Kobalt Music Publishing, the world’s largest independent music publisher, has announced a major new partnership aimed at streamlining sync licensing on a global scale. The company has selected Chordal, an innovative music rights technology firm, as its enterprise sync platform—entrusting Chordal with its catalog of over one million songs. This marks the first time Kobalt has fully integrated with a third-party platform to power its global creative sync transactions.
A statement from the company discloses that “Chordal's platform seamlessly integrates the creative and operational sides of the sync business, and their ability to consolidate rights holders on fractionally owned songs and masters greatly simplifies the process for buyers,” said Rob Christensen, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Sync at Kobalt. “We view this partnership as a meaningful inroad to supercharging many new sync opportunities for our writers and artists, all while ensuring they have the final say over where their music is used and at what price point.”
Chordal, which already supports publishers and labels like [PIAS], Reservoir Media, and Primary Wave, positions this collaboration as a significant step forward for the industry. A statement from the company notes that “this partnership with Kobalt is a defining moment—not just for Chordal, but for the future of music licensing,” said Grayson Sanders, CEO of Chordal. “Kobalt has long been at the forefront of modernizing rights management, and we’re honored to help advance their mission to benefit creators worldwide.”
The partnership leverages Chordal’s recently launched licensing system, InstantClear™, which promises to make licensing legally cleared commercial music faster and more accessible. InstantClear™, six years in the making, eliminates bottlenecks by automating the traditionally complex process of clearing fractionally owned songs and managing payments.
Through real-time integration with Kobalt’s rights data, Chordal’s technology will help music supervisors, brands, producers, and other buyers license music with greater speed and transparency. This initiative enhances Kobalt’s ability to deliver creative opportunities for its roster while maintaining the transparency and control its songwriters and artists expect.
With this move, Kobalt joins a growing list of publishers embracing technology to meet the demands of today’s fast-paced content landscape—further solidifying its position as a global leader in music rights management.
