Vollou's music recognition technology expands to Belgian

Following Sabam’s recent announcement that venues can pay a licence based on actual usage, Vollou, the music recognition company, has been approved by Sabam as one of its measurement solutions for venues in Belgium. The approval gives venues an accurate way to show exactly what music they play and to be charged accordingly.  

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A fairer, usage-based model

Sabam’s move to usage-based licensing is a progressive step for the industry. Until now, the absence of accurate tracking has meant venues are charged on estimates, leaving many paying more in licence fees than the music they played would warrant.  

Under the new approach, a venue that can demonstrate what was played is charged on the basis of the works in Sabam’s repertoire that were genuinely performed. This matters because Vollou’s data shows that many venues play a substantial share of unreleased music, often between 30% and 50%, and in some cases more than 70%, which sits outside Sabam’s repertoire and, without measurement, cannot be separated from repertoire works. Demonstrating this requires a Sabam-approved measurement solution, and Vollou is now one of them.  

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Software-based, no new hardware

What sets Vollou apart is that it is entirely software-based, using the audio equipment a venue already operates and requiring no additional hardware installation. Unlike many existing measurement approaches that rely on dedicated hardware, Vollou fits into a venue’s existing setup with no disruption to day-to-day operations.  

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Measurement, not estimation

Vollou was founded on a simple principle: artists should be paid fairly for the music that is played while venues should only pay for the music they use. It replaces estimation with measurement, capturing and identifying the music played in a venue and producing an accurate, timestamped record matched to the relevant rights identifiers, ready to support licensing and royalty distribution. The result is greater accuracy and fairness on both sides: venues are charged for the music they play, and rights holders are paid on the basis of real usage.  

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Proven across the music industry

Vollou is already trusted across the music rights industry. It supplies music usage data to PRS for Music and BumaStemra among others, and its DJ tracking is used by over 30% of the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs, identifying music in the most demanding live conditions. Having already proven its technology in live performance reporting, Vollou now brings that accuracy to Belgian venues.  

“Vollou exists to make sure artists are paid fairly for the music that is actually played,” said Andres Payne, CEO and co-founder of Vollou. “For too long, venues have been charged on estimates, and without accurate tracking many have paid more than they needed to. Sabam deserves real credit for moving to a fairer, usage-based model. Being approved means venues can now demonstrate their actual music usage, paying only for the music they use while improving royalty distribution. We are proud to bring that to Belgium.”

Vollou is available to Belgian venues from July 2026.  

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