Updates regarding the future purchase of licences and the proposed Recorder 6 replacement system are now available from the Recorder 6 Steering Group.
Licence Renewals 2025-2026
There will be no increase to the licence fee for 2025–2026, but there will be a change in how the licence scheme is managed.
After six years, the NBN Trust can unfortunately no longer hold and administer the Recorder 6 Licence Fees. This is a legal and governance matter only, and the Steering Group will continue to work closely with the Trust.
To ensure continuity, the Recorder 6 Consortium and Steering Group have agreed that ALERC will take over administration of the licence scheme. As a Community Interest Company, ALERC is not bound by the same charity accounting rules as the NBN Trust, but it has the same robust checks in place to ensure funds are held and used appropriately.
The transition is expected to be completed in June 2025 and this will be confirmed in due course. Please do not renew your licence until the transfer is finalised.
All licences already bought will be valid until their renewal date in 2026.
Recorder 6 Replacement update
Over the past year, the Steering Group has explored two potential replacement options:
- Development work by Jon Van Breda, following the feasibility study funded by the Steering Group.
- Work undertaken by Scotland’s Better Biodiversity Data (BBD) Project and NBN Trust, funded by NatureScot.
Both options are still in relatively early stages, and each presents its own advantages and challenges.
Given the time that has passed since the original feasibility study, the Steering Group has agreed to revisit and compare both approaches, considering pros and cons, key differences and risks associated with each.
In addition, other possible IT solutions and options for a Recorder 6 replacement will be considered against the same criteria.
Further Updates
The Recorder 6 Steering Group is currently gathering feedback to help shape the future of Recorder 6 via a User Group questionnaire. Through this, those who indicate they wish to be kept informed will be contacted directly in the first instance. Further updates will however be communicated via Network News and the NBN Trust website as appropriate.