Pioneer Wants to Track Every Song DJs Play…

Pioneer DJ (the company that recently spun-off from Pioneer) is trying to roll out their KUVO platform to a wider audience. KUVO is a “social platform… that connects clubbers, DJs, and clubs around the world“. It’s already being used by Ministry of Sound, Space, Pacha, XOYO, and other clubs.

Basically, KUVO is a black box that connects to wifi and Pioneer decks at the club. Pioneer is the leader in DJ hardware, and many clubs have compatible hardware.

When DJs play their sets, the KUVO box automatically pulls artist and track information and uploads it to the KUVO online platform (as long as DJs pass it through Pioneer Rekordbox software). Club-goers, labels, fans, and artists can go to the KUVO website or app to see what tracks are playing at clubs in real time. Fans can use the map feature to discover nearby clubs, and DJs can sign up for the KUVO platform to add additional information about their tracks.Artist Richie Hawtin thinks this could change the game for DJ charts, by providing more accurate information on what is being played.

Pioneer will also report information to performance rights organizations, so artists can receive accurate payments. DJ Seth Troxler says he currently has to fill out sheets by hand with songs played in his sets, and club owners turn these sheets into PROs. It’s difficult and often times impossible to remember what songs were played during a set. KUVO will automate the process and make sure the money goes to the right people.

This sounds great, but it seems like a lot of unnecessary steps. Couldn’t Pioneer develop audio detection software that runs on a tablet or phone?

Nina Ulloa covers breaking news, tech, and more. Follow her on Twitter: @nine_u