The Irish Music Rights Organization (IMRO), which collects performance rights royalties in Ireland on behalf of 11,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers, has extended a multi-year agreement with ICE, aka the International Copyright Enterprise.
IMRO first became a customer of ICE’s Core license in 2019, with ICE providing licensing and administration services for online usage of music.
ICE, a pan-European hub for music licensing, was originally formed in 2016 by three collection societies: the UK’s PRS for Music, Sweden’s STIM, and Germany’s GEMA.
The company’s ICE Core License includes the repertoires of collection societies PRS, STIM, GEMA, IMRO, BMI, Sabam, and AKM, as well as independent publishers Concord, Songtrust and peermusic, and a range of other independent publishers represented through PRS’s Core Collective initiative.
Earlier this year, ICE reported that, for the first time, it had distributed more than EUR €1 billion (approx. USD $1.09 billion) to rightsholders in a consecutive 12-month period (May 2023 to April 2024 inclusive).
With that milestone, its total distributions had reached €4.5 billion (approx $4.88 billion) since its first payouts in 2016.
IMRO says its partnership with ICE will enable it to institute faster royalty payments to members for online performances of their works, as well as enhanced transparency.
The CMO is currently transitioning from quarterly to monthly distributions for online royalty payments, which it says will position it as a market leader among CMOs when it comes to the frequency of online distributions to members and affiliates.
IMRO reported 30% revenue growth in 2023, which it says reflects “improved licensing terms with popular online streaming and social platforms, as well as the expanding reach of IMRO repertoire globally.”
“International collaboration is key to maximizing revenues for rightsholders whilst minimizing costs without duplicating resources in individual markets.”
Victor Finn, IMRO
“We were proud to be a market leader by becoming the first non-shareholder CMO customer of ICE Licensing back in 2019, and equally pleased to be transitioning to monthly online distributions later in 2024,” IMRO CEO Victor Finn said in a statement.
“IMRO is committed to remaining at the forefront of ensuring our members receive fair compensation for their creative works. Many members are receiving higher online royalty income, including from countries where they hadn’t received royalties before.”
Finn added that IMRO is “delighted” to continue its collaboration with ICE.
“International collaboration is key to maximizing revenues for rightsholders whilst minimizing costs without duplicating resources in individual markets,” he said.
“This extension is a testament to the strong relationship we have built over the years and our joint commitment to ensuring the highest compensation for our members for the online use of their music.”
“Supporting forward-looking CMOs and publishers to innovate service to their songwriters and composers, whom we all ultimately serve, is critical and ensures our partners will thrive in the modern music rights environment.”
Ben McEwen, ICE
ICE Chief Commercial Officer Ben McEwen said the organization “deeply values” the confidence IMRO have shown in ICE with this extension.
“Supporting forward-looking CMOs and publishers to innovate service to their songwriters and composers, whom we all ultimately serve, is critical and ensures our partners will thrive in the modern music rights environment,” he said.
“Longstanding, close partnership is a feature of how we work, and we look forward to doing so with the great team at IMRO for a long time, both in representing their rights within the ICE Core license and beyond.”Music Business Worldwide