Universal Music Group-owned artist and label services company Virgin Music has formed a strategic partnership with Position Music, an independent publisher, record label and management firm with a catalog of over 35,000 songs.
The deal will see Virgin Music distributing Position Music’s existing catalog and its new releases, and assist Position Music in marketing and promoting its frontline label roster, the companies said in a joint press release on Wednesday (September 20).
“Position Music is at the center of the creative community and is connected with some of the best creative minds in the business. They have an enormous sync business, and along with that, they are signing and developing some truly incredible artists. We are so excited to work with their artists and expect big things to come,” said Virgin Music President Jacqueline Saturn.
The deal came five months after Position Music sold a minority stake to private investment firm Vesper.
“Position Music is at the center of the creative community and is connected with some of the best creative minds in the business. They have an enormous sync business, and along with that, they are signing and developing some truly incredible artists.”
Jacqueline Saturn, Virgin Music
Established in 1999 by CEO Tyler Bacon, Position Music initially focused on synchronization endeavors, handling individual song publishing agreements and representing external catalogs. Over time, the company has transformed into a comprehensive music publishing entity and record label with numerous Platinum and Gold certifications.
Since 2019, the Burbank, California-based company has doubled its headcount to 40 full-time staff, including an 11-person A&R team and a 12-person sync team. Its campus has over 15,000 square feet of office space and two recording studios, with four more studios currently being built, set to open this fall.
Position’s roster of artists, songwriters, and producers include Judah & the Lion, Kyle Dion, Welshly Arms, Ryan Oakes, Kid Bloom, Layto, ¿Téo?, Jack LaFrantz, Fantastic Negrito, TeaMarrr, Yonatan Watts, Harmony “H-Money” Samuels, Dru “Falconry” DeCaro, No Love For The Middle Child, Kyle Reynolds, Krupa, Kanner, and more.
“We are thrilled to partner with Virgin Music. We have admired what Jacqueline, Matt, and crew have built for a while now, and are excited to team with them. Virgin has worldwide reach and we are confident this relationship will be beneficial in continuing to grow our frontline label,” Tyler Bacon, CEO/President of Position Music, said.
“Virgin has worldwide reach and we are confident this relationship will be beneficial in continuing to grow our frontline label.”
Tyler Bacon, Position Music
GM of Recorded Music at Position Music J Scavo added: “Partnering with Virgin Music immediately upgraded our marketing, playlisting and overall commercial efforts across the roster. When looking for a new partner, we had a laundry list of requirements and Virgin handily checked every box. Foundationally, both companies are artist-first, putting creative concerns above all else and we look forward to building something special together.”
Universal Music introduced Virgin Music as a new global division in September 2022, combining all of its existing artist service ventures under a new umbrella.
Those units include Ingrooves, the music distribution and marketing entity acquired by UMG in 2019, and Virgin Music Label and Artist Services, established by Universal in 2021. Both entities were restructured as subsidiaries within the newly established global Virgin Music Group division, alongside mtheory Artist Partnerships, brought into the fold by UMG in the ‘acqui-hire’ deal involving mtheory’s founders, JT Myers and Nat Pastor, who now serve as Co-CEOs of VMG.
The partnership with Position Music marks Virgin Music’s latest after forming a global distribution deal with Liverpool-based label Modern Sky UK in February, with indie rock label Sumerian Records in September 2022, and with Australia’s indie label group, Mushroom, in March 2022.
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