Whilst on a writing camp in Europe this week I learnt about a company called Auddly. I thought this was such a breakthrough online service that I would share it with the Pro Tools Expert community. Not only is this a way to track the splits and progress of the songs you are working on, you can upload audio ideas/finished songs and keep control of registrations with accurate split documentation. Both songwriters and publishers can be verified with their respective rights societies (PROs) when registering with the service, which simplifies the registration process and minimises the risk for disputes and other problems.
One of the features of Auddly that really impressed me, is that you can type lyrics into the app as you're working in the studio, and the updated lyrics appear on your collaborators screens as you are typing. This is particularly useful when you're cutting vocals, as any changes you make instantly show up on the vocalists screen.
Another excellent feature is the memo function. It replaces the need for iPhone voice memos, as Auddly enables you to pipe your memo straight into a specific song project, or easily create a new folder with ideas for future projects. No more plowing through dozens of 'New Recording 137.138...' in my phone, trying to find a specific idea I've recorded on the go.
What Is Auddly?
Auddly is a revolutionary song project management hub, co-owned by hitmakers Max Martin, Björn Ulvaeus of Abba and Avicii manager Ash Pournouri, where music creators can self-manage their songs, collaborations and music rights. The digital platform and mobile app are designed to provide everything you need to simplify your creative and administrative workflow.
Auddly is not a rights society and not a publisher – it's a whole new way for songwriters and producers to keep track of all their projects from inception to release. In Auddly you can log all recordings and information connected to a song, including versions, lyrics and stems as well as who wrote it, the splits, publisher affiliations and who played on the recordings – everything necessary for music creators to get paid and credited correctly by streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora. Best of all: Auddly is free to use for all music creators.
Using Auddly, you can upload all the music files, stems and information connected to a song project into the cloud, so that you can access it wherever you are. As you can imagine, security is an essential requirement for music makers such as Max Martin, so Auddly takes protecting these files very seriously (I've been told it uses the same servers as the NSA!).
I'm also impressed by the personal service Auddly provides. I can reach the helpdesk and developers by simply shaking my iPhone when using the Auddly app – as if by magic, a popup Help & Feedback window appears on the screen, where I can report a problem or suggest an improvement.
Speaking of improvements, responding to user suggestions, Auddly's developers are currently working on adding a secure playlist and pitching function to the service, which will work as a cross between Dropbox and SoundCloud, where you can track and control who you pitch the song to. It's expected to go live by the end of September, and I can't wait to try that out as well.
With lack of transparency and accuracy in the music business hitting the headlines on an almost daily basis, Auddly is a solution designed to make it easy for music makers to take charge of their rights, so they can focus on making music – and still receive the royalties they are due.
I would recommend everyone who is a songwriter or a producer to look into this fabulous service. Auddly