This article originally appeared in the November/December 2024 issue of Startups Magazine. Click here to subscribe

With his creation of the Audoo Audio Meter, Edwards is bringing how rights organisations capture and analyse the music played in venues up to the 21st century, ensuring that musicians get paid accurately for their work.

But it wasn't always tech for Edwards. His career took a detour through retail, before circling back to his musical roots, merging tech and passion in a way that is now gaining momentum in several markets.

“It's kind of crazy when people realise how weird the [royalty] system is. Those who get it think, ‘how do I pay things forward?.’”

A record moment

Edwards' moment of inspiration came unexpectedly in a department store on Oxford Street. After hearing one of his old band’s songs playing in the background, his wife’s offhand question – “how much do you get paid for that?” – ignited a curiosity in him. After research, he found the system for tracking music royalties was “not broken, but simply outdated and lacking modern technology.” At that time, music royalty payments were still based on manual surveys and randomised samples.

After working in retail, Edwards went on to work in digital and data. Applying his knowledge of each facet of industry, Edwards set out to build a better system.

The first iteration of the Audoo Audio Meter was “far from glamorous”. It was, as Edwards describes, a basic chipboard prototype – but it worked. That success led to a meeting with the chairman of PRS, the UK’s performing rights organisation, who encouraged Edwards to refine the device. And so, Audoo was born.

Five years later, Edwards reflects: “I thought, if you can crack this and make it look a bit better than chipboard, the whole world’s going to need it.”

Audoo audio meter: a family affair

The current version of the Audoo Audio Meter is sleek and elegant and roughly the size of a mobile phone. It features eight embedded microphones in a minimalist black design, complete with grooves reminiscent of a vinyl record – a nod to Edwards' father, a lifelong record collector. The operation is extremely simple, requiring only a power socket to begin capturing and analysing audio reflections in the room, pinpointing the music being played.

Edwards adds personal touches to every aspect of the product, even down to the model number, RHA, which stands for Ryan, Holliey, and Asher – his wife and daughter. “You’ve got to have fun with it, inspire creativity,” says Edwards, who often describes Audoo as a family venture.

The meter’s accuracy comes from its design, which picks up not just the sound coming directly from speakers, but also the reflections bouncing around the room, improving the identification process compared to tools like Shazam. This level of precision helps rights organisations ensure the correct artist and songwriters are paid, regardless of where the music is played.

Making privacy and GDPR a priority

As with any device handling sensitive data, Audoo needed to be GDPR- compliant from day one – something that Edwards is very passionate about. The Audio Meter doesn’t store or transmit any audio recordings. Instead, it creates digital fingerprints that are matched against a database of over 150 million tracks held in Audoo’s Cloud. These fingerprints are sent in real-time, ensuring venues never have to worry about their privacy being breached.

“There are no buttons, no sockets, or anything like that on it. All we need is a power point,” Edwards explains. The meter even avoids using a venue’s Wi-Fi, thanks to a built-in SIM card – meaning it can function without disrupting the venue’s operations.

This commitment to data privacy is central to the ethos of Audoo, ensuring venues and rights organisations alike feel secure in adopting the technology.

Challenges and triumphs

Like many startups, Audoo faced hurdles, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s initial launch in the UK was postponed, with Edwards scrambling to secure funding just to survive the year.

Edwards remembers those early seed rounds as challenging, with investors grilling him and some even treating him rudely. However, a good idea speaks for itself and investors soon began to realise the potential of the technology, and eventually they rallied behind the company.

From there, things really began to take off and once high-profile names like Bjorn Ulvaeus (of ABBA) and Sir Elton John invested, things started to change. The backing from these industry giants cemented Audoo’s position in the music-tech space.

“It was a validation moment. People started to sit up and take notice.”

Helping venues and musicians thrive

One of Audoo’s key advantages is how it simplifies life for venues. In the past, venues had to either report manually what music was played – a flawed method – or rely on randomised samples, which could miss significant data. The Audio Meter integrates seamlessly into the venue's existing operations and, best of all, costs venues nothing, as the rights organisations cover the expenses.

Venues have been keen to embrace the technology, not just because of its efficiency, but because of the transparency it offers. Each year, venues can receive detailed reports showing exactly where their license fees went, breaking down which musicians received payment and how much. Some venues are even using the data to improve their playlists to better align with customer preferences.

This blend of data, transparency, and automation is helping to correct long-standing issues in the music royalty system.

“It could literally be the difference between somebody having a career or not, of somebody giving up on their dream or scraping through and actually making it.”

Looking forward

“The plan is huge for us. The next 12 months is all about the US, and we’ve just launched our next product, which focuses on live music.”

This next phase will see Audoo expand into capturing and tracking performances at concerts and festivals, automating the collection of setlists and ensuring all artists and songwriters involved get paid correctly. Having already tested this technology at large-scale events, like Glastonbury, Edwards feels confident that Audoo’s system is ready to revolutionise live music royalties in the same way it has for recorded music.

Edwards believes that the company’s work is about more than just technology; it’s about making sure artists and songwriters, big and small, get the recognition and payment they deserve.

“We’re just getting started. There’s so much more we can do, and we want to help artists and songwriters everywhere get paid fairly.”

Audoo’s journey is one of passion, persistence, and purpose, and with the continued support of investors, rights organisations, and venues, its mission is well on its way to becoming a global standard in music royalty tracking.