Spotify has acquired music licensing firm Loudr to help simplify and streamline its ability to track and pay royalties to music publishers. The newly-public streaming service said the Loudr team will work out of its NYC offices and help in its "continued efforts towards a more transparent and efficient music publishing industry for songwriters and rights holders."
Loudr originally launched in 2009 as A Capella Records. The licensing service catered to a capella groups and offered mechanical rights and a direct-to-fan storefront for cover songs. The company then rebranded in 2013 and opened itself up to other genres. In 2015, it launched a product called Loudr Licensing so that artists and labels can acquire -- for a small fee -- the requisite mechanical license needed to monetize a cover song on Spotify, Apple Music and other digital channels.
In addition to integrating with Spotify to further its pressing publishing interests, Loudr's team of specialists and technologists will continue to provide select services to its publishing and aggregator partners, the company said.