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LegacyNext

LegacyNext · Release Rights Passport

Every release needs
a verified rights passport.

A white-label infrastructure layer for labels and music companies that want to identify every release, connect master rights data, reduce mismatches and accelerate downstream allocation across streaming, radio, CD, vinyl and download.

Core objectRelease passport
ScopeMaster-first
Use casesStreaming · Radio · Physical
OutcomeCleaner allocation

Music releases move fast.
The rights record often does not.

The industry already has identifiers, distributors, CBOs, royalty systems and DSP reporting. The friction sits between them: inconsistent metadata, unclear master records, version confusion, delayed allocation and too much manual correction.

Disconnected identifiers
ISRC, UPC, label copy, distributor data and royalty reports live in different systems, so the identifier exists without being connected to the full rights position. Ownership changes, licences, territories, producer points, performer data and contract exceptions are rarely held in one auditable place.
Version confusion
Originals, radio edits, remasters, remixes, live recordings and deluxe editions can drift apart in metadata. That creates matching issues across streaming, broadcast, download and physical formats.
Slow allocation
When revenue arrives, teams still spend time reconstructing which release, which version, which right and which waterfall should apply.
Undistributed money
Income stays delayed or unmatched where the underlying rights data is incomplete, inconsistent or disputed. Better source data reduces that avoidable friction.

The product is
the rights passport.

Each release carries a unique token that holds its identity and its rights position around the identifiers the industry already uses. The token is the container. The value is the record inside it, and the fact that every party reads the same one.

What the passport connects

  • One verified release record tied to ISRC, UPC, master ownership, versions and contracts.
  • Machine-readable rights data that travels into label, distributor, CBO and royalty systems.
  • Allocation logic attached at the source, so revenue routes with less reconstruction.
  • An audit-grade trail of ownership changes, restrictions, claims and corrections.

What stays as it is

  • ISRC and UPC remain the operational language of the industry, with the passport linking them to the rights position.
  • Reporting cycles, old contracts and data quality still govern how quickly money moves.
  • Classification, compliance and auditability follow the existing rules, assessed per implementation.
  • Issuing stays with the rights holder, so every passport starts from an established mandate.

What the release passport
contains.

Each release becomes a canonical rights record. It can cover streaming, radio, CD, vinyl, download and other exploitation channels without replacing the systems already used by the industry.

Identifiers

ISRC per recording, UPC or EAN per release, title, artist, label, release date, territory and format data.

Master rights

Master owner, licensee, distributor, performer data, producer points, territories, term, restrictions and known exceptions.

Versions

Original version, edit, remix, remaster, live recording, deluxe edition, instrumental or alternate mix, all linked to the correct source record.

Contracts

Underlying agreements, rights confirmations, chain-of-title evidence, approvals, limitations and change history.

Waterfall

Cost rules, recoupment logic, label share, artist share, performer or producer allocations and reporting rules.

Audit trail

Every update, correction, claim and transfer of rights data is time-stamped against the same release record and written to a blockchain, so a later change is detectable by every party reading it.

LegacyNext makes the release machine-readable, auditable and easier to pay out correctly.

How the system
works.

The logic is simple: build a verified source record before revenue flows, then use that record to allocate income with fewer manual interventions.

01
Create the release passport. Each release receives a unique digital rights record, issued as a non-fungible token by the rights holder and carrying a traceable change history.
02
Connect the identifiers. ISRC, UPC, label copy, format data and version data are linked to the same canonical record.
03
Attach the master rights position. Ownership, licenses, territories, restrictions and known contract exceptions are stored against the release.
04
Define the allocation logic. The waterfall is recorded before money moves, including cost rules, recoupment, label share, artist share and other approved allocations.
05
Ingest revenue and usage data. Revenue from streaming, radio, download, physical sales or other sources is matched to the correct release passport.
06
Allocate and report from one record. Payment is routed or prepared according to the verified rights record and waterfall, and labels, administrators and approved external systems all work from that same release file.

What changes when releases
become verified records.

The value is operational first. Better release identity creates better rights evidence, cleaner matching and faster allocation once revenue is reported.

01 · Faster allocation

Less time between money and rights holder.

When the rights record and waterfall are attached to the release from day one, incoming revenue can be allocated with less manual reconstruction.

02 · Lower administration cost

Fewer manual correction cycles.

Identifiers arrive connected to master ownership, versions and contract data, so teams spend less time reconciling mismatched reports or rebuilding the chain from old files.

04 · Better rights evidence

The release has one audit-ready file.

Contracts, ownership claims, allocation rules and change history are held against the same passport, reducing disputes and late corrections.

05 · More financeable catalogs

Rights become easier to diligence.

A catalogue with verified release records, clear ownership and auditable income logic is easier for banks, investors, distributors and buyers to assess.

Precise about
what it covers.

This is infrastructure around the identifiers and rights processes the industry already runs, scoped to release identity, master rights and allocation.

Identifiers stay
ISRC, UPC, DDEX and label copy remain essential. LegacyNext links them and verifies the surrounding rights record.
Master-first scope
Start with master rights and release identity. Publishing can be added later only where the rights chain and mandates are clear.
CBOs keep their role
CBOs remain part of the ecosystem. A verified passport carries better master ownership, performer, producer, version and identifier data into those systems, which means fewer mismatches, faster downstream payment and less income left undistributed.
Legal assessment
Each implementation still needs classification and compliance review. Tokenisation, payment flows, data sharing and reporting duties are assessed per use case. The token carries a rights record and represents no financial claim on revenue.

Three founders across
technology, music and sports.

Partner · Head of Tech

Herman Vissia

Ph.D. in the theoretical foundations of computer science. Lectures on AI, blockchain and cryptocurrency. Owns the technical architecture.

herman@legacynext.eu
+31 655 762 101
Partner · Head of Growth, Music

Frank van Hoorn

Founded Europe's first entertainment marketing agency. Worked with major artists and brings music, entertainment IP and partnership experience.

frank@legacynext.eu
+31 654 798 182
Partner · Head of Growth

Lucas van Zandvoort

Co-owner of Eagledale, former co-owner of Crocs Benelux and motivational speaker at Nyenrode. Brings consumer-brand and licensing experience.

lucas@legacynext.eu
+31 618 199 098

Start with one release pool.
Build the source record.

The first useful step is one controlled master-first release pool, one verified rights passport model and one workflow for matching income to the actual rights holders more quickly and accurately.

The objective: prove that a release passport can reduce administrative friction, improve rights evidence, support faster allocation and produce cleaner data for labels, distributors, CBOs and royalty administrators.

Start a Conversationfrank@legacynext.eu · +31 654 798 182