Audoo is trying to ensure musicians get paid properly when their music is played

Musician Ryan Edwards realised he never knew how much he got paid when one of his songs was played, so decided to create Audoo and change that, writes Andy Martin

Ryan Edwards: ‘We are collecting the greatest set of data on music ever created’ (Audoo)

The idea for Audoo was born four years ago, in Selfridges on Oxford Street. Ryan Edwards was in there with his wife when he heard one of his band’s songs, “Domino Effect”, playing over the tannoy. “How much are you going to get paid for that?” asked his wife, very reasonably. “I don’t know,” he said. “But don’t buy that very expensive handbag.” He came up with Audoo to ensure that all musicians get paid properly whenever and wherever their music is played.

Edwards’s father was a would-be saxophonist from Stourbridge, and is a lifelong Motown fan, who even now hosts a Motown hour on Black Country Radio. “My dad has thousands of records,” Ryan recalls. “The house actually smelled of vinyl.” He had two passions growing up: music and Wolverhampton Wanderers. But football took a back seat as soon as he discovered the drums and the guitar.