The Irish Music Rights Organisation

What The Irish Music Rights Organisation does

IMRO (Irish Music Rights Organisation CLG) is Ireland's sole performing rights organisation (PRO), operating as a non-profit Company Limited by Guarantee with statutory authority under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000. The organisation licenses the public performance of copyrighted music to Irish businesses and collects and distributes royalties to songwriters, composers, arrangers, and music publishers. Since January 1, 2016, IMRO has administered the Dual Music Licence, a combined agreement with PPI (Phonographic Performance Ireland) covering both musical works and sound recordings under a single contract, simplifying compliance for the roughly thousands of Irish businesses that play music in commercial settings.

The core technology platform centres on a repertoire database of approximately 22 million musical works, against which usage data from broadcasters, live events, background music providers, and digital streaming services is matched to allocate royalties. IMRO uses multiple distribution methodologies (census, sample, analogy) to allocate royalties where direct matching is not possible, and supplements this with Unmatched Performances and Unmatched Commercials databases that allow members to claim royalties for unidentified works. A password-protected member portal provides royalty statements, work registration, setlist submission, and query tracking. The organisation maintains reciprocal agreements with 80+ international sister societies (including ASCAP, BMI, PRS, SACEM, GEMA, JASRAC) providing royalty collection in 180+ countries.

IMRO's revenue model is built on annual licensing fees from music-using businesses and inbound royalties from overseas PROs, with approximately 14% deducted for administrative costs before distribution to rights holders. IMRO differentiates itself with a 2% overseas administration fee (0% for UK collections), well below industry norms of 4-8%, and a 33.3% first-year surcharge on businesses that do not proactively license. The go-to-market combines a nationwide field sales team targeting unlicenced businesses with a self-service online licensing portal (licensing.imro.ie) and channel partnerships through VFI, IHF, and RAI. Member benefits include travel grants, affinity schemes, and a sponsorship programme supporting Irish music development. No revenue figures, headcount, or funding data are publicly disclosed.

Name

The Irish Music Rights Organisation

Legal name

Irish Music Rights Organisation CLG

Website

https://imro.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

IMRO is Ireland's sole performing rights organisation, licensing public music performance to businesses and distributing royalties to 29,000+ songwriters, composers, and publishers through a global network of 80+ sister societies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Rights Administration

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230), Music Publishers (51223)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) & Public Performance Licensing (MPAIAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performance Rights Administration (PRO Affiliation, Cue Sheet/Setlist Processing) (MPAIABAE), Royalty Accounting & Payment Services (Statements, Audits, Payee Management) (MPAIABAL)

Keywords

• Music rights licensing
• Royalty collection
• Collective management
• Performance rights
• Music publishing administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Music Licence Fees (Dual Music Licence): IMRO collects annual licence fees from businesses that publicly perform copyright music. Since January 2016, IMRO administers the Dual Music Licence, which combines both IMRO (musical works) and PPI (sound recordings) permissions into a single licence. Fees are calculated based on tariff categories that reflect business type and music usage, with many tariffs adjusted annually for CPI inflation. Approximately 14% is deducted for administrative costs before remaining royalties are distributed to rights holders.
2. Royalty Distribution from Overseas: IMRO receives royalties from over 80 international sister societies (affiliated performing rights organisations) for performances of Irish music overseas. These are distributed monthly to members with a 2% administration fee (0% for UK), significantly below industry norms of 4-8%.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IMRO is a collective management organization that administers the public performing rights of songwriters, composers, and music publishers in Ireland. It issues licences to businesses and organisations that publicly use music, collects the resulting licence fees, and distributes royalties to its members and to affiliated foreign societies on a reciprocal basis.

Product overview

IMRO (Irish Music Rights Organisation) is a collective management organisation that operates as a unified platform for music rights management. The core offering consists of the Dual Music Licence (combining IMRO and PPI music copyrights), the Member Online Portal for work registration and royalty management, and the Unmatched Performances/Commercials Databases for identifying unclaimed royalties. Supporting services include music licensing for businesses, global royalty collection through agreements with 80+ international sister societies, the Travel Grant Programme, Affinity Schemes, and the Sponsorship Programme. Membership is free for eligible songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Performance Music Licence Blanket licence issued to businesses and organisations (broadcasters, venues, retailers, digital services, hospitality) that publicly perform music in Ireland, granting authorisation to use the IMRO-controlled repertoire of musical works in exchange for a tariff-based licence fee.
• Member Rights Administration and Royalty Distribution Administrative service for songwriters, composers, and music publishers who appoint IMRO to manage their public performance rights, including monitoring of music use, collection of licence fees, and distribution of royalties back to members based on usage.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14% administrative cost deduction on royalties collected — remaining 86% distributed to rights holders
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GC PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMRO announced an expanded partnership with GC Partners to reduce foreign exchange (FX) costs and boost royalties for music creators. The partnership helps minimise currency conversion costs when distributing international royalties to members.
• PPI (Phonographic Performance Ireland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMRO and PPI merged their separate music licences into the Dual Music Licence effective January 1st, 2016. IMRO now administers both licences on behalf of PPI, simplifying the licensing process for businesses while covering both musical works (IMRO) and sound recordings (PPI).
• ICE ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationICE Services manages licensing for online services that operate across multiple territories and handles the processing of usage data, which is then provided to IMRO for distribution to members.
• VFI (Vintners Federation of Ireland)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIMRO offers member-specific tariff rates (Tariff 49) for Hotel Bars and Public Houses for VFI members, providing preferential licensing terms for association members.
• IHF (Irish Hotels Federation)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIMRO offers member-specific tariff rates (Tariff 45, Tariff 48) for restaurants, cafes, and hotel bars for Irish Hotels Federation members, providing preferential licensing terms for association members.
• RAI (Restaurants Association of Ireland)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIMRO offers member-specific tariff rates (Tariff 50) for restaurants and cafes for RAI members.
• International Sister Societies (80+)coreTechnology or IntegrationIMRO has reciprocal agreements with 80+ performing rights organisations in over 180 countries. These sister societies include APRA (Australia), ASCAP, BMI, SESAC (USA), PRS (UK), SACEM (France), GEMA (Germany), JASRAC (Japan), and many others. They facilitate international royalty collection and distribution for members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• PRS for Music: UK performing rights organisation licensing public performance rights for songwriters, composers and publishers. Closest geographic and functional peer to IMRO, with which it has a 0% admin fee reciprocal arrangement.
• ASCAP: US performing rights organisation with the largest repertoire of public performance rights globally. Sister society of IMRO and direct comparator on admin fees, distribution methodologies and member services.
• BMI: US-based PRO competing with ASCAP and a sister society of IMRO. Operates the same fundamental collective licensing model across public performance, broadcast and online.
• SACEM: France's performing rights organisation and one of IMRO's largest reciprocal partners in continental Europe. Operates the same PRO model across public performance, broadcast, online and mechanical rights.
• GEMA: Germany's PRO administering public performance, broadcast and online rights for German songwriters and publishers. Sister society of IMRO and structural peer in terms of repertoire size and member base.
• JASRAC: Japan's PRO — IMRO's reciprocal partner in Asia. Operates identical collective licensing of public performance rights across a large national membership.
• APRA AMCOS: Australia and New Zealand's combined PRO/collecting society, also listed among IMRO's reciprocal partners. Directly comparable in structure (combined performing and mechanical) and scale.
• SESAC: US-based PRO operating the same collective licensing model for public performance of music. Sister society of IMRO and direct structural comparator.

Emerging players

• SoundExchange: US non-profit collecting digital performance royalties for sound recordings. Functions as a complement to traditional PROs (including IMRO) and is part of ICE Services' multi-territory online licensing infrastructure that IMRO relies on.

Others

• ICE Services: Multi-territory licensing hub providing online music licensing infrastructure that processes usage data for IMRO and other PROs. Enabling technology peer rather than direct competitor, listed as a core integration partner in IMRO's stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IMROireland
• Facebookfacebook.com/imro.ireland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irish-music-rights-organisation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Irish Music Rights Organisation