# TrackForge

> Music-as-a-Service platform for catalogue management, royalty intelligence, and metadata certification

TrackForge is a music metadata management platform built for the catalogue acquisition and rights management industry. It serves three distinct functions:

## Platform Overview

### 1. Catalogue Management (V3 Ops)
White-glove catalogue processing for music rights holders, publishers, and catalogue acquirers. Operators upload raw catalogue data (spreadsheets, CWR files, DDEX feeds) and TrackForge processes it through a multi-stage pipeline:
- **Upload & parsing** — Ingest CSV, Excel, CWR 2.1/2.2, DDEX ERN 4.1/4.3
- **Multi-source enrichment** — Automated waterfall: Spotify, MusicBrainz, Discogs, Last.fm, PRS, GEMA, SACEM, JASRAC, SIAE, MLC, Wikidata, and more
- **Writer & rights resolution** — IPI matching across PROs, writer deduplication, share validation
- **Conflict resolution** — Algorithmic + AI-assisted (XAI agent) resolution when sources disagree
- **Export** — CWR generation, DDEX MWN, structured JSON, catalogue reports

### 2. Royalty Intelligence (MISI Reports)
Due diligence and valuation reports for catalogue acquisitions:
- **Registration gap analysis** — Identify tracks missing from collection societies (MLC, PRS, etc.)
- **Revenue recovery estimation** — Calculate uncollected royalties from registration gaps
- **Writer/publisher chain analysis** — Map rights ownership across territories
- **Sync placement detection** — Cross-reference catalogues against Tunefind, WhoSampled, SecondHandSongs
- **Risk assessment** — Flag copyright disputes, sample clearance issues, ownership conflicts

### 3. Golden Record Certification
Blockchain-anchored metadata verification:
- **Tiered certification** — Gold, Silver, Bronze, Declared (by verification depth)
- **Cryptographic proof** — SHA-256 hashing, Merkle trees, Bitcoin anchoring via OpenTimestamps
- **Independent verification** — Anyone can verify a certificate without contacting TrackForge
- **Legal framework** — Process fidelity attestation (like title insurance for music metadata)

## Technology

- **Backend:** Python, FastAPI, SQLAlchemy (async), PostgreSQL (Neon + Hetzner)
- **Frontend:** React, TypeScript, Vite, TailwindCSS
- **Enrichment:** 23+ reference data scrapers across PROs, streaming services, and metadata databases
- **AI/ML:** XAI agent for probabilistic rights resolution, audio fingerprinting (Chromaprint/AcoustID)
- **Blockchain:** Bitcoin via OpenTimestamps, Merkle tree construction
- **Data standards:** ISRC, ISWC, IPI/CAE, CWR 2.1/2.2, DDEX ERN 4.1/4.3, DDEX MWN 2.0, CISAC TIS-N territory codes

## Data Sources

TrackForge enriches metadata against multiple authoritative sources:

| Source | Data Provided |
|--------|---------------|
| Spotify | ISRC validation, track/artist metadata, audio features |
| MusicBrainz | ISWC, writer credits, release data, relationships |
| Discogs | Release metadata, label information, catalogue numbers |
| Last.fm | Artist metadata, genre tags, similar artists |
| PRS for Music | Writer names, IPIs, tunecodes, work registrations (UK) |
| GEMA | Writer names, IPIs, work registrations (Germany) |
| SACEM | Writer names, IPIs, work registrations (France) |
| JASRAC | Writer names, IPIs, work registrations (Japan) |
| SIAE | Writer names, IPIs, work registrations (Italy) |
| MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) | Writer names, IPIs, work registrations (US mechanical) |
| Genius | Writer credits, producer credits, song relationships |
| SecondHandSongs | Cover versions, samples, derived works |
| Tunefind | Sync placements in TV/film/games |
| Wikidata | Structured knowledge graph data, identifiers |

## Certification Documentation

Detailed methodology documentation is available at:
- [Overview](https://trackforge.studio/certification/overview/what-is-certification): What is Golden Record Certification
- [Scope](https://trackforge.studio/certification/overview/scope): What certification does and does not mean
- [Methodology](https://trackforge.studio/certification/methodology/golden-record-selection): Certification tiers and selection criteria
- [Enrichment](https://trackforge.studio/certification/methodology/enrichment-validation): Multi-source enrichment and conflict resolution
- [Canonicalisation](https://trackforge.studio/certification/methodology/canonicalization): Deterministic JSON serialisation
- [Hashing](https://trackforge.studio/certification/methodology/hashing): SHA-256 cryptographic hashing
- [Merkle Trees](https://trackforge.studio/certification/methodology/merkle-tree): Binary Merkle tree construction
- [Blockchain](https://trackforge.studio/certification/methodology/blockchain-anchoring): Bitcoin anchoring via OpenTimestamps
- [Verification](https://trackforge.studio/certification/methodology/independent-verification): Independent verification methods
- [For Lawyers](https://trackforge.studio/certification/for-lawyers/certification-scope): Legal scope and positioning
- [For Catalogue Owners](https://trackforge.studio/certification/for-catalogue-owners/deliverables): Deliverables and proof bundles
- [Technical Reference](https://trackforge.studio/certification/technical/verification-api): API and schema specifications
- [Glossary](https://trackforge.studio/certification/glossary): Key term definitions
- [Verify a Certificate](https://trackforge.studio/certification/verify): Public verification tool

## Industry Context

TrackForge operates in the music rights and catalogue acquisition space. Key concepts:
- **Catalogue acquisition** — Purchasing ownership of music publishing or recording rights portfolios (a multi-billion dollar market driven by firms like Hipgnosis, Primary Wave, Round Hill)
- **Due diligence** — Pre-acquisition analysis of a catalogue's metadata quality, registration completeness, revenue accuracy, and legal risk
- **Registration gaps** — Tracks not registered with relevant collection societies, resulting in uncollected royalties
- **Chain of title** — The documented trail of rights ownership from creator to current owner
- **PRO (Performing Rights Organisation)** — Societies that collect and distribute royalties (PRS, ASCAP, BMI, GEMA, SACEM, etc.)

## Why TrackForge Exists

A long-form essay explaining the market failure that TrackForge addresses:
- [Why TrackForge Exists](https://trackforge.studio/why): The case for independent catalogue verification

Key arguments:
- Music catalogues are the last major asset class without standardised verification infrastructure
- $20B+ in catalogue transactions over 5 years, yet 79% of acquirers skip thorough due diligence
- Information asymmetry (Akerlof's "Market for Lemons") suppresses valuations for well-maintained catalogues
- Traditional due diligence costs £75-250K per engagement, making it prohibitive for catalogues under £50M
- Operational platforms serve catalogue owners; verification requires structural independence (the Arthur Andersen principle)
- TrackForge provides: independent data sourcing (24+ authoritative databases), published deterministic methodology (6x3 rating matrix), cryptographic verification (SHA-256 + Merkle trees + Bitcoin anchoring), and IOSCO-modelled governance

## Contact

- Website: https://trackforge.studio
- Security: security@trackforge.studio

## Optional

- [llms-full.txt](https://trackforge.studio/llms-full.txt): Complete certification methodology documentation for LLM context