SoundExchange Expands Global Royalty Net to Cover 91% of Music Market

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2026 – In a significant move to consolidate the fragmented world of music royalties, SoundExchange today announced it has finalized 17 new agreements with collective management organizations (CMOs) across the globe. The expansion brings the non-profit's total number of international partnerships to over 90, increasing its coverage to an estimated 91% of the available global neighboring rights market and bolstering its position as the world's largest such collective.

The new pacts, largely secured throughout 2025 and early 2026, forge crucial links with organizations in Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. Partners include Kenya's KAMP, Barbados' COSCAP, and CMOs in Panama and Paraguay, alongside ten new agreements covering performers across Europe, from Norway to Croatia. This expansion promises to streamline the flow of money back to the nearly half-million artists and rights owners who rely on the organization to collect royalties earned abroad.

"Expanding our network of agreements with partner CMOs throughout the work bolsters our ability to offer premier international neighboring rights services and reflects SoundExchange's commitment to ensuring that creators are fairly compensated for their work, no matter where their music is played," said Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange, in a statement. "This growth strengthens our global reach and reinforces our mission to deliver transparency and efficiency for artists and rights holders worldwide."

Demystifying the World of Neighboring Rights

For many creators, the revenue stream SoundExchange manages—neighboring rights—remains one of the most complex and misunderstood areas of the music business. Distinct from the royalties paid to songwriters and publishers for the use of a musical composition, neighboring rights compensate the performers and the owners of a specific sound recording when it is broadcast or publicly performed.

This includes plays on terrestrial radio, in television broadcasts, and in public venues like bars and cafes. The legal foundation for these rights is a patchwork of international treaties, most notably the 1961 Rome Convention and the 1996 WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT). However, national implementation varies dramatically. Most of Europe, for example, has a robust system for collecting and distributing these royalties. In contrast, the United States, which is not a signatory to the Rome Convention, does not mandate royalties for terrestrial radio airplay, though it does for digital broadcasts like satellite and internet radio, which SoundExchange administers domestically.

This global legal variance creates a labyrinth for artists and labels seeking to collect what they are owed. An American artist whose song is popular on French radio is entitled to royalties, but collecting them requires navigating a foreign system. SoundExchange's reciprocal agreements are designed to solve this exact problem, creating a single point of contact for creators to access a global network of royalty pipelines.

A Strategic Push into Growing Markets

The list of new partners reveals a strategic focus on both established European territories and rapidly developing music markets. The agreements with organizations like KAMP in Kenya, ISAMRA in India, and Produce in Panama are particularly noteworthy. As music consumption globalizes and digital platforms erase geographic borders, these emerging markets represent a significant new frontier for creator revenue.

By establishing formal collection mechanisms in these regions, SoundExchange is not only helping its registered creators get paid but is also contributing to the development of a more robust and formalized music ecosystem globally. The new agreements cover both performers and rights owners, ensuring both sides of the sound recording copyright are represented. The full list of new partners includes:

• For Performers: Gramo (Norway), KAMP (Kenya), SwissPerform (Switzerland), STOART (Poland), NORMA (Netherlands), ISAMRA (India), AGATA (Lithuania), HUZIP (Croatia), Intergram (Czech Republic), and LSG (Austria).
• For Rights Owners: KAMP (Kenya), SGP (Paraguay), ASAP (El Salvador), MPO (Denmark), COSCAP (Barbados), Audiogest (Portugal), and Produce (Panama).

This expansion is critical in a market that is growing in value. Global neighboring rights revenue reached $2.7 billion in 2023, tripling in size over the last two decades and now accounting for nearly 10% of the total recorded music market. By planting its flag in more territories, SoundExchange is ensuring its members can capitalize on this growth.

The Non-Profit Edge in a Competitive Field

SoundExchange's status as a non-profit is a key pillar of its strategy and a significant competitive advantage. The organization emphasizes its mission to serve creators, boasting the lowest administration rate among comparable neighboring rights organizations. It typically charges around 4.5% for artists and 4.9% for labels on collections, a figure that stands in contrast to competitors like the UK's PPL, which charges a 7% fee.

This mission-driven, low-overhead model makes it an attractive partner for both international CMOs and individual creators. Artists and labels can sign up for the organization's international services through its SX Direct online portal, choosing to have royalties collected from all available territories or selecting specific countries.

While other major players like PPL also claim extensive global coverage, SoundExchange's recent announcement signals an aggressive push to close any remaining gaps and solidify its claim as the most efficient and comprehensive service for American and international creators alike. The focus is on simplifying an otherwise impossibly complex administrative burden, allowing artists to focus on making music while a trusted partner handles the intricate business of global royalty tracking.

Tackling the Global Royalty Maze

Despite these advancements, significant challenges persist in the world of international royalties. Inaccurate or incomplete song metadata remains a primary obstacle, leading to billions in so-called "black box" royalties that go unclaimed each year because they cannot be matched to the correct rights holders. Furthermore, a lack of transparency and outdated technology in some regional CMOs can lead to delays and discrepancies in payments.

By expanding its network, SoundExchange can exert greater influence to standardize data practices and improve efficiency across the board. The organization leverages its own sophisticated, AI-enabled technology to process billions of performance data points each month, working to ensure that money finds its way to the correct pockets.

For the thousands of artists and independent labels navigating the modern music industry, this expansion represents a tangible benefit. It lowers the barrier to entry for global monetization, replacing the need for dozens of individual foreign registrations with a single, streamlined solution. As the music industry becomes ever more borderless, this work to build a simpler, more efficient global payment infrastructure is more critical than ever.