{
  "id": 18251457,
  "title": "The $1.4 Billion ‘No-Brainer’ Opportunity The Music Industry Is Missing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/the-1-4-billion-no-brainer-opportunity-the-music-industry-is-missing",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-05T05:08:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/pro/soundtrack-opportunity-music-industry-missing/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new study commissioned by Soundtrack, a commercial music streaming platform backed by Spotify, reveals that U.S. businesses are leaving $1.4 billion in royalties on the table every year due to non-compliance with commercial music requirements. According to the study, only 19% of businesses that play music are fully compliant, with nearly 80% using consumer streaming services, which are only licensed for personal use. Only 5% report having licenses from all four major performing rights organizations. Soundtrack's founder, Ola Sars, believes this \"extreme\" level of non-compliance presents an opportunity to unlock exponential growth in music industry revenue. Despite the complexity of the licensing process, Sars asserts that it is a \"pretty big no-brainer\" for businesses to compensate artists fairly by using licensed music in their establishments. To address this issue, Soundtrack has partnered with SESAC, offering a commercial music streaming solution for around $35 a month, which includes customizable playlisting tools and access to a catalog of over 155 million tracks.",
  "summary": "Soundtrack, the music streamer used by restaurants and retailers globally, estimates billions are lost in revenue every year in the U.S. from businesses that unwittingly stream music illegally.",
  "key_points": [
    "U.S. businesses miss $1.4 billion in royalties annually",
    "Only 19% of businesses fully compliant with commercial music rules",
    "Soundtrack offers $35/month licensed streaming solution"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Widespread reliance on personal streaming services creates a massive revenue gap for artists and provides a clear opening for commercial platforms to capture untapped licensing fees from businesses.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}