Tobi Parks, co-founder of Tour Tech and D Tour and owner of Des Moines venue xBk Live, is leading an effort to close the live music royalty data gap with the SARA (Setlist Aggregator and Royalty Application) project. The initiative standardizes how venues and artists report live performance data to PROs (Performance Rights Organizations), aiming to ensure that royalties reach the songwriters whose works are performed on stage.
Parks, also an entertainment attorney and Board Vice President for the National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF), was named a “Woman of Live” by Pollstar and included in Billboard‘s “Next Generation of Live Music Professionals” list. Her career began as a musician at age 14, and she later worked at a major label during the early digital era, helping to develop a copyright and royalties system.
The SARA Project and the Royalty Data Gap
“SARA standardizes how venues and artists report live performance data to PROs so that information can be used in royalty distribution,” Parks said. “For venues, it simplifies quarterly reporting and licensing compliance. More importantly, it helps ensure the royalties venues pay actually reach the songwriters whose works are performed on their stages.”
According to Parks, a significant data gap means millions of dollars paid into the system never find their way to the right creators. The PRO landscape has become more fragmented as new players enter the market, and without a reliable way to gather setlists or determine which PROs represent specific songs, most venues pay all PROs for every performance to avoid potential infringement.
“If we can accurately track what’s being performed, venues can make informed decisions about which licenses they need and have assurance that the money they’re paying is actually benefiting the creators helping to keep their doors open.”
Live Music’s Financial Importance for Artists
Parks emphasized that touring and live shows have become increasingly lucrative for artists compared to streaming revenue. “They can sell tickets and merch and earn actual dollars on the road, not just micro-pennies,” she said. However, she acknowledged that touring remains risky and financially difficult, which is why SARA aims to help creators tap into the PRO royalty pool.
Her passion for live music stems from its visceral, communal nature. “There simply isn’t anything like being able to see your favorite artists in person and being able to share that experience with people that love them as much as you do,” Parks said. “In a world that has become so digital, live music is innately visceral. We need all the real human connection we can get these days.”
Running an Independent Venue
As the owner of xBk Live, Parks offered insight into the challenges of venue management. “I think people often assume because they attend a sold out show that we must be making money hand over fist,” she said. “Those same people are not there for the shows when there are 20 people in the room. They’re not seeing the rising costs in labor, insurance, operations, or seeing our daily fight with scalpers who try to dupe fans into buying tickets at inflated prices.”
Parks’ father, a professional songwriter and performer who co-wrote “Just One Look” and was an original member of The Orioles and later performed with The Ink Spots, showed her early on that music could be a viable career. That background, combined with her legal and tech experience, informs her work to bring enterprise-level operational tools to the indie sector.
“Large corporations have access to resources and tools that streamline their operations: I’m simply trying to bring that same advantage to the indie sector,” she said.
