In the world of music sync, where the complexities of rights management often stifle creativity and delay transactions, the newly announced partnership between Kobalt Music and Chordal offers a glimpse into what the future could look like.

Kobalt, a leading independent music publisher, is integrating Chordal’s music rights technology as the enterprise sync platform for its catalog of over one million songs. The collaboration marks the first time Kobalt has relied on a third-party platform to power its global sync transactions, signaling an important shift in how music rights and licenses are handled in an increasingly digital world.

“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, in a statement. “Kobalt has long been at the forefront of modernizing rights management and we’re honored to help advance their mission to benefit creators worldwide.”

For decades, music licensing — particularly for fractionally owned songs — has been mired in inefficiencies. Rights conflicts, time-consuming paperwork and tedious approval processes have made licensing music a slow and frustrating endeavor. Chordal’s new technology, particularly its licensing system InstantClear, introduced in March, aims to change all that.

A key part of this partnership is InstantClear, a pre-cleared licensing system designed to streamline the process for songs that have multiple rights holders. Traditionally, coordinating approvals for these works has been arduous, often stalling deals before they are finalized. InstantClear facilitates key aspects of licensing and payments, allowing various rights holders to quickly approve their respective shares and supporting automated, custom legal contracts.

Rob Christensen, executive vp and head of global sync at Kobalt, praised the versatility the partnership brings. “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,” he said in a statement. In addition to streamlining operations, Christensen highlighted Chordal’s creative tools, which he described as “game changers” for music supervisors and creatives seeking music for projects.

This collaboration also highlights the broader shift in rights management as the music business embraces innovative technologies. Kobalt’s integration with Chordal’s API enables music supervisors, producers and brands to access Kobalt’s catalog in real time, meaning buyers can quickly license music without long waits for clearance. Importantly, Sanders and Christensen emphasize that the partnership doesn’t aim to take control away from creators but rather to empower them. Kobalt writers and artists will have “the final say over where their music is used and at what price point,” Christensen said.

Chordal’s presence has grown steadily in recent years, attracting major publishers and labels such as Reservoir Media, Believe and Primary Wave to its platform. With $4.5 million raised, the company has worked with clients since 2023 after beginning work on the platform in 2019.