For catalogue owners
Music catalogue management
Music catalogue management is the ongoing work of keeping a catalogue's rights records, metadata, society registrations, deliveries and royalty collection accurate for as long as it earns. We do that work for labels, estates and investors, so the catalogue is collected in full and stays ready for a sale, a refinancing or an audit.
Who catalogue management is for
Catalogue owners who need the asset run properly but do not want to build a rights department to do it.
Independent labels
Your team is focused on new releases while the back catalogue earns most of the money. We keep the older releases registered, delivered and collected.
Estates and their lawyers
An inherited catalogue needs an owner of record, current registrations and someone to answer society queries. We run it and report in plain terms to executors and beneficiaries.
Investors and acquirers
You bought the catalogue for its income. We make sure ownership transfers are registered and the income keeps arriving after completion.
What music catalogue management includes
Ownership and rights records
One verified record of who owns each master and each song, in which territories and in what shares, kept current as agreements start, end or change hands.
Metadata and identifiers
ISRCs, ISWCs, UPCs, IPI numbers and credits checked and corrected at source, through our Metadata Administration service.
Society registrations
Works and recordings registered and maintained with the societies that pay them, including PRS for Music and PPL in the UK and their international equivalents.
Distribution and delivery
Releases kept live and correctly delivered to more than 150 streaming and download services, with existing ISRCs preserved when catalogues move.
Royalty collection and reconciliation
Statements checked against what each work and recording should earn, with unmatched income claimed before society deadlines.
Owner reporting
Regular reporting written for owners, boards and beneficiaries: what was collected, what was fixed and what still needs a decision.
Catalogue management software or a managed service?
Many searches for catalogue management lead to software. Software is useful, but it stores the data. It does not register works, chase societies or claim unmatched income.
| Catalogue management software | Managed service (Code Group Music) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | Your team | Our administrators |
| Society registrations and claims | Prepared by you, filed by you | Filed and followed up by us |
| Fixing conflicts and duplicates | Your team investigates | We investigate and correct at source |
| Best fit | Labels with an in-house rights team | Labels, estates and investors without one |
| Pricing model | Usually a licence fee | Commission on royalties collected, plus scoped metadata work |
Our administrators work in VERA, the catalogue verification platform we built in-house, so you get the consistency of software without having to staff it.
How catalogue management is priced
Publishing Administration and Digital Distribution run on a 15% commission on royalties collected, with no upfront fee. Metadata Administration and one-off audits are priced on application, because the work depends on the size and condition of the catalogue.
Not sure where your catalogue stands? A royalty audit shows what your statements are missing before you commit to ongoing management.
How to start catalogue management
- 01
Request a Catalog Assessment
Tell us what you own and who handles it today. The assessment is free.
- 02
Agree the scope
We propose which services you need and confirm the commission and any scoped metadata work in writing.
- 03
Onboard and audit
We take in your catalogue as it is, verify it, and list what needs fixing first.
- 04
Fix and register
Records are corrected at source, missing registrations are filed and transfers from previous providers are completed.
- 05
Run and report
We collect, reconcile and report, and raise anything that needs your decision.
Catalogue management questions
What is music catalogue management?
Music catalogue management is the ongoing work of keeping a catalogue's ownership records, metadata, society registrations, deliveries to streaming services and royalty collection accurate after release. It covers both the master recordings and the songs, and it continues for as long as the catalogue earns, because every new use, territory or change of ownership creates records that need updating.
Do I need catalogue management software or a managed service?
Software gives your team a place to store and organise catalogue data, but someone still has to register works, file claims, chase unmatched income and fix conflicts with societies. A managed service does that work for you. Labels with an in-house rights team often use software; owners without one, including most estates and investors, usually need a managed service.
Who is music catalogue management for?
Independent labels with a back catalogue, estates and their lawyers responsible for an inherited catalogue, and investors or acquirers who own catalogues but do not run a rights department. It suits any owner whose catalogue earns enough that missed registrations and stale data cost real money.
How is catalogue management priced?
Publishing Administration and Digital Distribution run on a 15% commission on royalties collected, with no upfront fee. Metadata Administration is priced on application, based on catalogue size and condition. The free Catalog Assessment is the starting point for a written proposal.
Can you take over a catalogue from another administrator or distributor?
Yes. We plan the handover so existing ISRCs, release history and society registrations carry across, notify each society and service of the change, and check the first statements after the move to confirm income followed. Moves are where catalogues most often lose income, so we treat the transition as part of the service, not a one-off task.
Related services and guides
Music catalogue audit
A one-off review of metadata health, registrations, chain of title and splits before you commit to ongoing management.
See what the catalogue audit covers →Music royalty audit
Statements reconciled against registrations to find the income your catalogue earned but never received.
Find missing royalties →Buying a music catalogue
The deal stages, the checks and the post-completion transfers acquirers need to plan for.
Read the acquirer guide →Society membership and registration rules are set by PRS for Music for songs and PPL for recordings in the UK.