Tobi Parks Launches SARA to Close Live-Music Royalty Gap
When a 14‑year‑old Des Moines bar‑band player steps into the boardroom of a live‑music tech startup, she brings a perspective few in the industry have. Tobi Parks, co‑founder of Tour Tech, owner of the 250‑seat xBk Live, and Board Vice President of the National Independent Venue Foundation, announced the debut of SARA—Setlist Aggregator and Royalty Application—in a recent interview with Hypebot’s Backstage Pass series.
SARA is designed to strip away the administrative maze that keeps independent venues from paying songwriters the money they deserve. In a matter of minutes, the platform pulls verified show and setlist data, matches each track to its correct performing‑rights organization, and submits the information automatically. By turning a labor‑intensive, error‑prone process into a single, automated workflow, SARA promises to reduce overhead and guarantee that royalties flow to the right creators.
Parks’ path to this solution is rooted in her own experience. She began her career as a guitarist in Des Moines bar bands before moving into entertainment law. Her tenure as the operator of xBk Live exposed her firsthand to the financial tightrope venues walk—labor costs, insurance, and the constant threat of scalpers and ticket‑price inflation can easily outpace the revenue from a sold‑out show. “The administrative burden of licensing compliance is a significant part of that cost,” she said.
Independent venues often lack the resources to track setlists and report them to performing‑rights organizations (PROs). According to Parks, this “data gap” can leave millions of dollars paid into the system without reaching the intended creators. The fragmentation of the PRO landscape—new entrants, private‑equity ownership, and overlapping jurisdictions—only deepens the problem.
SARA’s approach aligns with a broader industry shift toward data‑driven tools. By automating the reporting and verification process, the platform not only eases the burden on venues but also gives artists a clearer path to collect performance royalties—a revenue stream that, as Parks notes, is becoming increasingly important as touring income eclipses streaming.
Beyond the numbers, Parks remains a staunch advocate for the human element of live music. In the interview, she recalled attending a Jesse Welles concert at First Ave in Minneapolis, calling the experience “phenomenal” and stressing that live shows can’t be replicated by algorithms. She highlighted how touring can generate significant revenue for artists beyond what streaming offers.
Parks has long supported local talent through initiatives like Station 1 Records, a music incubator that provided financial support and industry knowledge. Although the incubator is no longer a formal entity, she continues to serve as a resource for creators and the broader creative workforce that operates in venues.
The launch of SARA by Tour Tech marks a concrete step toward closing the long‑standing royalty gap that has plagued independent venues. With automated reporting, data verification, and a streamlined workflow, the platform seeks to reduce administrative overhead, improve licensing compliance, and ensure that songwriters receive the royalties they are owed.
Looking ahead, Parks and her team plan to scale the solution to more venues and integrate with additional PROs as the industry evolves. The next phase will focus on expanding reach and refining the system to accommodate the diverse needs of the live‑music ecosystem.
