TCAT launches mobile app to combat music piracy

13 June 2024 - Press release

‘To Catch A Thief’

Piracy is a $13 Billion-a-Year Problem

Ground-Breaking Software Will Allow Artists To Check Who Is Pirating Their Music

 

TCAT, the music industry’s anti-piracy software developer, has launched a new App that will allow artists to see where their music is being illegally used on music stores around the world.

Designed to stem the growing flow of money away from artists (an estimated $13 billion was pirated in 2023), The TCAT Protect App will sit on smart phones and monitor digital music stores using its patented audio finger-printing technology.

For the first time, artists will be able to track their music across the world, in real time, and uncover potential theft through A.I and human duplication (piracy). The App will also indicate potential lost revenues by flagging territories where the artist’s music is not available on music stores.

Robin Abeyesinhe, TCAT COO / CFO said:
“This is a game changer for artists and rightsholders. If you are releasing music as a single artist or a record company, you will be losing money because of dated royalty accounting systems designed in the historic manual era. In the digital era, it is impossible for those systems to monitor every track, for potential infringement, across the world. The TCAT Protect App is designed to address that problem.”

Abeyesinhe says the technology can be developed for other sectors such as film and gaming, where profiteering from illegal use remains a big issue. MUSO’s ‘Piracy By Industry’ Report (2023) estimates annual losses to the movie industry of up to $97.1 billion.

In the meantime, musicians, labels, royalty accountants and anyone with an interest in protecting their income from music online will be able to access TCAT Protect. New sign-ups will receive a free 7-day trial, after which users can choose from three subscription tiers, each designed for artists and rightsholders of differing sizes and budgets.  

“If TCAT can add an additional 10, 20 or 30 percent to your royalties for example, then we are talking about billions in additional revenue across the global music industry”, said Abeyesinhe, “Every artist, manager, content owner or acquirer is going to want this.”

TCAT’s recent analysis of just one major label artist revealed an estimated$180,000 in lost revenues on DSPs through piracy, expired or unlicensed exploitation of unauthorised and leaked tracks, cloned or fake uploads andduplicated releases.