ArtistDirect News
Tobi Parks Builds Tech to Close Live-Music Royalty Gap
Tobi Parks, the force behind Tour Tech, D Tour, and Des Moines venue xBk Live, has unveiled SARA—a set‑list and royalty platform designed to give independent venues a reliable way to report live‑performance data and pay songwriters the royalties they deserve.
SARA, standing for Setlist Aggregator and Royalty Application, was revealed in a recent interview with Hypebot’s Backstage Pass series. Parks explained that the system pulls verified show and set‑list information, then standardizes it for performance‑rights organizations (PROs). The goal is straightforward: close the data gap that currently keeps millions of dollars from the royalty stream out of the hands of the creators whose work is performed.
Parks’ music‑first background fuels her mission. She began playing in local bar bands at 14, later worked as an entertainment attorney, and now owns and operates xBk Live. She also serves as Board Vice President of the National Independent Venue Foundation, the charitable arm of the National Independent Venue Association. In 2025, Pollstar named her a “Woman of Live,” and Billboard Magazine listed her in its “Next Generation of Live Music Professionals.”
Before founding Tour Tech, Parks cut her teeth at a major label during the early digital era, helping launch a copyright and royalties system that laid the groundwork for her current focus on tech solutions. In the interview she noted that her legal training and hands‑on venue experience compel her to bring corporate‑level operational tools to the indie sector.
The pain point SARA tackles is the fragmented PRO landscape. With no reliable way to gather setlists or identify which PRO represents a song, many venues resort to a “pay‑all” strategy—paying every PRO for every performance to avoid infringement. This blanket approach wastes money and leaves songwriters in uncertainty. By aggregating setlists, SARA lets venues report accurately, pinpoint the correct PROs, and ensure royalties reach the rightful recipients.
Parks also highlighted touring’s growing importance in 2026. Live shows now generate more revenue than streaming for many artists, providing income through ticket sales and merchandise. Yet touring remains risky and costly, making accurate royalty reporting essential. “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,” she said.
Running a venue is far more complex than the public perception of a sold‑out show suggests. Parks described hidden costs—labor, insurance, operations—and the ongoing battle against scalpers who inflate ticket prices. She emphasized that venue staff often juggle multiple roles, which is why she focuses on streamlining administrative tasks.
Beyond the venue, Parks has invested in local artist development. She founded Station 1 Records, an incubator that helped Des Moines musicians learn the industry and access financial support. Although the incubator no longer exists as a formal entity, she continues to serve as a resource for local creators and the broader creative community.
On a personal note, Parks recently attended a concert by Jesse Welles at First Ave in Minneapolis. She praised the experience and the community atmosphere, underscoring her belief that live music is an “immediate, imperfect, emotional, and completely human” experience that cannot be replicated digitally.
The SARA platform is now available to venues and artists through Tour Tech’s website. By simplifying set‑list reporting and royalty distribution, the solution aims to strengthen the financial foundation of independent live music and ensure that creators receive the compensation they deserve.
In sum, Tobi Parks is leveraging her legal, entrepreneurial, and venue‑operating expertise to address a long‑standing data gap in the live‑music royalty system. Her work with SARA represents a tangible step toward more accurate reporting, fairer payments, and a healthier ecosystem for artists, venues, and the independent music community.
SARA, standing for Setlist Aggregator and Royalty Application, was revealed in a recent interview with Hypebot’s Backstage Pass series. Parks explained that the system pulls verified show and set‑list information, then standardizes it for performance‑rights organizations (PROs). The goal is straightforward: close the data gap that currently keeps millions of dollars from the royalty stream out of the hands of the creators whose work is performed.
Parks’ music‑first background fuels her mission. She began playing in local bar bands at 14, later worked as an entertainment attorney, and now owns and operates xBk Live. She also serves as Board Vice President of the National Independent Venue Foundation, the charitable arm of the National Independent Venue Association. In 2025, Pollstar named her a “Woman of Live,” and Billboard Magazine listed her in its “Next Generation of Live Music Professionals.”
Before founding Tour Tech, Parks cut her teeth at a major label during the early digital era, helping launch a copyright and royalties system that laid the groundwork for her current focus on tech solutions. In the interview she noted that her legal training and hands‑on venue experience compel her to bring corporate‑level operational tools to the indie sector.
The pain point SARA tackles is the fragmented PRO landscape. With no reliable way to gather setlists or identify which PRO represents a song, many venues resort to a “pay‑all” strategy—paying every PRO for every performance to avoid infringement. This blanket approach wastes money and leaves songwriters in uncertainty. By aggregating setlists, SARA lets venues report accurately, pinpoint the correct PROs, and ensure royalties reach the rightful recipients.
Parks also highlighted touring’s growing importance in 2026. Live shows now generate more revenue than streaming for many artists, providing income through ticket sales and merchandise. Yet touring remains risky and costly, making accurate royalty reporting essential. “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,” she said.
Running a venue is far more complex than the public perception of a sold‑out show suggests. Parks described hidden costs—labor, insurance, operations—and the ongoing battle against scalpers who inflate ticket prices. She emphasized that venue staff often juggle multiple roles, which is why she focuses on streamlining administrative tasks.
Beyond the venue, Parks has invested in local artist development. She founded Station 1 Records, an incubator that helped Des Moines musicians learn the industry and access financial support. Although the incubator no longer exists as a formal entity, she continues to serve as a resource for local creators and the broader creative community.
On a personal note, Parks recently attended a concert by Jesse Welles at First Ave in Minneapolis. She praised the experience and the community atmosphere, underscoring her belief that live music is an “immediate, imperfect, emotional, and completely human” experience that cannot be replicated digitally.
The SARA platform is now available to venues and artists through Tour Tech’s website. By simplifying set‑list reporting and royalty distribution, the solution aims to strengthen the financial foundation of independent live music and ensure that creators receive the compensation they deserve.
In sum, Tobi Parks is leveraging her legal, entrepreneurial, and venue‑operating expertise to address a long‑standing data gap in the live‑music royalty system. Her work with SARA represents a tangible step toward more accurate reporting, fairer payments, and a healthier ecosystem for artists, venues, and the independent music community.