WIN Supporters Spotlight: OpenPlay’s Edward Ginis on Democratizing Data and How the Independent Sector is Shaping the Future of Music

OpenPlay is the business engine for music rights and asset management, trusted by more than 3,500 music companies globally. Its technology replaces fragmented tools by enabling end-to-end management of catalogs, assets, metadata, rights, delivery, royalties, and financial operations in one place. Working with hundreds of rightsholders, many of them independent, OpenPlay helps companies manage and monetize their music while maintaining full ownership and control of their intellectual property, data, and assets.

WIN Supporters is a program available to those who want to support WIN’s work, champion the global independent music sector, and engage with its entrepreneurs in a sustainable and mutually beneficial way. The program offers unique benefits that complement the Friends, Partners, Affiliate and Associate membership schemes run by WIN members, which businesses are also encouraged to explore and join for additional ways to engage with the independent community.

An affiliate member of A2IM, Friends of AIM, and collaborator of Japanese trade association IMCJ, OpenPlay joined the WIN Supporters program in April 2025. Their mission to help independent rightsholders embrace new technology and navigate the global digital music ecosystem complements WIN’s own values and promotion of a fair, transparent and diverse music industry.

We spoke with OpenPlay’s Co-Founder Edward Ginis about the biggest opportunities and challenges for independents and how the independent sector is shaping the future of music:

What do you see as the biggest opportunities or challenges for independents right now?

The opportunity is obvious: the global music market is growing fast, with Goldman Sachs projecting it will reach $155.5 billion by 2030. That growth is being driven not just by streaming, but by an increasingly diverse mix of revenue streams – sync, the creator economy, direct-to-fan models, and now AI.

AI in particular is both a major opportunity and a macro challenge. It has the potential to introduce new creative and commercial models, but it also raises big questions around ownership, attribution, and value. Independents need to be part of shaping that future, not reacting to it.

At the same time, the day-to-day challenge we see for independent companies is managing the sheer scope of opportunity. Expanding into new markets, navigating different rights environments, keeping on top of royalties and reporting, and experimenting with new platforms – it’s a lot.

Too often, independents are held back not by a lack of opportunity, but by operational complexity. Their data is fragmented, their content is locked into systems they don’t control, and that makes it harder to move quickly or make the most of new revenue streams. So while the industry is opening up globally, the real challenge is staying agile enough to capture that value, without losing control. At OpenPlay, we focus on solving that by giving rightsholders a single source of truth for their data and operations, so they can scale globally, stay flexible, and choose the partners and opportunities that work best for them.

Why is it important for you to support WIN and its mission?

At OpenPlay, we’re focused on giving rightsholders the independence to manage their intellectual property, data and assets directly, on their own terms – and to grow the value of their catalogs in a way that ultimately drives better returns for their artists.

As the industry continues to consolidate, preserving this independence has never been more crucial, and WIN’s work in unifying the global independent community plays a vital role in these efforts. WIN’s mission to promote a fair, transparent and diverse music ecosystem resonates with our goal of building a more sustainable and equitable industry. By supporting WIN, we want to help ensure the future of independent music stays innovative, fair and accessible.

From your perspective, how is the independent sector shaping the future of music?

Independents have always been where a lot of the industry’s innovation starts. They are quick to test new models, experiment, and are often closer to the audiences they engage with.

They have also long championed the importance of ownership and control. That mindset – understanding the value of your rights and data – is now central to how the whole industry operates. As the business becomes more complex and data-driven, that control becomes ever more important. Knowing where your data lives, how it’s structured, and how it’s being monetized gives rightsholders the confidence to move faster – whether that’s exploring new licensing opportunities, entering new markets or using emerging technologies.

I’ve spent my career helping rightsholders navigate these challenges, and one thing remains clear: those who have control over their data and operations are the ones best positioned to adapt and grow. That’s something the independent sector has understood for a long time. 

What inspired you personally to get involved with supporting independents?

Supporting independents has always been part of OpenPlay’s DNA. We set out to give rightsholders access to infrastructure that can operate efficiently, understand their data, and allow them to get paid accurately and on time.

For me, personally, it came from frustration as much as anything else. When I was Chief Technology Officer at Concord, I saw firsthand how fragmented the industry was – disconnected systems, inconsistent data, and too many gaps where value was being lost. “Democratizing data” can sound abstract, but for me it’s simple: it’s about making sure rightsholders can actually see, understand and use their own data without relying on third parties. If you can’t access or trust your data, you can’t run your business properly. 

That experience led me to found OpenPlay in 2013 – to build the system I wished we’d had. The goal was to remove those operational headaches so labels could focus on what really matters: growing their catalogs, reaching audiences, and creating more value for the artists and creators they represent.

Our recent launch of OpenPlay Connect AppExchange – our ‘app store’ for the global music business – is the latest example of this in action, giving rightsholders the flexibility to plug into the partners and tools they need – from AI music detection and metadata processing to royalty services and IP protection – staying in complete control of how their data and operations flow. With more partners and products in the pipeline, 2026 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for OpenPlay!

We’re grateful to OpenPlay for their continued support as a WIN Supporter, and we look forward to building on this partnership to further connect, empower, and champion the global independent music community.