Music & Entertainment

Music & Entertainment

What does ColdAI do for Music & Entertainment?

Technology for the music industry has to work with the systems money already moves through: distributors, collecting societies, digital services and the contracts behind them. ColdAI builds rights and royalty records on distributed ledgers, AI agents for catalogue, licensing and fan work, direct-to-fan commerce and safeguards for an artist's likeness and voice, with music-industry leadership from Chief Culture & Innovation Officer Frank "Nitty" Gibson Jr..

Our capabilities in music & entertainment

Technology that pays artists fasterand protects what they create.

ColdAI designs, builds and operates systems for artists, labels, publishers, promoters and rights holders, from royalty infrastructure on distributed ledgers to AI agents and consent-led AI likeness. 15 capabilities across six practice areas, each with an illustrative demo.

Frank “Nitty” Gibson Jr. with a colleague at the mixing console at Westlake Recording Studios
In session · Westlake Recording Studios
Frank “Nitty” Gibson Jr. with two others outside Studio X
Studio X
Frank “Nitty” Gibson Jr. with a friend at a rooftop industry event
Industry event

Led from inside the culture

Three decades in the studio.Now building what comes next.

Our music work is led by Frank “Nitty” Gibson Jr., ColdAI’s Chief Culture & Innovation Officer: a veteran music executive, A&R, executive producer and cultural strategist with nearly three decades inside West Coast hip-hop and the wider entertainment industry. He works with our engineers to decide what should be built for artists, and keeps every platform grounded in the relationships and communities it serves.

  • RoleChief Culture & Innovation Officer
  • BackgroundMusic executive · A&R · Executive producer
  • FocusCulture × Technology × Ownership
Read Nitty’s story

01 · Rights & royalties

Royalties that settlein seconds, not quarters.

Royalty and rights infrastructure on distributed ledgers, connected to the data the industry already runs on.

Distributed ledgerSmart contracts

01 / 15

Splits every collaborator can see.

We turn split sheets into auditable smart contracts, so the artist, producer, features and writers are paid from the same rules at the same moment and each can check their share without waiting for a statement.

For Artists, producers, labels and distributors

  1. Split sheetSigned by all six
  2. Smart contractRules, audited
  3. Six payeesPaid together
Untitled 04Split contract v3 · 6 payees
Live
Earned today$1,284.20
Plays today
305,762
Per play
$0.0042

Six payees, one set of rules. Select a collaborator to see their view.

PaymentsSettled in

  1. 7f3a…c21ePlays ×38 6 payees$0.15961.4 s
  2. 91b0…04daPlays ×41 6 payees$0.17222.1 s
  3. 2c7e…a913Download 6 payees$1.29001.7 s
  4. e04f…5b28Plays ×35 6 payees$0.14701.9 s
  5. 5d12…77c0Plays ×44 6 payees$0.18482.3 s

Avg. settlement 1.9 s

Illustrative demo data

02 / 15

One record of who owns what.

We build a time-stamped registry of masters, compositions, samples and licences, reconciled against ISRC and ISWC identifiers, so clearing a sync or valuing a catalogue starts from one trusted record.

For Labels, publishers and catalogue owners

Rights registryCatalogue record · Untitled 045 / 5 verified
Rights registry for Untitled 04 (illustrative, placeholder identifiers)
AssetTypeIdentifierHolderStatus
Untitled 0414 Mar 2026 · 09:21MasterISRCXX-A7Q-26-00004Artist · 100%Verified
Untitled 0414 Mar 2026 · 09:24CompositionISWCT-900.000.004-2Writers ×3 · 40/35/25Verified
Vocal sample02 Apr 2026 · 16:05SampleLicenceLIC-0193Sample owner · 5%Verified
Untitled 04 (radio edit)19 Apr 2026 · 11:47MasterISRCXX-A7Q-26-00005Artist · 100%Verified
Trailer cue, 30 s08 Jun 2026 · 14:12Sync licenceLicenceLIC-S-2026-014Licensee · fee to splitsVerified
Time-stamped on the ledger · reconciled with ISRC / ISWCIllustrative · placeholder identifiers

03 / 15

Unmatched royalties, found and routed.

AI agents match usage and royalty reports against the registry, flag missing or conflicting metadata, and route each exception to the person who can resolve it, with the evidence attached.

For Publishers, distributors and rights administrators

Reconciliation agentUsage reports → registry → splitsRunning
Matched
1,186
Flagged
14
Batch 0419
64%
  1. Streaming AUntitled 03 · 4,551 playsMatchedXX-A7Q-25-00003 → split contract
  2. VideoUntitled 02 · 9,870 playsMatchedXX-A7Q-25-00002 → split contract
  3. Streaming BUntitled 4 · 640 playsFlaggedNo ISRC on the line rights team, evidence attached
  4. RadioUntitled 04 (radio edit) · 2,113 playsMatchedXX-A7Q-26-00005 → split contract
  5. Streaming AUntitled 04 · 18,204 playsMatchedXX-A7Q-26-00004 → split contract
Matched lines pay out through the splitsExceptions go to a personIllustrative demo data

02 · Live & fan commerce

Real tickets. Real merch.Paid to the right people.

Ticketing, merchandise and direct-to-fan commerce where the artist sets the rules and shares in the resale.

TokenisationPhygital assets

Night 01 · ticket ledger

Every seat issued as a ledger token. Resales capped at 1.5× face value, with 10% to the artist.

Illustrative demo data
  • Sold
  • Resale within cap
  • Copy rejected
  • Example ticket
Tickets issued
18,400
of 18,400 seats
Resales within cap
1,284
at most 1.5× face value
To the artist from resales
$21,186.00
10% of each resale
Copies admitted
0
37 rejected at the gate

04 / 15

Tickets that can't be copied.

Tickets issued as ledger tokens can't be duplicated. Promoters and artists set resale caps and receive an agreed share each time a ticket changes hands, while fans keep a familiar mobile experience.

For Promoters, venues and touring artists

Rules for this show

Resale cap
1.5× face value
Artist share
10% of each resale
Entry code
Rotates every few seconds
Copies
Rejected at the gate
Example ticketIllustrative demo data
Admit one · Arena tourValid on ledger

Night 01

Sat 14 Nov · Doors 19:00

1.5×Cap
Sec
104
Row
F
Seat
12
Gate
C
Token #00412Holder ···19beTransfers 2
No. 00412Code rotates
Resale ladder · Token #00412
Cap $180 · artist 10%
  1. Primary saleFace value$120Issued
  2. Resale 1Within the cap$150+$15.00
  3. Resale 2At the cap$180+$18.00
  4. New listingAbove the cap$240Refused
Paid to the artist on resale$33.00
Tag checkIllustrative demo data

Verified authentic

  1. Made and taggedSerial 0042 of 0500 bound to the tag
  2. Drop, direct to fanFirst owner$95
  3. Resold to a second fan10% resale royalty$240+$24.00 to artist
  4. Checked on a phoneJust nowAuthentic

05 / 15

Merch fans can verify.

Each item carries a serial linked to a tag, so a fan can verify it with a phone, and the artist can receive a royalty when it is resold.

For Artists, merch companies and brands

Next drop · Live recording, Night 01Illustrative demo data
Access
Verified members
Opens
48 h before public
Limit
2 per fan
Price
$35

742 / 1,000 places claimed

Access, allocation and pricing set by the artist's team

06 / 15

Direct to fans, on the artist's terms.

Limited releases, pressings and fan clubs sold directly to fans, with access rules, allocation and pricing that the artist's team controls.

For Artists and their management

03 · Catalogue finance & funding

Capital for the music,with the books open.

Programmes that let fans and investors back songs, catalogues, tours and releases, with every flow on the record.

FundraisingReal-world assets

08 / 15

Tours and albums, funded in the open.

Campaigns that fund a tour, an album or a video up front, with the budget, spending and distributions visible to every backer for the life of the programme.

For Artists, managers and promoters

Royalty-share and funding programmes are structured with the client's legal counsel to meet securities and crowdfunding rules in each market, and offered only where they are permitted.

Tour campaign

Untitled 04 Live · 12 nights

OpenIllustrative demo data

84%funded

Raised
$1,008,000 of $1,200,000
Backers
7,412
Closes in
21 days
  1. 01Dublin14 MarFunded
  2. 02Glasgow16 MarFunded
  3. 03Manchester17 MarFunded
  4. 04London19 MarFunded
  5. 05Paris21 MarFunded
  6. 06Amsterdam22 MarFunded
  7. 07Cologne24 MarFunded
  8. 08Berlin26 MarFunded
  9. 09Copenhagen27 MarFunded
  10. 10Stockholm29 MarFunded
  11. 11Milan2 AprOpen
  12. 12Madrid4 AprOpen

Album campaign

Untitled 04 · open budget

FundedIllustrative demo data

$640,000 budget$430,720 spent

  • Studio & production38%$243,200 · 92% spent
  • Video27%$172,800 · 64% spent
  • Marketing18%$115,200 · 31% spent
  • Mix & master9%$57,600 · 100% spent
  • Contingency8%$51,200 · 6% spent
Latest payment

Mix & master · final masters$14,400Receipt on record

04 · AI agents for music

Agents for the admin,so people can focus on the art.

AI agents that take on the repetitive work around licensing, catalogue and fans, inside limits the team sets.

AI agentsDevelopment

09 / 15

Sync requests, triaged in minutes.

Agents read incoming sync and licensing requests, check rights and availability against the registry, and prepare a draft quote and licence for a person to approve.

For Publishers, labels and sync teams

Limits set by the team

  • Read sync and licensing requestsAgent
  • Check rights and availabilityAgent
  • Draft quotes and licencesAgent
  • Agree a fee or send a licencePerson

Sync deskRequest 2041

Waiting for a person

Elapsed 1:52

Inbox1 new

Trailer studio, music supervisorsync@trailer-studio.example

Sync request: Untitled 04

Hi, we’d like to license Untitled 04 for a 30-second trailer, worldwide, online and cinema, for 12 months. Could you confirm availability and a fee?

Extracted by the agent

Track
Untitled 04
Use
Trailer, 30 s
Territory
Worldwide
Media
Online and cinema
Term
12 months

Agent runIllustrative demo data

  1. Read the request

    5 fields extracted from the email

    Done0:06

  2. Check rights

    Master and composition matched, 3 holders

    Cleared0:31

  3. Check availability

    No conflict for this use, territory or term

    Available0:58

  4. Draft quote and licence

    Quote and licence draft v1 prepared

    Drafted1:37

Draft quote

Awaiting approval

$18,000

Trailer · Worldwide · Online and cinema · 12 months

Licence draft v1 · 4 pages

Nothing is sent until a person approves.

10 / 15

Every fan answered, in the artist's tone.

Agents answer fan and customer questions in the tone the artist's team approves, within clear limits, and hand anything sensitive to a person.

For Artist teams, labels and fan clubs

Fan inboxAgent replying in the artist’s approved tone

Illustrative
  1. Fan

    When do Night 01 tickets go on sale?

  2. Agent

    Friday at 10am. Members get an early code on Thursday, so keep an eye on your inbox.

    From the tour FAQ
  3. Fan

    Will Untitled 04 come out on vinyl?

  4. Agent

    It will, as a limited pressing. Join the list and you'll hear first.

    From the release plan
  5. Fan

    Is the tour off because of health stuff? Heard rumours.

  6. Agent

    That one deserves a real answer from the team. I'm passing you to a person now.

    Sensitive topic: health

  7. Handed to the artist team · a person replies next

ToneWarmShortFirst names

Hands to a personHealthLegalRefundsPress

11 / 15

From a brief to a fan app.

We prototype fan-facing apps from a plain-language brief, such as remix contests, voting or member areas, with payments and royalty splits connected from the start.

For Artists, labels and agencies

BriefPrototype ready

A remix contest for Untitled 04. Fans upload a version, members vote, and the winning remix is released with the splits agreed up front.

  • Upload flow
  • Member voting
  • Payments connected
  • Royalty splits connected
Illustrative demo data

05 · Likeness & AI twins

The artist's voice.The artist's rules.

Consent-led AI for artists, and the records that prove what has, and has not, been authorised.

Decentralised identityArtificial intelligence

12 / 15

An AI twin the artist controls.

AI twins trained only with the artist's permission, held under their control, with explicit switches for what the twin may do, a clear share of what it earns and an off switch.

For Artists and estates

What the twin may do

Artist's key

Change #0141 · signed with the artist's key

Signing deals and releasing music always need the artist's own approval.

Twin · online

  • ConsentSigned by the artist, revocable
  • Trained onApproved recordings only

Fan conversation

Voice on

FanWhat's the story behind the new single?

Twin voiceIt started as a voice memo on the tour bus. The chorus came together at soundcheck the next day.

FanWill you feature on my track?

Twin voiceFeatures are the artist's own decision, so I've passed your request straight to their team.Sent to the artist for approval

Owner
The artist
Share of twin earnings
Artist 80%Operator 20%
Off switch
Held by the artist
Illustrative demo data

13 / 15

Proof of what is authorised.

Provenance records and verifiable credentials that show which uses of a voice or likeness are authorised, with monitoring workflows that surface unauthorised AI uses for review.

For Artists, estates, labels and platforms

  1. Consent signedWith the artist's own key
  2. Model trainedOn approved recordings only
  3. Credential issuedVerifiable and revocable
  4. Every use checkedExceptions routed for review

Verifiable credential · vc-0193

Voice & likeness licence

Verified · signature valid

Subject
The artistdid:example:7f3a…c21e
Voice model
VM-03sha256 4be1…09d7
Authorised uses
  • Fan messages
  • Interview translation
  • Approved ad reads
Always needs the artist
  • New releases
  • Deals and endorsements
Issuer
Artist managementdid:example:mgmt-21
Valid
Mar 2026 – Mar 2027status list · active
Illustrative demo data

Likeness monitoring

Scanning

  1. Voice note · Official fan appMatches credential · Fan messagesAuthorised
  2. Cloned-voice advert · Display networkNo matching credentialFor review
  3. Sponsored read · Podcast networkMatches credential · Approved ad readsAuthorised
  4. Face-swap clip · Social videoNo matching credentialFor review
Uses checked
1,284
Authorised
1,262
For review
22
Illustrative demo data

06 · Fan engagement & new models

Fans as partners,not just an audience.

New ways for fans to take part in an artist's career, designed carefully around the rules that apply.

Business buildingConsulting

14 / 15

Call the hit before it hits.

Engagement formats around releases and chart runs, such as predictions, challenges and collectibles, settled automatically from verified play counts.

For Labels, platforms and media companies

  • PredictionsFirst-week plays, chart debuts and milestones.
  • ChallengesFans call a chart run; results are scored automatically.
  • CollectiblesEditions that record who was there early.

Any format involving money stakes is designed with counsel and offered only where regulation permits.

OpenRelease predictionCloses in 6d 14h 07m 00s

Will Untitled 04 pass 10M plays in week one?

64%

Chance of yes▲ +1.2 today
Oracle · verified plays7,412,903 / 10,000,000

Settles automatically at close from verified play counts.

Demo controls, not functional.

Artist fee 1% · paid to the track's split contractIllustrative demo data

Any format involving money stakes is designed with counsel and offered only where regulation permits.

15 / 15

Established artists, backing new ones.

Platforms where established artists mentor and back new ones, and early supporters are recognised as a career grows, from first single to headline shows.

For Labels, collectives and artist-led companies

Royalty-share and funding programmes are structured with the client's legal counsel to meet securities and crowdfunding rules in each market, and offered only where they are permitted.

Artist development networkMentoring, backing and early supporters, on one record
Live
  • Established artist
  • New artist
  • Early supporter
Three established artists mentor and back five new artists. New artist 03 is backed by Established 02 and Established 01, has reached Debut EP, and has 642 early supporters.
New artist 03Backed by Established 02 and Established 01
  1. First single
  2. Debut EP
  3. Tour support
  4. Headline shows
Early supporterNo. 0076

Backing New artist 03 since First single, recognised at each milestone.

642 early supportersIllustrative demo data

How we work

From split sheetto a platform in production.

  1. 01Discover & designMap the rights, data and money flows, the people involved and the rules that apply, then design the system around them.
  2. 02BuildSmart contracts, registries, integrations, AI agents and fan-facing apps, built and tested against real catalogue data.
  3. 03StructureCommercial and regulatory structure worked through with the client's legal and finance advisers before anything goes live.
  4. 04OperateRun, monitor and improve the platform after launch, with clear ownership of keys, data and decisions.

Every capability

15 capabilities.One partner for the whole stack.

  1. 01Smart-contract royalty splitsRights & royaltiesOne set of rules pays every collaborator at the same moment.
  2. 02Rights and catalogue registryRights & royaltiesA time-stamped registry of masters, compositions, samples and licences.
  3. 03Royalty reconciliation agentsRights & royaltiesAI agents match usage reports to the registry and flag the gaps.
  4. 04Ticketing with resale controlsLive & fan commerceLedger-issued tickets with capped resale and a share of every transfer.
  5. 05Authenticated merchandiseLive & fan commerceSerialised items with a verifiable history and resale royalties.
  6. 06Drops and membershipsLive & fan commerceLimited releases, fan clubs and access rules the artist controls.
  7. 07Tokenised royalty participationCatalogue finance & fundingRoyalty-share programmes with holder registers and automatic distributions.
  8. 08Tour and release fundingCatalogue finance & fundingUp-front funding with budgets and distributions visible to every backer.
  9. 09Licensing and sync agentsAI agents for musicAgents check rights and availability and prepare a quote for approval.
  10. 10Fan communication agentsAI agents for musicAnswers in the artist's tone, with sensitive topics handed to people.
  11. 11Fan apps built with AIAI agents for musicRemix contests, voting and member areas, prototyped from a plain brief.
  12. 12Consent-led AI twinsLikeness & AI twinsTrained only with permission, controlled by switches the artist holds.
  13. 13Voice and likeness protectionLikeness & AI twinsProvenance records and credentials that show which uses are authorised.
  14. 14Prediction and challenge formatsFan engagement & new modelsRelease predictions and chart challenges, settled from verified data.
  15. 15Artist development platformsFan engagement & new modelsMentoring, backing and early-supporter recognition as careers grow.

Every figure in these demos is illustrative. Nothing here is an offer to sell securities, investment advice, or an offer of prediction markets where they are not permitted.

In depth

Go deeper into rights, licensing and likeness

Working guides for the catalogue, sync and AI questions labels, publishers and artists bring to us most, usable whether or not you work with us.

  1. 01Deep diveMusic metadata and unclaimed royalties, explainedWhy music royalties go unmatched: the identifiers and message standards behind every payment, where matching fails, and how to audit catalogue metadata.
  2. 02ProcessSync licensing: clearing master and publishing rightsHow a sync request is cleared: intake, ownership checks, approvals, quotes, licences and cue sheets, and where AI agents speed clearance while people decide.
  3. 03Regulation explainerProtecting an artist's voice and likeness from AIWhat protects artists from AI voice clones: the ELVIS Act, California and New York replica laws, the NO FAKES bill, EU AI Act Article 50 and practical controls.

Rights data, money and fans: the layers under every music business

Most problems at the top of this stack trace back to a gap lower down. A sync deal stalls on an unknown share; a fan store pays the wrong collaborator because the agreed split lived in an email thread.

Fans, licensees, services01Agreements and approvals02Royalty accounting03Rights and identifier data04Shared record of splits05
  1. Fans, licensees, services

    Listeners, buyers, sync clients and digital services: the points where money enters.

  2. Agreements and approvals

    Recording, publishing, management and licence terms that decide who must consent and who is paid.

  3. Royalty accounting

    Statements, recoupment and splits calculated from usage reports and sales.

  4. Rights and identifier data

    Who owns each master and composition share, linked by ISRC, ISWC and IPI numbers.

  5. Shared record of splits

    Signed, timestamped entries that the layers above can check against; evidence, not a replacement for them.

Conceptual stack of a music business's systems, top layer first. It shows dependencies, not a product architecture.

What labels, publishers and independent artists need from the same rights data

The data overlaps, but each part of the business feels its gaps in a different place.

QuestionLabelPublisherIndependent artist or manager
Records that must be rightMasters, ISRCs, contributor credits, release territoriesWorks, writer shares, ISWCs, IPI numbers, sub-publishing territoriesBoth sides at once, often spread across spreadsheets and distributor dashboards
Where money tends to leakNeighbouring rights left unclaimed; feature and producer points paid lateUnmatched mechanicals and performance income collected abroadSongs never registered and splits never agreed in writing
What an AI agent can prepareRelease metadata checks before delivery; routine artist and fan enquiriesDraft registrations, conflict flags and triage of sync requestsCatalogue clean-up, statement reading and handling of inbound requests
What a shared ledger addsA timestamped record of producer and feature agreementsOne agreed split record co-publishers can check registrations againstProof of what collaborators agreed, and direct-sale payouts that follow it
Decisions that stay humanSigning, release timing, recoupment termsSync pricing and consent; resolving disputesCreative approvals and any use of their voice or likeness

Where a ledger sits next to distributors, societies and digital services

Settling payments on a ledger only works for money that passes through a system you control: direct-to-fan sales, memberships, merchandise and licences you invoice yourself. Streaming income still arrives through distributors, and composition income through societies with their own statements and timetables. A design that promises instant settlement for every stream on every service ignores where that money actually sits.

The pattern that holds up is to anchor the agreements rather than the payments. Agreed splits, licences and consents become signed, timestamped entries, and both the on-platform payouts and the off-platform registrations read from them. ColdAI designs rights and royalty systems on distributed ledgers with that division in mind1: the ledger carries shared evidence and direct payments, and existing collecting infrastructure keeps paying what it already pays.

The same boundary applies to data. Fan identities, contact details and bank information belong in conventional, access-controlled stores, with only references or hashes on the ledger, because data protection law gives people rights to correct and erase their data that an immutable record cannot honour3.

Rules that shape a music technology project before any code is written

These apply whichever vendor or ledger you choose. Likeness and voice laws are covered separately in the AI voice and likeness explainer.

Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR)

European Union and EEA

Applies whenFan accounts, mailing lists, purchase histories or voice recordings of people in the EU are processed, including by organisations based elsewhere that target them3.

  • A lawful basis for each use of fan data, with consent where marketing rules require it3.
  • Honour rights of access, rectification and erasure, which is why personal data stays off immutable ledgers3.
  • Build data protection into the design from the start rather than adding it at launch3.

Music Modernization Act, Title I (Musical Works Modernization Act)

United States

Applies whenAn interactive streaming or download service in the US uses musical works under the blanket mechanical licence4.

  • Services report usage and pay mechanical royalties to The MLC, the designated collective4.
  • Songwriters and publishers must register their works with The MLC to be paid from it4.

Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, Article 50 (AI Act)

European Union

Applies whenAn AI system talks directly with fans, or generates audio, images or video that could pass as real people or events5.

  • Tell people when they are interacting with an AI system, which covers fan-facing chat and messaging agents5.
  • Disclose deep fakes, with a lighter form of disclosure for evidently artistic or creative works5.

Where to start, depending on what is costing you most

  • If

    Income is missing from statements, or co-writers disagree about shares.

    Then

    Start with a catalogue metadata audit before building anything new; the royalty metadata guide sets out the method.

    New platforms inherit whatever errors the existing registrations contain.

  • If

    Sync requests go unanswered or collapse close to the air date.

    Then

    Map the clearance sequence and decide which steps an agent should prepare, using the sync licensing process.

    Most lost placements fail on ownership and approvals, not on price.

  • If

    Clones of an artist are appearing, or their contracts say nothing about AI.

    Then

    Review consent terms and set up monitoring before negotiating any licensed AI use.

    An artist can only license a voice model on good terms once they control who else may make one.

  • If

    You want to sell tickets with transfer limits or stop counterfeits.

    Then

    Use the ticketing architecture work in our sports hub, which applies equally to tours and festivals.

    Venue access, resale rules and wallets work the same way whether the event is a match or a concert.

  • If

    You plan to offer fans a share of royalties, tour profit or an artist's future earnings.

    Then

    Take securities and crowdfunding advice before design, and offer it only in markets where it is permitted.

    Such offers have to be structured with securities counsel, market by market; the legal structure shapes the product, not the other way round.

Music projects led from inside the culture

ColdAI's music and entertainment work is shaped by Frank "Nitty" Gibson Jr., a veteran music executive, A&R, executive producer and cultural strategist who has spent nearly three decades in music and entertainment2. As Chief Culture & Innovation Officer he works alongside founder and CEO Dr. Shayan Salehi to decide what should be built, bringing real problems from artists and their teams to the engineers and taking technical possibilities back to the people expected to use them2.

He believes creators should have greater control over their intellectual property, audience relationships, data, likeness, voice, revenue and digital legacy, and that technology should be built with culture from the beginning rather than handed to it afterwards2. That belief is why the questions on this page start with ownership and consent before they reach platforms.

Frequently asked questions

Does recording splits on a ledger replace a PRO, The MLC or a distributor?

No. Societies, The MLC and distributors pay from their own registrations and reports, and they will keep doing so. A ledger record of agreed splits is useful evidence: co-writers and publishers can check their registrations against it, disputes start from a signed record rather than competing spreadsheets, and payments for sales you handle directly can follow it. It complements collecting infrastructure rather than bypassing it.

Can an AI agent sign licences or register songs on our behalf?

It should not. An agent can read requests, match titles to catalogue records, flag conflicting splits and draft registrations, quotes or replies. In the agents ColdAI designs, a named person approves anything that commits the rights owner, such as a price, a consent, a registration or a signature, and the agent cannot act past that point. Our guide to human-in-the-loop approvals for AI agents describes the patterns.

How is fan data protected when memberships or payments run on a ledger?

Personal data stays off the ledger. Names, emails, addresses and payment details sit in access-controlled databases under the artist's or label's control, and the ledger holds only references, hashes or wallet addresses. That keeps purchases and entitlements verifiable while still allowing fans to correct or delete their personal data, as data protection law requires. Wallet choices matter too; see our comparison of consumer wallet models.

Do we need to move our catalogue onto a new platform to start?

No. Most useful first steps work from exports you already have: distributor catalogue files, society registration exports, statements and the contract register. An audit or an agent that triages requests can run against those sources and write back through the same portals and formats your team uses now. Moving to a new platform only makes sense once the data is clean and the workflow is clear.

Where does ColdAI cover concert and festival ticketing?

Ticketing is covered on our sports pages, because the architecture for tokenised tickets, transfer limits and venue entry is the same for a stadium match and an arena tour. The sports hub sets out that work. This page focuses on rights, royalties, licensing and likeness, which are specific to music.

Who leads ColdAI's music and entertainment work?

Frank "Nitty" Gibson Jr., ColdAI's Chief Culture & Innovation Officer, a veteran music executive, A&R and executive producer, works alongside founder and CEO Dr. Shayan Salehi on what ColdAI builds for artists and rights holders. His profile tells the story of a career that began in West Coast hip-hop and now spans technology, culture and entertainment.

Sources

  1. Music & Entertainment: rights, royalties, catalogue agents and likeness protection — ColdAI
  2. Frank "Nitty" Gibson Jr., Chief Culture & Innovation Officer — ColdAI
  3. Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation) — EUR-Lex
  4. The Music Modernization Act — U.S. Copyright Office
  5. Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act) — EUR-Lex