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A Silent Drain on Revenue

Industry research shows that up to 25% of potential royalties go unclaimed or underreported due to inaccurate rights data and inefficient systems. In a global industry worth over $40 billion annually in music publishing alone, that’s a staggering $10 billion potentially lost each year.

In television and film, the problem is equally severe. According to the European Audiovisual Observatory, discrepancies in rights tracking can delay or derail distribution deals, costing broadcasters and producers valuable time and revenue. The average production company may lose 5–10% of income from missed or incorrect royalty payments.

Why does this happen? Rights data is often stored in disparate, outdated systems. Metadata inconsistencies, ambiguous contracts, and manual data entry errors compound the issue. The more complex the rights landscape, think international licensing, multi-platform distribution, or multiple stakeholders the higher the risk.

More Than Just Money

The cost of poor rights management isn't just financial. There are regulatory and reputational risks as well. With increasing scrutiny from rights organisations and tax authorities, inaccurate reporting can result in legal challenges, fines, or audits. For high-profile companies, even a small error can trigger damaging headlines.

Automation: The First Line of Defence

The solution? Modernisation through automation and professional oversight.

At Lockside, we’ve seen first-hand how transforming legacy systems into efficient, automated workflows can dramatically reduce errors and boost revenue recovery. Our founder, Ed Hearsey, has over 30 years of experience in music and broadcast rights, including senior roles at PRS for Music, Warner Chappell, and BBC Studios. Ed led the development of bespoke rights systems at Kobalt Music setting the benchmark for automated accuracy in rights management.

Using automation tools, companies can now streamline royalty processing, cleanse metadata, and maintain a consistent audit trail. Systems with built-in validation logic flag discrepancies in real time, catching issues before they snowball into lost income.

In one recent case, Lockside helped a mid-sized music rights organisation recover over £2 million in missing royalties simply by identifying mismatched data between their royalty system and the registration databases of collecting societies.

The Value of Professional Services

But automation alone isn’t enough. Rights management is complex, and every company’s portfolio is different. That’s where bespoke consultancy adds value.

Lockside provides tailored services to help creative companies navigate everything from contractual reviews to system audits and team training. We translate technical royalty frameworks into business strategies that protect and grow revenue.

For example, we recently supported a broadcaster whose in-house rights database hadn’t been updated for five years. Our team conducted a comprehensive data audit, implemented system updates, and introduced a rights tracking protocol. Within six months, the broadcaster saw a 15% increase in rights-based revenue, thanks to more accurate licensing data.

Prevention is Better Than Cure

Rights and royalties may seem like backend operations, but they directly impact bottom lines. In an industry where every stream, download, or play has value, precision matters. Delaying investment in proper rights management often leads to expensive clean-ups later.

The good news? With the right tools and expert guidance, businesses can shift from reactive to proactive management. Automation reduces routine errors; professional support ensures the integrity of systems and strategy.

At Lockside, our mission is simple: help the creative industries maximise the value of their work accurately, transparently, and sustainably.

Final Thoughts

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, rights mismanagement isn’t just a technical issue, it's a business risk. The statistics are clear, and the opportunity cost is too high to ignore.

If your organisation isn’t sure what’s slipping through the cracks, now’s the time to act. Get in touch with Lockside to find out how we can help you secure your revenue, strengthen your rights data, and build a more reliable royalty infrastructure.

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