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- March 14, 2023
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SESAC, the Nashville-headquartered music licensing/collection society, has acquired New York-based content management, analytics, delivery and distribution tech provider AudioSalad.
AudioSalad will remain headquartered in New York under the leadership of CEO Iain Catling and CTO Deane Thomas and will continue to function as a standalone business within the SESAC Music Group.
SESAC acquired AudioSalad for an undisclosed sum.
With offices in New York, Los Angeles, and London, AudioSalad’s global client base includes prominent independent music companies, such as Secretly Group / Secretly Distribution, ATO Records, Mushroom Group, Mad Decent, Stones Throw, and others.
SESAC says in a statement that AudioSalad has a “strong reputation” within the digital music sector, and notes that it has achieved the status of an Apple Music Preferred Distributor and a Spotify Preferred Delivery Platform, in addition to being a ‘preferred technology’ partner of Merlin.
The statement adds that “over the last decade AudioSalad has amassed a global client base with over 16 million audio and video assets under management”.
AudioSalad says that it offers ‘full-service’ technology solutions for labels, distributors and artists.
The company says on its website that, via its “accessible technology, artists can retain ownership of their recordings and manage their digital content strategy with the same level of sophistication as a label”.
AudioSalad adds: “We offer fair deal terms, DSP marketing, editorial support, new release strategy, analytics, and transparent reporting, so artists can focus on their craft”.
For labels, AudioSalad says it “empowers record labels with best-in-class technology in order to streamline their supply chain, digital operations and catalog management needs”.
For distribution companies, AudioSalad says it will “take care of the technical aspects of working with the DSPs so you can focus on serving your clients and partners”.
AudioSalad notes on its website that it is integrated “with all major DSPs, digital download stores, and utility partners” and that it offers white labelling for distributors and labels.
The company also offers an API that integrates with clients’ third-party systems, which AudioSalad says, allows “full control of their own operations”.
Elsewhere, in 2021, AudioSalad launched a new music video delivery service called VideoSalad. The company expanded into the UK and Europe in July 2021, hiring Tom Deakin to lead its new offices.
“We are proud to bring the AudioSalad platform and our technical expertise to the SESAC Music Group.”
Iain Catling, AudioSalad
AudioSalad CEO Iain Catling said: “We are proud to bring the AudioSalad platform and our technical expertise to the SESAC Music Group.
“We look forward to building new capabilities together and providing the very best technology solutions and support to artists and labels, as we continue delivering independence to the industry.”
“We are thrilled to have the AudioSalad team as part of the SESAC Music Group.”
John Josephson, SESAC
SESAC Music Group Chairman and CEO John Josephson added: “We are thrilled to have the AudioSalad team as part of the SESAC Music Group.
“Their passion and drive to provide the best service possible to independent labels, distributors and creators is unmatched, and we believe our partnership will support the continued growth of our multi-rights, multi-territory global rights management business.”
SESAC’s acquisition of AudioSalad comes less than two years after it acquired a controlling stake in streaming royalties collection agency Audiam from Canadian licensing society SOCAN.
The acquisition of Audiam by SESAC brought the former company into the same stable as the Harry Fox Agency (HFA), the rights licensing platform that was acquired by SESAC from the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) in 2015.
Elsewhere, it was reported by Bloomberg last August that SESAC quietly closed a $335 million bond transaction in July 2022 and used the money to help finance its acquisition of production music company Audio Network – which, said Bloomberg, SESAC bought in 2021.
SESAC, which represents the rights to around 30,000 songwriters including Adele, Neil Diamond, Rosanne Cash and Bob Dylan, is owned by investment giant Blackstone, which bought the PRO in 2017.
Casini Corporate Finance acted as exclusive financial advisor to AudioSalad on the transaction.
AudioSalad was represented by Flaster Greenberg PC with a team composed of Steven Poulathas, Lauren Schwimmer, Jordan LaVine, John G. Koch, Adam Gersh.
Music Business Worldwide
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