The Deals: Eartha Kitt Estate Partners With Primary Wave, UMG Expands Footprint in India & Thailand

Universal Music India signed an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the indie label recently launched by singer and composer Anirudh Ravichander. Through the deal, Universal India and Albuquerque will release future pop and hip-hop music by Ravichander and other artists signed to the label.

Devraj Sanyal, chairman & CEO of Universal Music India and senior vp of strategy, AMEA, said in a statement: “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music — bold, original, and with enormous potential. At Universal Music India, identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief. We’re proud to stand behind Anirudh as he embarks on his next chapter, and helps take more Indian music to the world.”

Added Ravichander, “Albuquerque Records was built to be an artist-backed, homegrown label focused on nurturing independent talent and taking their sound to the global stage. Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner. I’m excited to champion the next wave of Indian independent voices and take them to audiences around the world.”

Universal Music Group (UMG) invested in Thai music label What the Duck. Under the deal, What the Duck founder Moy Samkwan Tonsompong has been named managing director of Universal Music Thailand but will remain closely involved with What the Duck. Co-founders Chichaya Karnasuta and Torpong Chantabubpha, meanwhile, will remain “key members” of the What the Duck team, according to a press release.

Founded in 2014, What the Duck boasts several of the country’s leading artists on its roster, including The TOYS, Bowkylion, Musketeers and Whal & Dolph, along with emerging talent like Landokmai, Purpeech, and Mirrr.

The deal represents UMG’s latest investment in Thailand following its 2024 acquisition of RS Group’s catalog in the country.

Adam Granite, UMG’s CEO for Africa, Middle East and Asia, said in a statement, “This is an exciting next step in our strategy to expand our presence in fast-growing markets. I am delighted to ‘unite’ the WTD and UMG families and look forward to working closely with Moy and the team delivering success in Thailand and beyond.”

Added Moy Samkwan Tonsompong: “We’re thrilled to be joining the team at UMG. We believe this will only serve to create more opportunities for Thai music both at home and globally, while also strengthening our offer to artists. I’m committed to staying closely involved with the WTD team – ensuring this partnership drives global success for our artists and brings the creative force that is Thai music to more audiences than ever before.”

Symphonic acquired music distribution and YouTube monetization platform Distro Nation. The acquisition expands the YouTube tools and resources available to Symphonic clients and brings the YouTube channels of artists including Lindsey Stirling, Sabaton, Yanni, Good Charlotte, Bryant Myers and Switchfoot under Symphonic’s management. The deal also encompasses management and monetization of Chappell Roan’s YouTube channel for content released before her 2023 album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.

Distro Nation CEO and founder Jon Baltz will join Symphonic as head of UGC & rights management, along with the rest of his team. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Distro Nation, like Symphonic, has been a champion for independent artists for many years, providing invaluable resources to help artists thrive on YouTube and beyond,” said Jorge Brea, CEO of Symphonic, in a statement. “This acquisition was a natural partnership that will allow us to offer even better tools and strategies for success to our artist and label community. We’re excited to welcome Distro Nation and their clients to the Symphonic family!”

“Throughout the past 15 years at Distro Nation, our goal has always been to constantly innovate and offer the support that artists need to master the distribution game in such an ever-changing landscape,” added Baltz. “We are thrilled to join an industry leader like Symphonic who will help us expand even further on what we’ve built.”

UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle, a hospitality and lifestyle company developed in partnership with Universal Music Group, has formed a new joint venture, UMusic Beach Club & Lifestyle, with IMI Group. The JV will foster the expansion of IMI’s dayclub brand O Beach, which boasts flagship locations in Ibiza and Dubai. The companies will additionally develop “a new five-star music-led beach club concept” in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, according to a press release. Each of these clubs will include “artist collaborations, live showcases, curated pop-up moments, and digital integrations,” the release adds.

“This is about creating spaces where music doesn’t just soundtrack the experience, but shapes it,” said Robert Lavia, CEO of UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle, in a statement. “Travel, hospitality, and music have always been deeply linked. UMusic Beach Clubs & Lifestyle allows us to bring those elements together in a way that feels natural, global, and culturally relevant.”

“O Beach has always been about a feeling — about how a place makes you want to stay, connect and return,” added IMI Group chairman Maxi Johal. “This joint venture gives us the opportunity to take that feeling to new destinations around the world, while staying true to the DNA that has defined O Beach from the very beginning.”

Indie label Good Boy Records struck a “collaborative deal structure” for the release of James Blake‘s new album, Trying Times, according to a press release. Blake first linked up with Good Boy through indify, a platform that helps independent artists assemble teams. Good Boy then worked with the singer-songwriter, who was previously signed to Republic Records in the U.S., to execute partner deals with companies including Virgin Music Group (distribution) and Copenhagen-based music company Stellar Music (digital marketing strategy. Under the deal, all four parties, including Blake, contributed funding to the album and will share in its success. In its first week, Trying Times debuted at No. 3 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart and No. 1 on its Independent Albums Chart, the release adds.

“For decades, the only people participating in the success of a record on the master side were the labels, artists, and sometimes producers,” said John Zamora, co-founder of Good Boy Records, in a statement. “We built this structure to extend that philosophy to the partners actually building the campaign. When marketing and strategic collaborators are treated like true partners, not vendors, everyone is further aligned around the same goal: making the record win.”

Live Nation is investing in Romania and Slovakia via partnerships with leading local live music companies Emagic (Romania) and Vivien (Slovakia).

“From Bucharest to Bratislava, fans are telling us they want more live music in their own cities,” said a Live Nation spokesperson about the deals. “With so many travelling for concerts and more international visitors building gigs into their trips — this is a pivotal moment to invest in the region’s live entertainment infrastructure. With Emagic and Vivien, we’re strengthening local expertise, expanding capacity and creating more opportunities to bring world-class artists to local stages.”

According to the concert giant, more than half of Slovak fans have to travel to other cities for concerts, while nearly half say there aren’t enough local shows, while roughly 40% of Romanian fans cite a lack of events or venues in their area.

Feels Music Messaging, described in a press release as a “next-generation music app that introduces an untapped, transformative way for people to communicate via the power of music,” launched on Tuesday (March 24) with licensing partnerships in place with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and their associated music publishers. The deals will give Feels users access to “millions” of licensed tracks, videos and lyrics with which they can create short-form clips of official videos or tracks combined with “canvas images and lyrics overlays,” the release adds.

Designed to foster connections between artists, songwriters and fans, Feels allows users to “collaborate and create shareable moments.” Each Feels message “unlocks earning potential for artists and allows fans to access full-length tracks via the artists’ official music video channels,” the release continues. The platform was founded by Anthony (Tony) Seyler, previously an executive vp at Interscope Records. Major investors include Eminem’s manager, Paul Rosenberg.

“Feels is building a new lane for fans to connect with the music and artists they love.” said CEO Seyler in a statement. “We’re transforming music from a listening experience into an active form of connection and communication, one that creates new moments of discovery, engagement, and commercial opportunity for artists and rights holders.”

Added Michael Nash, executive vp & chief digital officer at Universal Music Group: “At UMG, we understand the importance and power of music and lyrics to drive culture, conversation, and community within music fans. We welcome new and innovative commercial partners for our artists and songwriters, and look forward to working with Feels to showcase and amplify the role that music can play in how fans communicate and share socially.”

Carletta Higginson, chief digital officer & executive vp at Warner Music Group, added: “We want music to be a seamless part of how fans connect every day. Feels creates a new way for them to express themselves, while opening up meaningful discovery and engagement opportunities for our artists.”

The release adds that Feels “uses Machine Learning, AI and crowdsourcing to map existing music to emotions with a mission to gather deep understanding of our users emotional musical intelligence. Launching with both a dedicated app and a convenient keyboard extension, Feels has an endless library of up to 15-second lyrical clips: everything from trending pop anthems to underground indie favorites, making it as easy as sending a gif.”

Oak View Group (OVG) signed a five-year agreement with Iowa State University to secure and manage live events in the Iowa State Center. As part of the deal, OVG will additionally handle day-to-day management of CY Stephens Auditorium, including booking and programming, while providing input on design and improvements. It will also secure concert and events programming in Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum, offering input on the operation and design of the forthcoming Sukup Cylo amphitheater, among other things.

OVG is involved in both concerts set for Jack Trice Stadium this year: Luke Combs in April and Post Malone and Jelly Roll in July.

“The excitement is building on campus at Iowa State University, and we’re thrilled to help the University expand their live event content at their on-campus venues by bringing top-notch live entertainers and artists to the region,” said Greg O’Dell, president of venue management at OVG, in a statement. “We look forward to working with our new partners at ISU and generating new live experiences that bring people into Ames and support local businesses.”