Music monitoring project is a big hit

3:49pm Thursday 10th January 2002

A ST ALBANS firm specialising in satellite communications systems has been awarded a government grant to develop a pioneering radio music monitoring system.

The monitoring technology, which will be able to listen to hundreds of satellite radio stations simultaneously, is expected to revolutionise the way record companies recoup their royalties.

Avanti Communications, based in Catherine Street, develops operational applications of satellite communications systems and specialises in the delivery of digital music via broadband satellite systems internet radio stations.

Across Europe, hundreds of radio stations broadcast digitally from satellites as well as terrestrially.

Avanti's software will upgrade the existing system of royalty checking (projected airplay and rough estimates of which station is playing which records) by checking watermarks embedded within each record track.

It will be able to build up a detailed picture of when and where across Europe each record track is broadcast.

Project manager Andrew Middleton says independent record companies could benefit the most if the technology is implemented Europe-wide.

He said: "The independents depend on the income from royalties more than the big players. This system could help them claim what's theirs."

The grant from the Department of Trade and Industry's Small Business Service is a Smart Award, given to firms which display ingenuity and innovation.

Mr Middleton said the grant of up to £45,000 will enable the company to take its software to the production stage.

He said: "We are at the patenting stage at the moment. Persuading all the record companies it will be cost-effective is the main barrier.

"It is a bit like the chicken and egg scenario.

"The watermarking system came first and now it is up to us to prove that the tracking system can work and will be affordable."