An audiocontent identification platform was acquired, which monitors and analyzes the right-handed content for digital services identified and analyzes.
Founded in 2014 Rasty Turek, the new PEX owner is a company called Vobila which offers protection services and transaction services for entertainment companies, platforms, sports leagues, music labels, and publishers.
Vobile confirmed that PEX COO Amadia Choplin joined the company as the head of the music business, while founder Rusty Turek, a former general director, will act as a Vobile consultant in the future.
The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Vobile’s Global Presence
Vobile Group was launched in 2005 and works around the world, in the USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia, but has traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 2018. The company has a market capitalization of HKD 7.73 billion, which amounts to 997 million US dollars.
In addition to music, Vobile works with Hollywood film studios and television networks, including Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, Disney, and NBC Universal.
PEX Technology and Its Impact
PEX technology controls social networks around the world, as well as platforms that rely on user-generated content (for example, TikTok, etc.)—the abyss of music and film content belonging to rights defenders.
PEX’s Tech is used by music distributors, publishers, collection societies, brands, and platforms. The company asserts on its website that its software can process 10,000 hours of content per minute and collects and indexes 25 billion songs and videos.
PEX states that its music register includes 100 million records, including Sony, Universal, and Warner catalogs.
The company claims that its ACR technology, based on an AI motor, was trained in user content and can identify content “from the speed and changes in pitch to remixes, cover versions, live performances, and modified sound.”
In February last year, a study from Peak estimated that more than a third (38.03%) of all songs found on TikTok had modified speeds or pitches in 2023.
According to Vobile, this acquisition “enhances” its services for the music industry and “strengthens its position as a global supplier of solutions to protect and monetize digital audio and video content.”
PEX claims to be a “global leader in the field of content identification and UGC data.”
The acquisition comes four years after PEX received a $57 million investment round, which included participation from Tencent, Tencent Music Entertainment, The Cueball Group, Nexgen Ventures Partners, Amiranthine, and others.
In 2020, PEX acquired Dubset Media Holdings in a deal worth $25 million.
“Joining Vobile marks a new exciting chapter.”
Amadea Choplin, PEX
Amadea Choplin, the Chief Operating Officer of PEX, stated: “Joining Vobile marks an exciting new chapter. Together at Vobile, we can have an even greater impact on our customers.”
“By integrating PEX’s advanced audiological technologies, we expand our capabilities to meet the growing needs of rights holders, especially as generative AI changes the future of creativity.”
Yanbin Van, Vobile
Commenting on this deal, Yanbin Van, the chairman and CEO of Vobile, said: “Vobile has been at the forefront, assisting global entertainment companies in protecting and monetizing their content in an ever-evolving digital landscape.”
“Integrating the advanced audiological technologies of PEX expands our capabilities to satisfy the growing needs of right-holders, particularly in light of generative AI’s impact on the future of creativity.”
Lucas focuses on the interaction between music and society. He specializes in how music influences and reflects cultures, analyzing the role of sound in social, political, and cultural events around the world.
