.
This breakthrough offers a seamless solution for DJs and clubs. DJs can support artists simply by playing their tracks, without any additional effort. Furthermore, the system respects DJ setlist privacy—no information about who played which tracks is recorded or shared, ensuring playlists remain confidential.
The music industry has long struggled to ensure license fees paid by clubs reach the correct artists and rights holders. Just this year, similar initiatives like Aslice shut. Launched in 2022, Aslice aimed to create a fairer music ecosystem by encouraging DJs to share a portion of their fees with track producers. Despite distributing over $422,000 and enabling many producers to earn royalties for the first time, Aslice struggled to gain widespread adoption among high-profile DJs and ultimately shut due to financial challenges. This raises an important question: can Kuvo powered by DJ Monitor succeed where others have faltered, or does the industry require a more systemic overhaul to achieve true fairness?
Mike Kill, CEO of the Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA), praised the initiative, calling it a major step forward for electronic music. “Accurate royalties are essential to supporting the creators who drive nightlife culture,” he said. “KUVO bridges a critical gap, combining cutting-edge technology with respect for DJ and venue privacy. This innovation strengthens our ecosystem and ensures artists receive fair recognition.”
Kill also commended AlphaTheta Corporation, DJ Monitor, and participating CMOs for their collaborative effort, emphasizing its importance in sustaining the global night-time economy.
For more information about KUVO powered by DJ Monitor, visit Kuvo.com.
Follow Attack Magazine
Attack Store
Dance Music Producers’ Power Book Bundle
Get 2 best-selling music production books. Buy more and spend less
The Secrets of Dance Music Production
The world-leading book on dance music production. Comes with samples too.
The Producer’s Manual
Everything you need to take a mix, from initial recording to final master.
Secretos de la Producción de Música Dance
La guía definitiva para producir música electrónica de vanguardia.
Max For Live: Chance Engine
Add controlled yet random fluctuations to your most important parameters
Underground Resistance: The Final Frontier Poster
Anti corporate, political, powerful and progressive the power house of Jeff Mills, Robert Hood and "Mad" Mike Banks needs little introduction.
