Choose according to the work you need done and the evidence each provider can supply. A company that delivers datasets, a company that meters access and a company that negotiates licences solve different problems. Appointing one does not establish the others are covered.
The framework below is an analyst procurement method, not a performance ranking. Named examples substantiate service categories only. They have not passed confidential reference, payment or security diligence.
| Route | What you are buying | When it can fit | Principal question before selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct negotiation | Your team's origination and contract management | Named buyer, senior sponsor and internal capacity | Can we reach an authorised purchasing team and run delivery ourselves? |
| Managed representative or aggregator | Help packaging opportunities and reaching downstream buyers | Scarce content but limited licensing capacity | Show comparable executed transactions and paid remittances, not pipeline totals. |
| Managed dataset marketplace | Discovery, product preparation and transaction workflow | A defined dataset that fits the marketplace's audience | How many relevant enquiries convert, and what is the full deduction basis? |
| Self-service distribution channel | Listings, contracting and delivery infrastructure | Existing data product and customers using that platform | Who originates demand and pays ongoing infrastructure costs? |
| Retrieval/access infrastructure | Permissioned access, metering and reporting | Current content with a plausible retrieval use | What exactly is chargeable, observable and contractually permitted? |
| Collective licensing | Participation in an aggregated rights offering | Eligible repertoire and acceptable standard permissions | What uses, allocation rules and owner controls apply? |
| Preparation provider | Conversion, annotation, enrichment or evaluation work | Named acceptance criteria and an approved preparation budget | What must be built for this buyer, and what is speculative? |
Examples include Defined.ai's data-partner programme, AWS Data Exchange distribution and CCC's external-system training licence. They are different procurement categories despite all being relevant to an AI licensing project. Defined.ai partnership programs AWS Data Exchange provider financials CCC AI Systems Training License