The leaders in royalty audits of digital services.
For over 25 years, the world’s biggest labels, publishers and artists have relied on Royalty Review Council to uncover underpayments, find uses outside the licensed scope, and present every dollar they are owed.
“Their understanding of the reporting from various digital services around the world is unparalleled.”
- All the major record labels
- All the major music publishers
- Indie record labels
- Indie music publishers
- Merlin
- Some of the top artists in the world
- The largest record distributors
- Some of the largest venture capital groups
- Universal Music Group
- BMG Rights Management
- Fontana Distribution
- Caroline
- Lionsgate
- MPCA Music Publishing
- Merlin
The RRC Difference
- Audits
- Accounting
- Due Diligence
- Licensing
- 01
We wrote the playbook for digital audits.
Pioneers of the procedure.
Royalty Review Council pioneered the procedures for examining digital services, including setting the procedures for SoundExchange’s audits of webcasters over 25 years ago. We have conducted more digital service audits worldwide than anybody.
- 02
Built for data at enormous scale.
Over 20 billion streams a month.
Our systems process and review reporting of over 20 billion streams per month for the largest services and the largest audits. We are savvy with technology, so the volume never limits how closely we look.
- 03
We find what goes beyond the license.
Strategic assessments, not just recalculations.
We show you where you are not being paid, especially where a licensee has gone outside the agreed scope of its grant of rights. Every issue we find is presented with the underpayment behind it.
- 04
Independent, and experienced from the inside.
Over 30 years in reporting, copyrights and due diligence.
Our team has worked at the same kinds of labels, publishers and services we review. We avoid auditing the companies we audit for, so our findings carry weight at the negotiating table.
Our services
Royalty Audits
Compliance exams of digital services that find underreported royalties, uses outside the licensed scope, and every dollar still owed.
Learn more 02Royalty Accounting
A turnkey outsourced royalty department for music, video, film, publishing and games, with remote and on-site options.
Learn more 03Catalog Due Diligence
Financial due diligence on master and song catalogs, with advice on acquisitions exceeding $5 billion in aggregate value.
Learn more 04Licensing & Research
Mechanical licensing managed end to end, and research into unknown song publishers and unreported uses.
Learn moreDepth no one else in the industry can match.
Our clients have included all the major record labels, all the major music publishers, a number of indie record labels and indie music publishers, Merlin, some of the top artists in the world, some of the largest venture capital groups, and the largest record distributors.
Trusted by the people who run the business.
“We have hired RRC to conduct audits of digital services for many years and their specialized skill set delivers results. I’m always confident that when RRC handles an audit that they will focus on the details and are thorough. Their understanding of the reporting from various digital services around the world is unparalleled.”
“BMG made an excellent choice a few years ago when we selected Royalty Review Council to conduct financial due diligence for our catalog acquisitions. Their in-depth knowledge of the business (publishing and masters) and ability to acutely assess the accuracy of historical earnings played a part in our success to acquire so many catalogs so quickly and efficiently. We value our relationship with RRC as a trusted business partner.”
“As we continue to expand the services we provide our clients, we are laser-focused on selecting the best companies in their respective fields. And there is none better than Royalty Review Council. Keith has assembled an A-list team that possesses in-depth knowledge and extensive experience in music royalties, copyrights, contracts, licenses and distribution - true professionals who understand the business from the inside. Their proven track record of success will be an incredible resource and benefit to our partner labels.”
“We felt that the best provider to manage the royalty accounting services for our clients was Royalty Review Council. Their track record and in-depth knowledge with music royalties, copyrights, licenses, contracts and distribution will greatly benefit our independent label partners.”
“Royalty Review Council has handled our music royalty accounting for over 3 years. I have complete trust in them. They work hard to deliver timely and accurate statements.”
“We’ve worked with Royalty Review Council on several occasions for over seven years. We appreciate their tremendous insights that help us make good decisions about our catalog acquisitions. RRC brings an unparalleled skill set to the financial due diligence process. We continue to expand our relationship with RRC and highly recommend their due diligence services.”
“My clients and I have worked with Royalty Review Council for many years and appreciate their in-depth knowledge of music copyright issues, specialized digital audits and other aspects of digital distribution. They’re sharp and savvy professionals who regularly confront complex and cutting-edge issues in the entertainment industry. Whether it be sophisticated due diligence for a potential transaction or specialized consultation for hard-fought litigation, Royalty Review Council delivers high quality results.”
“I have known and worked with Keith for nearly 20 years. Hard to believe. It seems like just yesterday that he was dotting my i’s and crossing my t’s at A&M Records. Since then we’ve stayed close and worked together at various times as Keith has elevated himself to Pioneer status in the digital content age. There is not a smarter man alive when it comes to tracking content and making sure that rights holders get compensated for their hard work. Keith is honest, brilliant, commanding, and a true visionary. I’m honored to call him a friend and mentor.”
Find out what you’re really owed.
Tell us about your catalog, your licenses and the services you need reviewed. We will scope the work and show you where the money is.
We thought you might ask
What is a royalty audit?
A royalty audit is typically an examination of the books and records of the licensee or distributor of intellectual property to determine if there were any payment miscalculations or underreporting of transactions related to the statements rendered and the royalties paid.
Why do I need to perform a royalty audit?
The primary purpose of a royalty audit is to verify the payments and amounts otherwise payable by an authorized distributor in connection with the transactions of intellectual property, such as music, movies, TV programs, books and video games. A royalty audit is performed on behalf of the owner of the intellectual property. There are a number of reasons why a royalty audit could determine that your royalties were underpaid, such as reporting errors, interpretation of contract terms, the implementation of workflows & software and the accounting of complex royalty terms. If no reporting and accounting errors are found, you have the comfort that you are being paid properly.
For what kind of companies do you perform royalty audits?
The list of royalty examinations we have performed is unparalleled. Royalty Review Council performs examinations of digital service providers on behalf of record companies, music publishers, book publishers, game companies and film & television studios. We also review record companies and performing rights societies on behalf of recording artists, producers, publishers and licensors, and music publishing companies on behalf of songwriters, publishers, and administrators.
Why do you call yourselves an “independent” royalty auditor?
Few royalty auditing firms are truly independent. The obvious concern in an audit is that a conflict of interest could be a reason to challenge the credibility of the review. Our company’s strategy is to avoid situations where we are performing royalty audits on the same companies on whose behalf we audit. Since we avoid conflicts of interest, our objectivity provides comfort to our clients.
What do you mean by Digital Service Provider audit?
Royalty Review Council is the premier digital service provider auditing firm in the world. We pioneered the procedures for examining digital services, including setting the procedures for SoundExchange’s audits of webcasters over 25 years ago. We have reviewed download companies, streaming media companies, subscription services, aggregators, mobile carriers and other DSPs delivering music, films, television programs, audio books and games.
How much does a royalty audit cost?
To determine the fees for any royalty audit, we first need to understand the scope of the project (for example, the number of years to review, the frequency of royalty statements and payments, how many products, etc.). With a limited amount of information concerning a potential audit we can prepare a fee estimate for you.