Music Infrastructure Firm, or MusicInfra, has appointed Jules Parker, former World Head of Songwriter and Writer Partnerships at Spotify, as its Chief Enterprise Officer.
Parker joins the New York Metropolis-based music rights startup after practically 9 years at Spotify, the place he created and led the streaming platform’s world songwriter and writer partnerships division.
Throughout his tenure at Spotify, Parker oversaw the launch of a number of songwriter-focused initiatives together with Songwriter Pages, Written By playlists, clickable track credit, Noteable and Spotify Songwriting advertising channels, Songwriter Wrapped, and the Spotify for Publishing analytics portal.
MusicInfra made the announcement on Thursday (September 18) because it closed its second funding spherical led by MiddleGame Ventures, with participation from current buyers Raine, Snö Ventures and UTA Ventures. The corporate didn’t disclose the dimensions of the spherical, although sources point out it was doubtless within the excessive seven figures.
MiddleGame Ventures, which led the financing, focuses on early-stage fintech corporations working to digitize world fee methods. The agency invests from seed by means of Sequence B in corporations.
“This funding spherical from MiddleGame Ventures, alongside the persevering with help from our current buyers Raine, Snö Ventures and UTA Ventures, validates our mission and accelerates our skill to construct crucial infrastructure for the music business.”
Björn Lindvall, MusicInfra
The funding comes as MusicInfra, which operates groups throughout the US, Europe and Latin America, is constructing what it describes as a “world clearinghouse” for music rights. The platform goals to assist digital streaming companies, rightsholders and gathering societies navigate licensing agreements.
Commenting on the brand new funding, Lindvall stated: “This funding spherical from MiddleGame Ventures, alongside the persevering with help from our current buyers Raine, Snö Ventures and UTA Ventures, validates our mission and accelerates our skill to construct crucial infrastructure for the music business.”
Parker joins MusicInfra’s management crew that features Hipgnosis co-founder Björn Lindvall as CEO, former YouTube head of publishing accomplice engineering Greg Quillard as Chief Expertise and Product Officer, YouTube alumni Ryan Seay as VP of Product, Joe DiPalo as VP of Operations, former Meta music GC Aileen Atkins as Head of Partnerships, and engineers from Gracenote and Google.
Lindvall stated: “Our crew brings collectively many years of expertise constructing the methods that energy in the present day’s music ecosystem, and with this funding and the crew’s collective experience, we’re completely positioned to positively affect a number of the business’s most persistent challenges and assist enhance the music panorama for all individuals.
“We’re additionally enthusiastic about Jules becoming a member of MusicInfra, bringing his deep and much reaching music and tech expertise, at a time when our firm is accelerating quick and gaining scale.”
The brand new developments at MusicInfra come amid the wave of offers within the music rights area. Earlier this month, New York-headquartered Reservoir Media acquired Miles Davis’ music publishing catalog. Reservoir may even accomplice with the late Jazz icon’s property on title and likeness alternatives.
Final month, recent from having raised $500 million for music rights acquisitions, GoldState Music acquired the catalog of Grammy-nominated producer and entrepreneur Yung Lan, best-known for hits together with Fetty Wap’s RGF Island, Morgan Wallen’s Cowgirls and Woman Gone Missin’, Lil Uzi Vert’s That Means, Roddy Ricch’s Growth Growth Growth and Bacc Seat feat. Ty Dolla $ign, and NBA YoungBoy‘s Renada and Nurse.
Different offers within the music rights area over the previous few months are Hopeless Information’ buy of the catalog of indie label Fats Wreck Chords, residence of NOFX and different influential punk bands; Pythagors Music Fund’s acquisition of rock producer Kevin Shirley; Create Music Group’s buy of the catalog of Pack Information; and Reservoir’s acquisition of the publishing catalog of Lastrada Leisure.
Music Enterprise Worldwide
