Music loverformerly known as We are a Giantclosed a $6 million funding round, bringing its total capital to $13.8 million. Backed by investors including Sterling Partners and other industry veterans, this funding will support the platform's expansion and strengthen its music offerings for artists and fans. Known for exclusive listening parties and digital events, Mellomanic provides a community-focused space for artists and superfans to connect. With more than 400,000 monthly active users – a 13,000% increase since January – the platform has attracted partnerships with major labels such as Atlantic Records, Def Jam, Sony Music Nashville and Virgin Music Group. Its genre-focused “Collectives” — think “We Are Hip Hop,” “We Are Pop,” and “We Are Country” — include listening parties, live streams, and virtual festivals, featuring artists like Kameron Marlowe, JXDN, Jordy and Big Sean is already involved. Mellomanic allows artists to monetize their work and access unique fan data to make informed career decisions. The platform secures music licenses for live streams, ensuring streams count against traditional metrics tracked by SoundExchange and PROs.
“We've learned so much about music communities and fan behaviors over the past year, and we wanted our name to reflect that. 'Mellomanic' pays homage to melomaniacs, superfans of all types, by incorporating the range of emotions found in different genres of music and their listeners,” said CEO Andy Apple. “It's been exciting to watch artists and labels harness the immersive our listening parties to release music in exciting, innovative ways, and it's been special to see communities of superfans engage in these live digital experiences that truly range from melancholic to manic fans and artists to come together and celebrate special moments, empowering them to forge lasting relationships while building sustainable communities.”
Sony Music Entertainment and Crux Global formed a strategic partnership to uplift the Ghanaian music industry by offering support to artistes at various stages of their careers. The partnership provides three tiers of assistance: distribution for independent artists through The Orchard, comprehensive full-service support under Sony Music Africa for select artists, and a music catalog series aimed at preserving the work of renowned Ghanaian musicians on digital platforms. The partnership will be headquartered in Accra, Ghana, which will serve as a hub for artist development, distribution and catalog management. Sean Watson, managing director of Sony Music Africa, will lead the initiative, supported by Christel Kayibi and Jean-Sebastien Permal.
Sony Music Entertainment Vietnam works with Great Entertainmenta leading Vietnamese music label, to acquire distribution and marketing rights for the frontline catalog and releases. This partnership aims to strengthen the international presence of Great Entertainment's top artists, including B Ray, Quân AP, Masew, Khanh ICM and Khoi Vu. Several releases are planned as part of this collaboration: Masew, known for hits like “Thîêu Thân” and “Túy âm”, will release a new album in October 2024. Quân AP, famous for “Bông hoa một nhụt” and “You Are My Crush”, will release new singles in early 2025, while rapper B Ray will also release music soon. Sony Music Vietnam's roster includes popular local stars such as Đức Phúc and Hoàng Thùy Linh. “This partnership marks an important milestone for Sony Music Entertainment Vietnam as we continue to support and elevate the incredible talent emerging from Vietnam's live music scene,” said Angela Pong, GM of SMEV.
Universal Music Group and Coordinated Global expanded their partnership through a global licensing agreement, giving Tuned Global customers access to UMG's vast catalog of recorded music. This enables customers to use music from leading artists in their projects, with built-in technology and licensing support provided by Tuned Global, a leading B2B streaming and music technology provider. The platform's technology will also allow users to target specific repertoires and enable the licensing and secure delivery of UMG recordings, followed by timely and accurate usage reporting and royalty payments. Tuned Global already hosts UMG's repertoire on a cloud-based infrastructure, delivering music to clients and DSPs worldwide, further strengthening UMG's global presence in various sectors. “This new way of working will help amplify ideas from UMG's repertoire around the world,” said James Healy, UMG's svp digital strategy and business development.
Indie label Dirty Hit expanded its partnership with UK physical distribution Universal Music UK for another three years. This collaboration, which began in 2010, has helped to the success of many major artists, including The 1975, Beabadoobee, Wolf Alice, Bleachers, Japanese House and Pale Waves, among others. The collaboration led to several UK No.1s, including Beabadoobee's debut This Is How Tomorrow Moves and all five of his 1975 studio album releases. “As an independent label, we are always careful about the integrity of our artist “, said . “However, I am working with Warren [Querns at UMUK] and his incredible team have proven to be a fantastic partnership that has helped deliver impressive results time and time again.”
Audiomacka major music streaming service with a strong presence across Africa, in partnership with the rights tracking platform Despot. This partnership enables Audiomack's 30+ million monthly users to track their royalties alongside other revenue streams through Mogul's platform. The partnership aims to enhance transparency and accuracy in the distribution of rights, especially for independent artists. The companies said Mogul has already tracked $100 million in royalties, helping artists recoup an additional $150 million, since it launched earlier this year. “The Audiomack team deeply shares our vision for financial transparency, and through this integration we look forward to helping artists on their platform build long-lasting careers in music,” said Mogul CEO Jeff Ponchick.
Creative content company Toikido formed a global partnership with Magic StarSony's children and family division The Orchardto distribute his music worldwide. Magic Star will serve as Toikido's official global music distribution partner, using The Orchard's vast network to share Toikido's catalog of soundtracks, original songs and dynamic audio content with international audiences. Magic Star will offer Toikido's comprehensive services, including music engagement strategies, video production, brand partnerships and global marketing campaigns. CEO Darran Garnham sees this partnership as a significant milestone, underscoring Toikido's pride in its creative achievements and excitement for future growth with the support of Magic Star.
Music marketing platform SongTools works with Sonicbidsthe artist development and booking platform recently acquired by Advance Music Technologies. This pairing gives SongTools customers access to Sonicbids' enhanced artist services, marking the first of many future partnerships for SongTools, which recently raised $3 million to expand internationally and develop more artist-focused tools. Sonicbids artists will also benefit from exclusive access to SongTools' one-click Playlisting and advertising services, which are becoming essential for independent musicians. SongTools CEO Danny Garcia sees this partnership furthering their commitment to empowering artists with the marketing resources they need to succeed in the competitive music industry, adding that “we look forward to seeing how artists make the most of this new opportunity”.
Salta digital rights and royalty solutions provider, has secured a multi-million pound grant from Innovation UKpart of British Research and Innovation. This funding will accelerate Salt's development of AI-powered tools to better support music creators and rights holders. The grant will help Salt improve its operational efficiency and strengthen its leadership in rights management solutions. In partnership with Queen Mary University's Center for Digital Music, Salt aims to leverage AI and digital music expertise to push the boundaries of innovation in the field. “With Salt's groundbreaking AI work and the added horsepower from this funding, our partnership with Queen Mary University becomes a much-needed game changer in today's labyrinthine system,” said Dave Stewart, Salt investor and co-founder Eurythmics. “We're poised to continue redefining the music industry landscape, empowering creators and protecting their rights with unparalleled innovation.”
