Deutsch EMS @ LinkedIn Spotify Preferred Provider 2023: Encoding Management Service - EMS GmbH

EMS - Autobahn you Media: Music, Videos, Audiobooks

Our Mission
Your fast lane on the Media Autobahn

Autobahn your media

Fast, efficient and focused on the goal. With us as your digital logistics partner, you can send your music, video and audiobook content all around the world. We’ve got the right technology, the right expertise and the right know-how for your business. With over 100 associated trade partners, we ensure that every product ends up at your specific contractual partner. Our quality is industry-recognized, which is why Spotify recommends EMS as delivery platform (Preferred Provider) and Apple lists us an encoding house.


Smart tech by smart people

Finding the best solution for you is what we do. We listen to our customers’ needs, and enjoy developing new projects in collaboration with our partners. We rely on expertise from our 20 years of creating digital service solutions for the media industry, which means our experts can meet almost any technical or logistical challenge.


Taylor-made solutions

Every medium requires its own process chain, just like every genre calls for its own framework. Whether it’s music, video or audiobook - we adjust to the speed of the different lanes on the Autobahn, to provide you with an offer perfectly tailored to your individual needs.


Our Service
Full speed for your needs

Digital Media Logistics

You have the content – we deliver it! Regardless of the format, we take it safely to the streaming platforms, download shops and mobile providers all over the world. We can handle any individual specification. The instruments in your Toolbox help you to retain full control over each step within the process chain.

The Process Chain

Digital Media Logistics

The Process Chain
Submission

You send us your audio, video and/or audio book content via FTP. From here, they’re directly transferred to the Encoding Management System, where they’ll be readied for delivery to your contractual partners. Lightspeed might be beyond us (for now), but we’ll usually get the job done within one working day.


Quality inspection

Your data is important to you, and that’s why we take the utmost care of it. Once in the system, all data must pass various quality control mechanisms; starting with the first comparison of the delivered metadata with the associated audio and video content, to the final soundcheck and clearance through the Wavealyzer, our very own digital stethoscope. Without our internal EMS seal of approval, no product leaves the system.


Hosting

Your media data is stored in our in-house data center. All the important elements that allow for a smooth process have been designed with fallback redundancy in mind. Our Autobahn is constantly on the move, and online 24/7, so we maintain round-the-clock access to the entire technical infrastructure at all times. It’s only when we see that little “green light” with our own eyes that we put our minds at ease. By the way, green is also the color of our power – our services use sustainable electricity.


Encoding

Our system is able to create any required media format, availing transcoded contents for later deliveries. With the MMP you can save designated usage/s individually per destination, from product to track level, and adjust according to your needs at any given time. Changes to requirement profiles are just as much a part of our customer service as adding new features. We constantly keep developing the system onwards, so that your offer is still up-to-date tomorrow.


Delivery

Our Autobahn not only features multiple lanes, but is also globally connected. The EMS forms a network with over 100 trading partners around the world. Your products leave us via the fast lane (aka fiber optic cable), and zoom directly to their destinations. Unlike the real-life Autobahn, ours is free of traffic jams when it comes to your data, no matter how many products run through our system. Delivering things in time is just what we do.


Evaluation

Of course, we keep track of the traffic on our Autobahn. Our MMP allows you to keep track of the sales figures of your music and audiobook products. You have access to your daily and monthly figures, updated in real time with all incoming data. Multiple display options give you a quick overview, with customizable analysis graphics that let you take a closer look. And of course, exporting our data lists is simple and stress-free.



Content Operations

Our content operations team takes care of digital inventory management in its entirety for you. We import your media content, safeguard quality, generate metadata, produce the digital product and manage the digital service chain.

The three pillars’ princible

Content Operations

The three pillars’ princible
The operational

The human aspect is as important for us as the technical one. That’s why you’ll always find your personal operations manager at the other end of the digital line when you need them, ready to answer your questions and support you and you your release strategy in a way that benefits the DSPs.

The System Operations Team is your contact for all technical matters relating to the provider platforms you cater to. From setting up new destinations smoothly and ensuring error-free deliveries, to flawless presentation of your products to the end-user; everything is taken care of here, so that your product always reaches its intended audience in the best possible form.


The technical

Whether meeting industry standards such as DDEX and ONIX or proprietary system specifications, our platform supports all requirements of connected partners.

Each supply chain interface is programmed individually, to ensure that you get full access to all functionalities of each individual destination. Our products aren’t off the rack, but are instead individually crafted to fit your needs. That approach is one of the reasons why we regularly feature in the top positions in the audits and rankings of the world’s largest DSPs.


The personal

You don’t have to travel the Media Autobahn all by yourself - the EMS is always next to you in the passenger seat. We monitor the process, provide the right tools -- even if it means whipping up tailor-made innovatons for your bespoke purpose/s -- and lend a hand wherever neccessary. Being technologically up to date is a given, but looking after your concerns from start to finish and beyond is a matter we take professional pride in on a personal level. It's committed human beings taking care of your supply chain, down to the DSPs' backends and tools (e.g. AppleConnect, Spotify SCatMan etc.). We know we are dealing with people - and now so do you.

With our years of experience, we know how to handle the special requirements of each individual trading partner. And if the traffic on our Autobahn should slow down, we instantly get to work to find out why. When a problem appears, the EMS doesn’t rest until we find the solution.



Custom Solutions

We know that each partner has their own workflow and individual strengths. Our own strength lies within the creation of tools that are optimized for your individual workflow. If there are new markets to be made accessible, we’ll create the solutions you’ll need for them.

Our strengths

Custom Solutions

Our strength comes from your trust
We listen.

Trust and understanding are the key factors in our work. In our daily work with our customers, we consider ourselves as equals. With us, there is no off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all package. You tell us your requirements. Then together we discuss the scope and work out a solution suited to your needs. Your workflows and business structures are part of our project planning from the very beginning, resulting in the best working tools for your individual needs.


We think along. And alike.

The Media Autobahn remains dynamic and the ever-changing digital market calls for constant re-evaluation of everyday processes and tools. We keep an overview of all these developments, and maintain an ongoing dialogue with leading players from all areas of the digital economy. Providing you with our knowledge is a natural part of our customer service. We keep you informed about up-and-coming developments and create joint strategies to establish your business in the market. Our goal is staying up to date to meet the current requirements and developments in logistics for digital entertainment content, with and for you.


We enable.

We consider ourselves digital craftspeople, building the tools for today’s and tomorrow’s digital market. For more than 20 years, we've been successfully realizing projects for the digital media industry.
An overview of our existing range of applications is available in our Toolbox section.



Your Toolbox
Giving you full control

All your products

MMP

MMP

Mediadata Management Program
MMP Products List
Your digital command centre with us

Our exclusive, web-based logistics center, the Mediadata Management Program (MMP), allows you to administrate your data autonomously and in real-time. You keep total control over your materials, and enjoy access to the individual stages of the processing chain at all times, up to ultimately triggering the actual delivery to destinations.

You can:

  • Edit every detail of your product meta data
  • Navigate the rights, deals and delivery of your releases – from label-default right to individual details of your campaign
  • Organize your co-contractors and labels.
  • Optimize your team organization via our release-centered messaging system
  • Adjust your distribution workflow with the help of our automated task lists.

The Mediadata Management Program (MMP) is the control center for your merchandise management with us.


Artist Profiles

ID.entities

ID.entities

Artist Profiles
ID.entities Suggestions
Full control of every artist profile in your catalogue

With ID.entities, you decide which artist profiles are addressed at Spotify and Apple with your products. You can query, adopt, correct, and merge provider-specific IDs and ensure your content appears exactly where it needs to be.
ID.entities gives you the best possible overview of your artists and products.

Always address the right artist identities on Spotify and Apple's services


Your digital One-Sheet

Flasheet

Flasheet

Your digital One-Sheet
Flasheet Example
A digital profile for your product

All the information about your artist, all collected in one place, just like on a good old flyer. Flasheet is its digital reincarnation, and includes all the most important facts and figures of your product, ready for your trade and media partners.

Digital One-Sheets for effectively pitching your products


Know thy listener/s

Audiobook Analytics

Audiobook Analytics

Know thy listener/s
All the data in one place

Together with ZEBRALUTION, we’ve developed our very own analytics tool for publishers, to give them detailed insights on their audiobook titles, authors and speakers. Our tool not only delivers topical updates on user numbers from across all relevant streaming services, but also provides information on target groups, device usage and genre trends. The findings from these data analyses can be used to assist publishers with the evaluation of their marketing campaigns, and even the planning of future activities and productions.

The usage numbers of your spoken content - at a glance, and actually telling you something


Count your revenue

SalesBoard

SalesBoard

Know your numbers
Precise, up-to-date figures, delivered to you

Our in-house analytics tool “Salesboard” gives you the best possible overview of your sales and streaming figures. All the relevant numbers for your products and artists are sent to us by digital platforms from all across the world, and they’ll be waiting for you in our daily sales report.

We’re continuously working on expanding the scope of the reporting details to improve the valuation basis of your productions, and our goal is to deliver a clear, comprehensive and comprehendible overview of everything you need to know.

Sales figures and statistical evaluations, concise and clear.


The analysis tool for music companies

Music Analytics

Music Analytics

The analysis tool for music companies
Daily streaming performance in numbers and at a glance.

Music Analytics, developed in cooperation with Zebralution, helps our customers to improve the monitoring of the performance of their releases at the streaming providers. The tool also provides information about the target group, devices and most popular genres. These and other findings from the data analysis support labels in the evaluation of marketing campaigns, but also in the planning of future promotions and productions.

Daily streaming performance in numbers and at a glance.


About us
Human-driven tech. Tech-driven humans.

Pioneers, Coders, Musicians

A happy cruise on the Autobahn isn’t just about the vehicle, it’s also about the company.
For more than 20 years, our success has been down to more than our technical expertise. We also know your side of business, from our own experience. Because, in addition to professional engagement in dealing with media contents, a large part of our team is also active in the entertainment sector in their personal time; as artists, producers, label-managers and more. We all love music, good stories, and know all about the importance of the human factor. Because without it, even the best machine wouldn’t work.
We know about the value of your content and that’s why we treat it with a maximum of respect.


Our values

EMS accepts nothing less than the highest security standards to protect your products and systems. Our servers are located in Germany and we rely on green energy, an obvious choice for reliability and long-term partnerships.


Our Team
In alphabetical order

Alex Simon
Alex Simon

Content Operations Manager - Digital Rights Management

Alexander Maiwald
Alexander Maiwald

System Operations Manager - DSP Relations

Alina Lohrmann
Alina Lohrmann

Director Content

Andrea Bethmann
Andrea Bethmann

Content Operations Manager - Audiobook

Andrea Radermacher
Andrea Radermacher

Assistant to the MDs & HR

Andreas Dutz
Andreas Dutz

Content Operations Manager - Audiobook

Bernd Kösling
Bernd Kösling

Senior Developer

Christian Kisseler
Christian Kisseler

Content Operations Manager - Audiobook

Christian Beermann
Christian Beermann

Content Operations Manager - Music

Christoph Bornefeld-Ettmann
Christoph Bornefeld-Ettmann

Managing Director

Christoph Schmidt
Christoph Schmidt

System Administrator

Cynthia Meier
Cynthia Meier

System Operations Manager

Denis Vejzagic
Denis Vejzagic

Developer

Dominik Dwinger
Dominik Dwinger

Developer

Elmar Töller
Elmar Töller

Content Operations Manager - Music

Erk Richter
Erk Richter

System Operations Manager - Supply Chain

Gürkan Güner
Gürkan Güner

Developer

Igor Dobric
Igor Dobric

Junior Developer

Jan Küchler
Jan Küchler

Director Development

Jörg Nijmeijer
Jörg Nijmeijer

System Operations Manager - Supply Chain

Johann Oltmanns
Johann Oltmanns

Content Operations Manager - Audiobook

Julia Eichner
Julia Eichner

Content Operations Manager - Music

Justus Wendler
Justus Wendler

Working Student

Klaus Kurtz
Klaus Kurtz

Senior Developer

Levin Wiechmann
Levin Wiechmann

Director Creation

Marc Radermacher
Marc Radermacher

Managing Director

Mario Lehmann
Mario Lehmann

Director Product

Martin Schneider
Martin Schneider

Director Operations

Mika Orgaßa
Mika Orgaßa

Apprentice Application Development

Niko Fakitsas
Niko Fakitsas

Developer

Norbert Töller
Norbert Töller

Developer

Regina Tresp
Regina Tresp

Content Operations Manager - Audiobook

Wolfgang Stoelzle
Wolfgang Stoelzle

Senior Developer

Our Network
Together for your product

Partnerships

Knowledge exchange is at the core of our work. Longtime partnerships with our customers and other important players in the market are a sign of trust for us. And, of course, we want you to benefit from our experience.

Our Partnerships at a glance

Our partners

Who we work with
Audible Magic
Audible Magic

DDEX
DDEX

Indigo
Indigo

Kiddinx
Kiddinx

lit.COLOGNE
lit.COLOGNE

lit.RUHR
lit.RUHR

MusicHub
MusicHub

phil.COLOGNE
phil.COLOGNE

PHONONET
PHONONET

tonpool
tonpool

VUT
VUT

wordandsound
wordandsound

Zebralution
Zebralution


Destinations

Sovereignty over all distribution contracts remains in your hands. We offer the logistical infrastructure, technological know-how and valuable relationships with more than 100 online retailers, streaming platforms, aggregators and other suppliers, from all over the world. Here’s a brief overview of the destinations we currently reach:

List of destinations

Destinations

Where we deliver to
Name Link Location
7digital 7digital.com GB
agedi agedi.es ES
amazon amazon.com US
ami entertainment amientertainment.com US
anghami anghami.com LB
anyreads anyreads.com LT
apple books apple.com/apple-books/ US
apple itunes apple.com/itunes US
apple music apple.com/music/ US
audiamo audiamo.com AT
audible audible.com US
audiobooks.com audiobooks.com US
audiolibrix audiolibrix.com CZ
audioteka audioteka.com PL
awa awa.fm JP
bandcamp bandcamp.com US
beatport beatport.com US
bleep bleep.com UK
blinkist blinkist.com US/DE
bmat bmat.com ES
bookbeat bookbeat.com SE/DE
boomkat boomkat.com UK
boomplay boomplay.com CN/NG
bugs music.bugs.co.kr KR
cloudaloud cloudaloud.co.uk GB
deezer deezer.com FR
deutsche bahn ICEportal.de DE
deutsche nationalbibliothek dnb.de DE
digitalstores digitalstores.net DE
divibib | onleihe.de divibib.com DE
djmonitor djmonitor.com NL
facebook facebook.com/sound US
findaway findaway.com US
google play (books) play.google.com US
gracenote gracenote.com US
hardwax hardwax.com DE
highresaudio highresaudio.com DE
hoopla hoopladigital.com US
idagio idagio.com DE
iheartradio iheart.com US
imusica imusica.com.br BR
jaxsta jaxsta.com AU
jiosaavn jiosaavn.com IN
joox joox.com/intl SG
juno juno.co.uk UK
kkbox kkbox.com/intl/ JP
kobo kobo.com IE
kuaishou kuaishou.com/en CN
libro.fm libro.fm US
mercat trapez.com/mercat/ DE
mixcloud mixcloud.com UK
mondia media mondia.com DE
musicme musicme.com FR
muzicall realnetworks.com US
napster napster.com US
netease music.163.com CN
newtone newtone-records.com JP
nextory nextory.com SE
overdrive overdrive.com US
pandora pandora.com US
phononet phononet.de DE
playnetwork | touchtunes | octave touchtunes.com US
pro agency pro-agency.net DE
qobuz qobuz.com FR
ravensburger tiptoi.de DE
resso www.resso.app CN
roxi roximusicsystem.com GB
securycast securycast.com FI
sharemagazines sharemagazines.de DE
shazam shazam.com US
skoobe skoobe.de DE
snap snap.com US
soundcloud soundcloud.com UK
soundtrack your brand soundtrackyourbrand.com GB
spotify spotify.com SE
storytel storytel.com SE
technifant technifant.de DE
tencent music tencentmusic.com CN
tidal | aspiro tidal.com NO
tiktok tiktok.com CN
tiger media tiger.media DE
tolino (Thalia, Weltbild, Hugendubel) mytolino.de DE
tonies | boxine tonies.com DE
traxsource traxsource.com US
trebel home.trebel.io US
triller triller.co US
vevo vevo.com US
yousee | nuuday | tdc musik.yousee.dk DK
youtube youtube.com US
youtube music music.youtube.com US

The group

Since its inception in 2004, EMS has been working closely with Zebralution GmbH, constantly involved in the development of Europe's first digital distribution enterprise for many years. In 2019, we've transformed into our own division within the Zebralution family, working together even more tightly on new software solutions for the areas of digitally marketing music and spoken content in many forms.

zebralution.com

Sustainability
The future is green

The climate crisis concerns us all.

As a company, we bear responsibility for future developments. We accept this responsibility and try to act accordingly within the scope of our possibilities.

As an innovation-driven company, there is no way around a low-emission future for us. That change is an ongoing process that affects all areas of our activities and is by no means complete at the moment.

As a company, we are constantly learning and are keen to share our findings with our team.


Sustainability in action

All areas of our everyday office life are taken into account:

  • Green electricity and a local server park
  • Paperless office, thanks to digital archive and communication structure
  • Quality food through communal cooking and regional organic fruit
  • Promoting a shift in mobility: Provision of company bicycles and local transport ticket
  • Planning business trips with a focus on sustainability and emissions reduction



Initiators of the IMPALA Carbon Calculator

We have financially supported this carbon calculator, which was specifically designed for the indie music scene, from the beginning and applied it to the EMS. The queried data of the calculator come from our own field of activity and correspond to the process flows of indie music companies. More info at:
https://www.impalamusic.org/carbon-calculator/


Declarer at Music Declares Emergency

As a voice for the music industry, the international movement "Music Declares Emergency" is the appropriate amplifier for us to initiate change within our industry. More info here:
https://www.musicdeclares.net/en/


Jobs
We are hiring

What we offer

Flat hierarchies, family-friendly management and a trusting team atmosphere have always been important to us.

With us you are in the thick of the ongoing expansion and developments of the digital music and spoken contents markets.




Apprenticeship and further training

Are you looking for an employer who will finance your part-time Bachelor of Science studies in the field of business informatics or computer science? You've come to the right place! We are looking forward to getting to know you!


Interested in joining our team?

Then we look forward to receiving your application at:
Andrea Radermacher