We recently had the pleasure of being invited with Nowon to present at a promoter meeting organized by the Swiss Music Promoters Association (SMPA). The invitation itself already underlined how relevant the topic of copyright remuneration in the live music sector has become, especially in times of rapid technological change.
The Swiss Music Promoters Association represents professional concert and festival organizers across Switzerland. Its members are responsible for a large part of the country’s live music ecosystem, from small club shows to major festivals. The SMPA acts as a platform for exchange between promoters, artists, collecting societies, and technology providers, with the goal of creating fair, transparent, and sustainable conditions for live music.
Our contribution focused on copyright remuneration in the live context, with a particular emphasis on music recognition technologies and the broader transformation driven by artificial intelligence.
Traditionally, documenting music usage at live events has relied heavily on manual processes, incomplete setlists, and post-event reconciliation. This often leads to uncertainty for organizers and delayed or inaccurate remuneration for rights holders. We discussed how modern music recognition systems can help close this gap by making music usage measurable, verifiable, and scalable, even in challenging live and noisy environments.
A central part of the discussion revolved around how AI is reshaping the entire value chain. Beyond simple identification, AI enables:
more precise attribution of performed works,
better differentiation between versions such as covers, reinterpretations, and live arrangements,
and increased transparency for all stakeholders involved.
This shift is not only technical but also structural. As AI-driven systems mature, they raise important questions around standards, trust, and collaboration between promoters, collecting societies, and technology providers.
What made the meeting particularly valuable were the open discussions with promoters. Topics ranged from practical concerns around implementation and workflows to broader questions about fairness, data quality, and the future role of automation in copyright remuneration. It became clear that there is a shared interest in solutions that reduce administrative burden while improving accuracy and trust.
We are grateful to the SMPA for the invitation and the engaged exchange. Events like this highlight how important dialogue across the industry is when navigating technological change. At Nowon, we see this as a strong signal that the live music sector is ready to actively shape the future of copyright remuneration, together.
