Scapr

What Scapr does

SCAPR (Societies' Council for the Collective Management of Performers' Rights) is a Brussels-based non-profit federation founded in 1986 that serves as the worldwide representative body for performers' Collective Management Organisations (CMOs). Its members are 69 CMOs operating across 51 countries and territories, collectively responsible for licensing performers' rights in music and audiovisual recordings, collecting revenues from third-party users (radio, TV, hospitality, digital platforms), and distributing them to rightsholders. SCAPR's primary function is to enable cross-border cooperation among these CMOs through shared infrastructure, standards, and best-practice exchange.

The organization's core technology footprint consists of two in-house information systems: the International Performer Database (IPD), which holds over 1.3 million International Performer Numbers (IPNs) acting as the global authoritative identifier for performers, and the Virtual Recordings Database (VRDB), which catalogues over 14 million sound recordings and audiovisual works and enables CMOs to share local usage lists internationally. These are complemented by the IPN Search and IPN Creation applications, plus standard legal documentation and four working groups (Business Operations, Legal, Cooperation & Development, Technical) that convene operational, legal, and technical expertise across the membership.

SCAPR is funded entirely through membership dues from its 69 CMO members; it does not publicly disclose pricing, and its revenue is not measured in conventional commercial terms. The economic footprint of its membership is substantial: SCAPR member CMOs collectively collected €1.056 billion in 2025 (up 2% from €1.032 billion in 2024), with 76% of collections (€799 million) originating from international sources, all of which flow through the SCAPR-facilitated cross-border representation framework underpinned by 856 inter-CMO representation agreements.

Name

Scapr

Legal name

SCAPR - Societies' Council for the Collective Management of Performers' Rights

Website

https://scapr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SCAPR is the worldwide non-profit federation representing performers' Collective Management Organisations. Founded in 1986 in Brussels, it operates the International Performer Database (1.3M performers) and Virtual Recordings Database (14M recordings) to enable cross-border royalty exchanges among 69 CMOs across 51 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230)

akta.pro primary industry

Rights Data, Metadata, Identifier & Repertoire Management (ISWC/ISRC/IPI, Matching) (MPAIAKAF)

Keywords

• Collective rights management
• Performer rights administration
• Music royalties federation
• Intellectual property database
• Rights management software

Headquarters

HQ city

Ixelles

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Revenue model

1. Membership dues / fees: SCAPR is a not-for-profit organisation representing performers' CMOs. It generates revenue through membership contributions, which fund its information systems, working groups, secretariat operations, and support services for members worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SCAPR is the worldwide federation representing performers' Collective Management Organisations (CMOs), providing two core in-house information systems — the International Performer Database (IPD) with over 1.3 million International Performer Numbers (IPNs) and the Virtual Recordings Database (VRDB) with 14 million+ recordings — alongside IPN Search and Creation applications, four working groups, legal documentation, and operational support for cross-border performer rights management.

Product overview

SCAPR provides a portfolio of interconnected database systems and applications for the collective management of performers' rights. The core offering consists of the International Performer Database (IPD), which contains over 1.3 million International Performer Numbers (IPNs), and the Virtual Recordings Database (VRDB) with information on over 14 million sound recordings and audiovisual works. Supporting these are the IPN Search App and IPN Creation App for performer identification, complemented by Working Groups, Legal & Standard Documentation, and operational support services. The organization connects 69 CMOs across 51 countries, facilitating cross-border royalty exchanges through these integrated information systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 856 representation agreements enable cross-border remuneration exchanges between SCAPR member CMOs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WIPO Connect (via WIPO)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023In 2023, SCAPR and WIPO signed an agreement allowing CMOs using WIPO Connect to enrich their local database with SCAPR's IPNs, enabling interoperability between SCAPR's IPD and WIPO's collective management platform.
• WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021WIPO has been a valued partner of SCAPR for many years, involved in conferences, seminars, working groups and fora. Since 2021, SCAPR is part of the Advisory Board of WIPO For Creators (WIPO CLIP). Since 2022, SCAPR is a Permanent Observer at the WIPO Standing Committee for Copyright and Related Rights. In 2023, SCAPR and WIPO signed an agreement to allow CMOs using WIPO Connect to enrich their local database with SCAPR's IPNs.
• ARIPO (African Regional Intellectual Property Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPR engages with ARIPO to foster cooperation in Africa, participating in joint initiatives, conferences, projects and trainings to support the development of performers' collective management in the region.
• FILAIE (Iberico-Latino American Federation of Music Performers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPR engages with regional federations including FILAIE to foster cooperation across Latin America, sharing expertise and supporting the development of music performers' collective management.
• Latin Artis (Iberico-Latino American Federation of Audiovisual Performers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPR collaborates with Latin Artis to support audiovisual performers' collective management in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula.
• AEPO-ARTIS (European Federation of Performers' Organisations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPR cooperates with AEPO-ARTIS, the European federation of performers' CMOs, to align efforts and strengthen collective management of performers' rights across Europe.
• FIA (International Federation of Actors)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPR engages with the International Federation of Actors (FIA) to foster international cooperation and advocate for performers' rights globally.
• FIM (International Federation of Musicians)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPR engages with the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) to support the interests of performing musicians and strengthen collective management globally.
• CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPR collaborates with CISAC, the authors' CMOs federation, to align efforts with broader copyright collective management and support performers' rights in international exchanges.
• IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPR collaborates with IFPI, the music producers federation, to align efforts and strengthen collective management of neighbouring rights internationally.
• IFRRO (International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPR works with IFRRO, the international federation of reproduction rights organisations, to support the collective management of performers' rights and align with broader copyright frameworks.
• WIPO CLIP (Creative Industry Platform)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAPR is a member of the WIPO CLIP Advisory Board. CLIP is a global platform empowering creators and performers with trusted insights into intellectual property rights, a collaboration between WIPO and the Music Rights Awareness Foundation.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers): The sister global federation representing authors' and composers' CMOs, with the same federation-of-CMOs structure, working groups, legal documentation mandate, and cross-border representation agreements. Closely comparable in operating model and member dynamics.
• IFRRO (International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations): Worldwide federation of reproduction rights organizations (a SCAPR partner). Operates with comparable federation governance, working groups, and cross-border rights documentation infrastructure.
• AEPO-ARTIS (Association of European Performers' Organisations): European federation of performers' CMOs (a SCAPR partner). Operates with similar federation structure, working groups, and EU-focused policy advocacy on behalf of performer CMOs — directly comparable as a regional peer federation.
• BIEM (Bureau International des Sociétés Gérant les Droits d'Enregistrement et de Reproduction Mécanique): International organization representing mechanical rights societies for music creators. Operates as a federation with reciprocal agreements and centralized documentation, sharing SCAPR's CMO-federation DNA but focused on mechanical reproduction rights.

Emerging players

• SoundExchange: U.S. CMO collecting and distributing digital performance royalties for sound recording copyright owners (performers and labels). Operates the U.S. counterpart to SCAPR's member CMOs, with similar performer-identification and royalty-distribution functions.

Broad incumbents

• IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry): Global federation representing the recording industry (music producers). While focused on record-label rights rather than performer rights, IFPI is a comparable federation-of-rights-holders with cross-border mandate and shared members.

Regional players

• FILAIE (Ibero-Latin American Federation of Performers): Regional federation of music performer organizations in the Ibero-Latin American space (a SCAPR partner). Operates the same federation-of-CMOs model at a regional scope, making it a structural regional peer.
• Latin Artis (Ibero-Latin American Federation of Audiovisual Performers): Regional federation focused specifically on audiovisual performers in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula (a SCAPR partner). Comparable federation structure but narrower audiovisual remit.

Others

• FIM (International Federation of Musicians): International federation of musicians' unions (a SCAPR partner). Peer-like in international federation structure and audience (musicians), but its mission centers on labor advocacy rather than royalty administration.
• FIA (International Federation of Actors): Global federation of performers' unions (a SCAPR partner). Comparable as an international federation serving performers, but focused on labor/trade-union representation rather than royalty collection infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scapr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Scapr