Blokur is a music rights and data platform based in London which provides global music reporting and licensing for digital products and services. The company is an official partner of the MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective).[1][2][3]
Blokur was founded in 2017 by Phil Barry, a former recording artist who was inspired to build a platform that would help address the issue of recording artists not being paid effectively. The platform uses data engineering and sub-graph matching technology to link song recordings with their underlying compositions to tackle issues with misrepresentations of song data, difficulties with reporting on music use and identifying music licensing coverage.[4]
Blokur released a 2020 Songwriters' Review, a report which calculates the best-performing global songwriter based on their shares in the top streamed songs. Tones and I topped the chart due to being the sole writer on her hit song Dance Monkey.[5][6][7] The second instalment of the report, the 2021 Songwriters' Review, was sponsored by The Ivor's Academy. That year, Olivia Rodrigo was announced as the top songwriter following the commercial success of her album Sour.[8][9][10]
Blokur has partnerships with audio delivery companies 7digital and Tuned Global.[11] The company's funders include Innovate UK and Ascension.[12] In 2022, the company began working to build the copyright hub for IMPEL Collective Management Limited.[13]
On 6 December 2023, The MLC announced their Supplemental Matching Network, which initially consists of five companies (including Blokur) that will provide data matching services to complement and enhance The MLC’s existing matching processes and capabilities.[14]
