A global music leader processes billions of streaming events across platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Rapid digital growth and acquisitions led to siloed systems, limiting scalability, transparency, and control.
Core setups were fragmented across systems that had evolved over time without a unified structure. Notifications were spread across ~16 platforms, forcing teams to switch tools and slowing response times.
Metadata and royalty attribution were inconsistent, with different models and manual processes making it difficult to reliably link usage data to compositions. This increased the risk of inaccurate royalty calculations and limited transparency.
At the same time, legacy infrastructure struggled to handle growing data volumes. Metadata systems were not built for the scale of modern streaming, creating performance, and governance challenges.
The broader application landscape added to the complexity. Over 1,500 applications were tracked with inconsistent data quality, making it difficult to evaluate value, manage costs, or drive rationalization decisions.
What we did
We simplified communication and workflows by consolidating ~16 notification systems into a single, cloud-based platform. This created a centralized, real-time hub for internal communication, reducing tool-switching and improving response times across teams.
We redesigned the metadata and revenue attribution model to create a single source of truth. This included consolidating ingestion from major platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and TikTok, and implementing a centralized repository with improved matching and governance capabilities.
We modernized the metadata infrastructure to support rapid growth, going from 500K to over 100M records within one year. In parallel, we introduced a structured framework to assess and rationalize 1,500+ applications, enabling consistent, data-driven decision-making across the portfolio.
Value delivered
Improved Transparency, Accuracy, and Reliability Across Core Systems
Metadata infrastructure scaled from 500K to over 100M records, enabling the organization to handle growing streaming volumes efficiently. Royalty attribution is now aligned across major platforms, improving accuracy and reducing risk in revenue calculations. Workflows were simplified through the consolidation of notification systems into a single platform.
In parallel, a structured framework was introduced to assess over 1,500 applications, with clear pathways for rationalization. This reduced complexity, improved visibility, and enabled more informed investment decisions across the technology landscape.
