Recorded Artists Actors Performers
Recorded Artists Actors Performers (RAAP) is an Irish not-for-profit collection society that collects and distributes neighbouring rights royalties on behalf of musicians and actors whose recorded performances are broadcast or used publicly in Ireland and across 55+ international territories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Recorded Artists Actors Performers does
Recorded Artists Actors Performers (RAAP) is Ireland's not-for-profit performers' collection society, incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee and headquartered at 40 Northumberland Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Established in 2001 under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, RAAP collects and distributes neighbouring rights royalties on behalf of musicians and actors whose recorded performances are broadcast on radio, television, digital services, or played in public venues, both domestically and internationally. The organisation represents featured artists, session musicians, and actors across all genres and career stages.
RAAP's core product is its membership-based royalty collection and distribution service, supported by the RAAP-Online member portal (powered by Kernel Software) where members manage accounts, upload discographies, and track payment statements. The organisation processes over 3 million individual airplays annually across Irish radio and television, holds reciprocal collection agreements with 55+ territories worldwide, and operates with a lean staff of 1-10 employees. International royalties are distributed monthly once accounts reach a €20 threshold, while Irish airplay royalties are paid bi-annually with backdating up to three years. The organisation holds Qualified Intermediary status with the US IRS, providing 0% withholding tax on US-generated royalties versus the 30% standard rate.
RAAP's business model is a not-for-profit pass-through structure: it retains administrative costs from collected royalties and distributes the remainder to members. Since launch, RAAP has distributed over €115 million to 100,000 performers. Membership is free with no joining fee, and the organisation is governed by a member-elected board comprising prominent Irish musicians (e.g., Mary Black, members of Bell X1, Van Morrison alumni). RAAP participates in global rights networks SCAPR and AEPO-ARTIS, and is a founding member of the newly launched IMARA federation (February 2025) focused on streaming royalties, AI regulation, and UGC platform rights.
Recorded Artists Actors Performers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Recorded Artists Actors Performers
- Legal name
- Recorded Artists Actors Performers
- Website
- https://raap.ie
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Recorded Artists Actors Performers (RAAP) is an Irish not-for-profit collection society that collects and distributes neighbouring rights royalties on behalf of musicians and actors whose recorded performances are broadcast or used publicly in Ireland and across 55+ international territories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Recorded Artists Actors Performers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Rights Collection
- NAICS
- Music Publishers (51223), Music Publishers (512230)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Neighboring Rights Collection (Sound Recording Performance Rights) (MPAIAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Global Rights Representation & Sub-Publishing/Reciprocal Collection Services (MPAIAKAI), Public Performance/Neighboring Rights for AV Uses (Cue Sheet & Reporting Services) (MPAIALAK)
Keywords
Where Recorded Artists Actors Performers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dublin
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Recorded Artists Actors Performers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Neighbouring Rights Royalties Collection and Distribution: RAAP collects neighbouring rights royalties on behalf of performers when their recorded performances are used publicly (broadcast on radio, TV, digital services) or internationally. The organization distributes these royalties to members through bi-annual payments for Irish income and monthly payments for international income. RAAP operates as a not-for-profit, collecting and passing through royalties net of administrative costs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Recorded Artists Actors Performers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RAAP is a not-for-profit, member-led performers' collection society that collects and distributes neighbouring rights royalties on behalf of musicians and actors whose recorded performances are broadcast, streamed, or publicly played in Ireland and internationally. It uses its RAAP Online portal, powered by Kernel Software, to register members, capture usage data, calculate royalties, and remit payments, and it administers reciprocal agreements with 55+ overseas collecting societies to capture international income for its members.
Product overview
RAAP operates as a single, unified membership-based neighbouring rights collection and distribution service. The core product is the RAAP Online member portal, which provides performers with account management, discography registration, payment tracking, and royalty statement access. RAAP collects and distributes neighbouring rights royalties on behalf of musicians and actors whose recorded performances are broadcast, streamed, or played publicly in Ireland and through international reciprocal agreements with over 55 countries. The service is free to join with no joining fee, monthly payment distributions, and support for both featured main artists and non-featured session musicians.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Neighbouring Rights Royalty Collection and Distribution Core not-for-profit service through which RAAP collects neighbouring rights royalties from broadcasters, streaming platforms, and other users of recorded performances in Ireland and abroad, and distributes the net proceeds to registered performers (musicians and actors). Membership is free, and royalties are remitted via direct bank transfer net of an administrative deduction.
- RAAP Online Member Portal Online self-service portal that enables RAAP members to register, maintain personal and repertoire data, access royalty statements, and receive payment information for neighbouring rights income collected on their behalf.
- International Reciprocal Royalty Collection
Quantifiable outcome
- 0% withholding tax rate on US-generated royalties (vs 30% for non-QI entities)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Recorded Artists Actors Performers
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Recorded Artists Actors Performers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Recorded Artists Actors Performers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- IMARA (International Alliance for Rights of Musical Artists)coreIMARA is a new international federation launched in Barcelona in February 2025 for the defense and promotion of musical artists' rights. RAAP is a founding member. IMARA aims to become an international lobbying body representing musical artists globally, addressing challenges including streaming royalties, AI regulation, and expanding rights on UGC platforms.
- SCAPRcoreSCAPR is the umbrella group of Collective Management Organisations representing more than 60 CMOs from almost 50 countries. RAAP CEO Éanna Casey has been re-elected as Chairman of SCAPR. SCAPR oversees and facilitates the exchange of data and remuneration to over 1 million performers globally, generating approximately €1.4 billion in global Neighbouring Rights income.
- AEPO-ARTIScoreRAAP is an active participant in AEPO-ARTIS, the Association of European Performer Organisations, which advocates for performers' rights through international forums and partnerships.
- 55+ International Collection Societies (European and Global)coreRAAP has signed reciprocal agreements with over 55 territories worldwide including European societies (Playright Belgium, GVL Germany, Sami Sweden, etc.) and international societies (ABRAMUS Brazil, ACTRA PRS Canada, SoundExchange USA). These agreements allow RAAP to collect royalties for members internationally and ensure fair representation across global markets.
- IRS (US Internal Revenue Service) - QI StatuscoreRAAP holds Qualified Intermediary (QI) status with the US IRS, allowing them to facilitate transactions on behalf of members with 0% withholding tax rate on US-generated royalties, compared to 30% rate for non-QI entities.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Recorded Artists Actors Performers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GVL (Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leistungsschutzrechten): Germany's neighbouring rights CMO serving performers and producers. Direct peer — same mandate scope, reciprocal agreement partner of RAAP, and operates under the same EU legal framework.
- ACTRA PRS: Canadian performers' rights organisation that collects and distributes royalties for audio-visual and sound recording uses. Direct peer with comparable mandate and listed RAAP reciprocal partner.
- Sami: Swedish performing rights organisation for musicians, actors, and performers. Direct peer with overlapping mandate, reciprocal partner of RAAP, and similar CMO operating model.
- SoundExchange: US neighbouring rights collection organisation that collects statutory royalties for sound recordings and is one of RAAP's key reciprocal partners. Closely comparable mandate and operational model.
- PlayRight: Belgian performers' rights society collecting and distributing neighbouring rights. Direct peer — same mission, member-led structure, and a reciprocal partner of RAAP.
- SENA (Stichting Exploitatie Naburige Rechten): Dutch neighbouring rights organisation collecting royalties for performers and recording rightsholders in the Netherlands. Direct peer with the same mandate and a reciprocal partner of RAAP.
- PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited): UK's main neighbouring rights collection society for performers and recording rightsholders. Direct peer — same business model (neighbouring rights collection/distribution), similar CMO structure, and overlapping reciprocal agreements with RAAP.
Broad incumbents
- SCAPR: Umbrella organisation representing 60+ Collective Management Organisations across nearly 50 countries. RAAP is an active member and its CEO holds the SCAPR chairmanship — making SCAPR both a peer in the global CMO ecosystem and a governance counterpart.
- AEPO-ARTIS: Association of European Performers' Organisations that advocates for performers' rights at EU level. RAAP is an active participant; comparable in advocacy mission and peer-network role within Europe.
Regional players
- IMRO (Irish Music Rights Organisation): Irish CMO for songwriters, composers, and music publishers — administrating composition rights rather than neighbouring rights. Operates in the same Irish market as RAAP and is closely complementary rather than directly competitive.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Recorded Artists Actors Performers social profiles
Digital presenceRecorded Artists Actors Performers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Recorded Artists Actors Performers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Recorded Artists Actors Performers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Recorded Artists Actors Performers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Recorded Artists Actors Performers
What does Recorded Artists Actors Performers do?
RAAP is a not-for-profit, member-led performers' collection society that collects and distributes neighbouring rights royalties on behalf of musicians and actors whose recorded performances are broadcast, streamed, or publicly played in Ireland and internationally. It uses its RAAP Online portal, powered by Kernel Software, to register members, capture usage data, calculate royalties, and remit payments, and it administers reciprocal agreements with 55+ overseas collecting societies to capture international income for its members.
Is Recorded Artists Actors Performers a public or private company?
Recorded Artists Actors Performers is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Recorded Artists Actors Performers founded?
Recorded Artists Actors Performers was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Recorded Artists Actors Performers based?
Recorded Artists Actors Performers is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does Recorded Artists Actors Performers make money?
One revenue line is on record: neighbouring Rights Royalties Collection and Distribution.
Who are Recorded Artists Actors Performers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GVL (Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leistungsschutzrechten), ACTRA PRS, Sami, SoundExchange, PlayRight, SENA (Stichting Exploitatie Naburige Rechten) and PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited). Broad incumbents are SCAPR and AEPO-ARTIS. IMRO (Irish Music Rights Organisation) is listed as a regional player.
Does Recorded Artists Actors Performers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Recorded Artists Actors Performers.
What industry is Recorded Artists Actors Performers in?
Recorded Artists Actors Performers's product category is Performing Rights Collection. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAKAC, Neighboring Rights Collection (Sound Recording Performance Rights), with a secondary code of MPAIAKAI, Global Rights Representation & Sub-Publishing/Reciprocal Collection Services. Its NAICS code is 51223.