Iconoclast Reportedly Being Shopped for $500M & More Music Deals

Sync platform SourceAudio, which specializes in licensing music for AI training, signed a deal with Symphonic that will allow Symphonic artists and labels to opt into SourceAudio’s AI music dataset licensing marketplace. Artists who opt in will be able to make incremental revenue from songs of theirs that are used to train approved third-party AI models and tools, including ElevenLabs, Music AI, Native Instruments and Serato. At the time of the Symphonic partnership, SourceAudio’s marketplace included more than 14 million opted-in songs from more than 3,000 music catalogs.

Participation is entirely optional for Symphonic artists, who retain full ownership of their rights if they choose to opt in.

“As we continue to grow revenue for thousands of rightsholders through our AI music dataset licensing marketplace, SourceAudio’s role has increasingly become the connective infrastructure between music creators and the next generation of media and AI platforms,” said Drew Silverstein, president/head of AI strategy at SourceAudio, in a statement. “This new collaboration with Symphonic helps us both accomplish our goals, bringing amazing new music from cutting-edge international artists into our marketplace while allowing them to take part in fully cleared AI models and unlock their piece of millions of dollars in recurring annual revenue.”

“We’re always looking for new ways to bring in more revenue for our artists, and SourceAudio’s AI music dataset licensing marketplace checks all the boxes,” added Jorge Brea, CEO at Symphonic. “Not only will our artists make more money if they opt in, but they have full control over whether to do so, as we fully believe that no one’s art should be used without their express permission and fair compensation.”

Direct-to-fan platform EVEN signed a deal with Universal Music Group (UMG) through which EVEN becomes a direct-to-fan resource for UMG labels and artists, offering a solution for engaging their most dedicated fans through early access to music, exclusive content, community features and artist-led experiences.

EVEN offers both EVEN Marketplace, a consumer-facing discovery platform, and EVEN Studio, a white-label solution that can assist in transforming artists’ websites into superfan destinations. EVEN is designed to live natively inside social platforms.

Through the deal, UMG artists will also have the ability to offer physical music and merchandise through EVEN using UMG’s D2C, vinyl and merch infrastructure.

“Superfans are the foundation of sustainable artist careers. EVEN exists to support artists and labels at every stage by giving them the infrastructure to own their fan relationships,” said Mag Rodriguez, founder/CEO of EVEN, in a statement. “This collaboration reflects what we’ve always believed: that direct-to-fan engagement is now an essential layer of the music ecosystem, working alongside streaming.”

Jonathan Dworkin, EVEN’s executive vp of digital business development & strategy, added, “As we continue to build strong, diverse superfan capabilities, EVEN provides a unified, scalable solution for artists and labels to produce creatively and commercially meaningful moments around release campaigns. The platform fosters safe, engaged, and loyal fan communities, all while fitting seamlessly within the broader social and entertainment ecosystem.”

Indie label broke records, founded by Andre Benz and Brandon De Oliveira under Create Music Group, established a joint venture with Innovo Management and content creator and Innovo co-founder Jillian Webber to start wbbr., a record label that will aim “to bridge the gap between music and the creator economy,” according to a press release. The label’s first signing is JEYEM, an alternative pop-rock singer, songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles.

“Broke has always been about building sustainable careers,” said Benz, CEO and co-founder of broke, in a statement. “Partnering with Sam and Jillian on wbbr. allows us to build artists in a way that reflects today’s ecosystem where creators help shape culture alongside the music itself. JEYEM is a perfect example of how that philosophy translates into a real career.”

“This isn’t a traditional label model, and that’s very intentional. We’re focused on smart partnerships and scribbling outside of the lines. When we approached Jillian about the idea, the thought was simple,” added Sam Saideman, CEO and co-founder of Innovo Management. “Bridge a growing divide and create true partnerships between artists and creators. Partnering with broke records was a no brainer for us as Andre and his team already focus on going against the grain.”

Italian indie distributor, record label and services company Artist First signed a partnership with Sony Music-owned AWAL that will give Artist First’s roster access to AWAL’s distribution services while expanding AWAL’s presence in the Italian market.

Claudio Ferrante, founder & CEO of Artist First, said in a statement, “This new strategic partnership with AWAL will add global reach to our distribution and services capabilities, allowing the Italian artists we represent to engage with new markets and audiences around the world. At the same time, this alliance will enable us to develop new synergies with AWAL’s roster, leveraging A1’s fully integrated and holistic structure to create opportunities that go beyond distribution. With Artist First remaining fully independent and focused on providing artists with an environment in which to enjoy creative freedom, we will continue to live up to our name and always put the artist first. The AWAL team are also keen to tap into our proven expertise in Italy to create opportunities for their fantastic roster in this fast-growing market, and we are really excited about the possibilities that this new partnership holds.”

Added Lonny Olinick, CEO of AWAL, “Since our first meeting with Claudio and his team we have felt a strong alignment of principles between our two companies. We share the dedication to developing and empowering artists, and in combination we will be a powerful force for the Italian music industry. The Italian market is one of the most exciting in the world, with strong digital growth and a thriving local artist community, so now is the perfect time to innovate and bring new solutions to the market.”

Sony Music Group France acquired Spookland, an indie recording and publishing company founded by Maxim “Yodelice” Nucci that boasts every album from French artist Jain in its catalog along with four albums by Yodelice, publishing rights to 28 tracks by Johnny Hallyday and more. The acquisition includes recorded and publishing rights and repertoire. Spookland, which is managed by Marc Nouchy, will be renamed Bleu Revolver in the wake of the deal.

Marie-Anne Robert, managing director of Sony Music France, said in a statement, “This acquisition is the natural outcome of a long-standing collaborative partnership spanning more than ten years. It reflects our commitment to support artists ever more closely and to enhance their catalogue by offering it increased visibility and expanding its audience. With Spookland, we share the same creative standards and the conviction that artistic independence can go hand in hand with international ambition.”

Antoine Dathanat, managing director of Sony Music Publishing France, added, “This operation demonstrates the strength of the Sony Music Group companies and the synergies we are able to deploy. By bringing together our publishing and recording expertise, we offer Spookland songwriters a unique environment to develop their projects, maximize their reach, and enhance the value of their work.”

“Spookland was born to offer a creative playground that is free, demanding, and open to the world,” added Nucci. “With both Sony Music France and Sony Music Publishing France, it has made sense for years: today it becomes obvious. This partnership will allow us to elevate our artists and pursue our international ambitions without compromising our identity.”

SeatGeek announced an integration with Spotify that will bring SeatGeek’s primary ticket inventory into Spotify’s event discovery experience. With the deal, fans can discover live events tied to their favorite artists on Spotify and connect with SeatGeek to purchase primary tickets from its team and venue partners. Spotify users will receive personalized recommendations and notifications based on their listening preferences. Participating venues include SeatGeek’s 15 U.S. venue partners.

“SeatGeek is building the best marketplace for live events by making it easier for fans to find the right tickets in the best possible buying experience,” said Russ D’Souza, co-founder and president of SeatGeek, in a statement. “This integration with Spotify helps remove friction at the moment of discovery, so fans can go from listening to an artist to choosing great seats in just a few steps. For our partners, it also creates a more direct and informed connection to fans as interest turns into attendance.”

“This partnership with SeatGeek represents a significant step in our mission to build a best-in-class event discovery platform,” added Abbie Riley, business development lead at Spotify. “By connecting our highly engaged audience with official primary tickets from an authorized source, we are creating a more contextual concert discovery experience that helps fans find tickets alongside the music they love.”

Incantio, a new digital music marketplace that provides licensed independent music for content creators, has launched with early partners including CD Baby, A2IM, Disco, Jarobi White (an original member of A Tribe Called Quest), Mike McCready (of Pearl Jam), Macy Gray, and producers Steve Fisk and John Goodmanson. A2IM will offer Incantio “as a spotlight service” for its 800-plus label members. Artists who license their music through the platform are able to price their own tracks and retain control over their IP.

“As a recording musician myself, I wanted a service to exist that would let me self-license my own works — that was why I started Incantio,” said founder Danny Newcomb in a statement. “We had to create a legal system of pre-approved rights for our catalog musicians so that our customers could safely and quickly find the music they wanted, directly on the artist’s terms. A kind of Etsy for Independent music built for brands and advertisers. After two long years of development we are so excited to be available to connect visual artists who use music and want human, authentic sounds that connect with their audience!”

Added Chirag Patel of A2IM, “One of A2IM’s core missions is to help our members unlock new opportunities for their catalogs. By building infrastructure that simplifies and modernizes sync licensing, Incantio is lowering barriers for independent labels and artists while making it easier for music supervisors and agents to discover and license great indie music. What makes Incantio especially compelling is that it’s being built by independent artists who deeply understand the challenges of navigating the sync ecosystem.”

Royalty management platform Mogul raised $5 million in a funding round led by the Yamaha Music Innovations Fund, along with the Urban Innovation Fund, Mindset Ventures and EU-based Fairway Capital Partners and existing investors Amplify LA and Wonder Ventures.

Since launching last year, Mogul has processed more than $1.5 billion in royalties on behalf of artists, according to a press release. Thanks to the new round of funding, it also recently established a catalog valuation center that connects artists and managers with financing partners.

“A universal source of truth for music royalties has long been the industry’s holy grail,” said Mogul founder and CEO Jeff Ponchick in a statement. “Instead of forcing a top-down solution, trying to wrangle Labels, Publishers, CMOs, and others, Mogul starts at the data itself by bringing together the fragmented metadata that determines payouts and turning it into a clear, actionable view of an artist’s income, with tools to surface and resolve issues fast.”

“Mogul is addressing one of the largest structural inefficiencies in the creator economy: fragmented data across royalties, revenues, and payments,” added Andrew Kahn, managing partner at Yamaha. “By aggregating hundreds of sources into a unified platform, they’re shrinking the tech stack for creators while unlocking faster, more accurate compensation. This combination of broad applicability and deep product execution creates defensibility, and while music is the most visible entry point, the opportunity extends well beyond it.”

Independent wealth management, retirement advisory and business management firm Wealthspire announced that its subsidiary, Ground Control Business Management, acquired Nashville-based, music-focused business management and tax consulting firm Wiles + Taylor & Co. The acquisition expands Ground Control’s music business management capabilities by adding specialized touring and royalties expertise.

“Supporting top-tier artists and their teams has been central to Ground Control’s mission for years, and this partnership accelerates what we can deliver,” said Chris Bucci, CEO of Ground Control, in a statement. “Wiles + Taylor adds a high-caliber team on tour operations, royalty administration, and the real-world complexity behind modern music income. Together we can offer a more seamless model with precision at scale and with the discretion and high-touch service our clients expect.”

“Joining Ground Control helps us scale and continue growing without compromising our culture,” added Dwight Wiles, president of Wiles + Taylor. “As touring and global revenue streams grow more complex, artists need advisors who understand both the details and the broader strategy. This partnership gives us additional infrastructure to keep serving our clients’ evolving needs while preserving continuity for our talented team.”

File Eaters, a new software company that enables easier sharing of music files between collaborators and embeds writer splits, publishing, IPI numbers, PRO information and more, raised $1.1 million in a seed round from a combination of family office and industry investment including artist/producer Jon Bellion, Peter Old of The Watercress Company, Peter Hackel of Carinthia Recording company and The 4 Little Monsters, among others. File Eaters was founded by former Capitol Records executive Targa Sahyoun and Sony Music producer/composer Morgan Dorr. The platform says it does not train on users’ work or harvest their data.

U.K. collective management organization PPL strengthened its partnership with music technology company Salt through the introduction of Salt Match, which matches music usage data to recordings in the PPL repertoire database. According to a press release, Salt Match has improved PPL’s auto-match rates by 23% since it soft-launched in September.

“Whether providing our own proprietary technology to other CMOs or working alongside them to build shared systems and processes, PPL has always been a firm believer in collaboration,” said Mark Douglas, chief information officer at PPL, in a statement. “A collaborative approach removes unnecessary cost and duplication from the industry allowing more money to flow to rightsholders and performers.”

Doug Imrie, founder and CEO of Salt, added: “PPL plays a vital role in the recorded music ecosystem, and we’re proud to be working with them as the first recorded music CMO to deploy Salt’s matching technology. As usage data volumes and repertoire continue to grow, accuracy, scale and automation are essential to ensuring performers and rightsholders are paid correctly and efficiently. Alongside core matching, PPL will also benefit from early access to Salt’s AI services, designed to further improve automation and reduce friction.”