Music Venue Trust Study Finds Just 21% of Measured Grassroots Performances Matched Registered Repertoire

October 16, 2026 | Exposed Vocals Music News

A pilot involving Music Venue Trust and music-recognition company Audoo has raised a significant question about how songs performed in grassroots venues are documented. In the study reported by the organization on October 15, only 21% of measured live music was identified as registered repertoire.

What the figure does—and does not—mean

The 21% finding applies to music measured in this pilot. It should not be treated as proof that 79% of all grassroots performances receive no royalties: matching a performance against a repertoire database is not the same as tracing every licensing payment or distribution outcome.

Still, the result underscores a practical issue for emerging songwriters. Without accurate set lists, registrations and reliable performance records, it can be harder for collecting societies and rights holders to connect live uses of songs to the people who wrote them.

The takeaway for artists and venues

Performers should check that their works are registered correctly and learn the applicable live-performance reporting process in their territory. Venues and promoters can help by supporting consistent reporting. Technology may improve measurement, but any claims about recovered royalties will require further evidence.

Where the royalty trail breaks

A live show creates a performance, but a royalty distribution depends on reliable information about which composition was played and who wrote it. That trail can break when works are unregistered, metadata differs, or performance records fail to identify a song. The pilot’s non-matches do not prove that every unmatched performance generated an unpaid royalty; they reveal an information gap worth investigating.

EV perspective

Small venues help launch careers, but their music should not disappear from the record simply because the stage is small. Songwriters can help by registering works accurately, retaining set lists, checking society reporting requirements, and keeping clear writer credits. Recognition technology might improve the process, provided its accuracy and privacy safeguards are measured rather than merely promised.

Source: Music Venue Trust news, October 15, 2026.