Too Young Ltd. announces Catalog, a first-of-its-kind sync marketplace set to revolutionise music licensing

13 September 2024 - Press release

Collaboration with 20 leading independent labels, including !K7, Beggars Group, City Slang, DFA, Erased Tapes, Hyperdub, Kompakt, Marathon, Ninja Tune and Partisan Records kicks off at AIM Connected 2024

 

Too Young Ltd., a globally recognised leader in music supervision and audio post-production, launches Catalog. This groundbreaking curated sync platform streamlines music licensing and unleashes exceptional songs' full artistic and monetisation potential in audiovisual media.

 

A collaborative effort to shape the future of music licensing
Catalog is the result of a collaborative effort between Too Young Ltd. and a 20-strong list of founding partners, made up of renowned independent labels and publishers: !K7, Athens Of The North, Beggars Group, City Slang, DFA, DMY, Double Feature Records, EPM, Erased Tapes, Hyperdub, InFiné, Kompakt, Marathon Music Group, Minimal Wave, Morr Music, Ninja Tune, Partisan Records, Public Possession, Versatile, and ZE Records. It was first presented at AIM Connected, AIM’s flagship conference and networking event for entrepreneurs, strategists, and senior execs across the independent music sector and beyond, during the “The Future of Sync” strong opinion Keynote. 

The current sync licensing process has failed to keep pace with surges in visual content, leaving producers across advertising, film, and other media struggling to find high-quality music that fits their budgets and fast turnarounds. Supervisors, brands, and producers increasingly rely on generic stock music and AI-generated tracks, a market that reached $1.3 billion in 2023 - a staggering 80% of music used in media today is stock. This overreliance on generic music diminishes the quality of audiovisual productions and deprives independent artists of valuable opportunities for exposure and income.

Streamlining sync licensing with cutting-edge technology
Catalog responds to this challenge by guaranteeing a diverse and high-quality offering while providing independent artists and labels with a powerful platform to reach a global audience and monetise underrepresented gems in their repertoire. 

Catalog’s streamlined licensing process, automated workflows, and user-friendly interface dramatically reduce the time and effort required to license commercial music, enabling audiovisual storytellers and rights holders to focus on their creative work.

It features a highly curated and rich selection of sync-ready music, with all songs available to license directly through the platform. It also offers transparent smart quoting and pricing, centralised dashboards and tracking, song and artist profiling, in-platform audio editing on film, and seamless licensing execution.

Catalog leverages its proprietary Sync Smart Pricing™ algorithm to provide real-time, market-competitive estimates for any copyright within any scope. This ensures transparency and efficiency for buyers and rights holders, eliminating lengthy negotiations and ensuring fair compensation.

Empowering independent artists and labels in the digital age
The platform empowers independent labels and artists to reclaim the lucrative long-tail sync market, a space often dominated by generic stock music and commissioned tracks that regularly imitate commercial music. By offering a selection of exceptional music, Catalog ensures that music buyers can access culturally relevant tracks that resonate with audiences and elevate storytelling, avoiding the frictions of traditional licensing.

 

Frederic Schindler, Founder & CEO, Catalog, said: 
“Catalog was born out of a deep understanding of the pain points in the current sync licensing system. We saw a need for a platform that prioritises transparency, efficiency, and fairness for both artists and music buyers. Simply put, we want as much outstanding, relevant artist-driven music as possible to be used in visual media. This will benefit the audience, the artists, the content producers, and the rights holders. Everybody wins.

“Catalog is more than just a platform; it's a movement of like-minded people towards a more ethical and sustainable music licensing ecosystem.”

 

Michael Mayer, Artist and Co-founder, Kompakt Records, said:
“In the music business, it doesn't occur all too often that the right people have the right ideas at the right time, and the minds behind Catalog belong in that category. To me, it's important to be represented by people who genuinely care about music.”

 

Andrea Lacroix, Head of Synch & Licensing, !K7 Music, said:
“We're excited to be a founding partner of this impressive platform that enhances access to our unique catalogues and hidden gems. Catalog offers a streamlined and scalable solution to license our music efficiently, opening up new opportunities to elevate our sync business.”

 

Emma Lomas - Head of Licensing, Beggars Group, said: 
“We’re very happy to be one of the founding partners of Catalog. When we first started speaking to Fred and his team about their vision, we were excited to be involved with a platform that respects the artists we work with and understands our values and the value of great music. I am confident this will bring our artists more opportunities and increase our sync business.”

 

Beta launching in 2025
The platform opened its early access applications in September 2024, and a private invite-only Beta launch is anticipated in Q1 2025. Music supervisors and buyers are invited to sign up for the mailing list and experience the future of music licensing firsthand. 

Catalog is currently working closely with its founding partners towards the Beta launch and will not be onboarding additional repertoire at this time, except for publishers with existing relationships with current imprints.