73044Artists AheadClosedStudyInnovate UKArtists Ahead is researching a blockchain-enabled digital asset, data and royalty management solution for music creators and songwriters that will transform the way digital income is collected and processed and allow music creators to take control of their own destiny for the first time in the history of the music industry. There is a pressing need to reduce the cost of collection of royalties arising from the digital exploitation of songs, particularly streaming, and improve the speed of collection, transparency of accounting, and protection of the underlying intellectual property. The lack of a formal copyright registry in the UK means creators can face difficulties when trying to prove provenance of their work. Despite consumption being digital, obtaining usage data remains difficult. The current system for paying music royalties to artists is not fit for purpose and there is an extreme lack of control for the artist over their own music and income. Even the biggest names in music face the same problem. Typically multiple intermediaries sit between the source of the royalty and the recipient. Many of these intermediaries employs complex and often manual collections processes to handle the data and money that were not designed for the digital world, resulting in: * high commissions * multiple errors * long delays * sometimes a complete lack of financial reporting * low visibility and transparency * lack of trust Blockchain is the perfect technology for solving these problems as it can: 1\. Immutably record ownership of the IP in the public domain 2\. Deal with the complexity and huge volume of micro royalty transactions in a scaleable and efficient way with a clear audit trail for participants. We will provide a radically more efficient way of aggregating complex datasets and making them easily available to our customers, and paying royalties directly, correctly, transparently, and in real time.