Eversheds Sutherland’s Post

It feels like taking Believe private was going to be a simple matter, but it has now turned into Private Equity vs WMG. 13 days to go - it is going to get very interesting. If WMG acquires Believe it will be interesting to see what happens to Tunecore and Sentric that have focused their companies around being independent. #music #musicindustry #musicbusiness #believe #wmg

With #EdSheeran's #MathematicsTour set to make 20 stops across Europe next year, NNG Promotions, Fest Team Bulgaria and L Tips Agency discuss how the venture will pave the way for other blockbuster tours in their emerging markets: #livemusic #musicbusiness #europemarket #marketreport

In 2019, DLA Piper Africa, Nigeria (Olajide Oyewole LLP) advised Don Jazzy, Founder of Mavin Records and Management in the multimillion-dollar equity investment in Mavin music business by Kupanda MG Holdings LLC - the first ever VC led investment in music record label in Nigeria. Fast forward to 2023, we are pleased to once again play a pivotal role in the acquisition of Mavin Global Limited (Holdco) by Universal Music Group (UMG).   DLA Piper Africa, Nigeria (Olajide Oyewole LLP) acted as transaction counsel to Micheal Ajereh (aka Don Jazzy) and Tega Oghenejobo (“The Clients”), shareholders and key management of Holdco and MG Entertainment Nigeria Limited (Mavin Records). Mavin Records is home to Ayra Starr, Ladipoe, Johnny Drille, Rema, and other top artists and will continue under the outstanding leadership of its management team, thereby offering UMG the opportunity at a unique partnership to collaborate with an experienced and distinguished team in further elevating African music to a global stage.   Our Corporate M&A team provided strategic advice to the Clients on the dynamics and mechanics of the acquisition and equity rollover and negotiated transaction documents including key agreements for on-going partnership with UMG to achieve its acquisition objectives and continue the Mavin brand storied contribution to the growth of Afrobeats. Under the deal, Mavin Global will retain its autonomy and creative independence while Don Jazzy (Founder and CEO) and Tega Oghenejobo (COO) will continue to lead the company, ensuring continuity and innovation.   Olajide Oyewole LLP transaction team was led by Samuel Salako (Partner) and Olufunke (Legal Director) with additional support by Abimbola Ifederu (Senior Associate), Ezinne Ukwu (Associate), and Iyanu Andrew (Associate).   Commenting on the deal, Samuel Salako noted: “This deal is a significant milestone for the African music industry and underscores the immense talent emanating from the continent. This partnership will accelerate the Mavin label’s growth, expand its international reach, and provide unparalleled opportunities for artists to continue showcasing and celebrating the vibrancy of African music. Having been involved with Mavin from inception, we are immensely proud of its growth culminating in this landmark deal. Our Corporate M&A, and IP/Media Sports and Entertainment Teams appreciate the trust and confidence Don Jazzy and Tega has in our firm’s ability to represent them and deliver a deal that continues to put them at the forefront of nurturing talent, fostering creativity, and contributing to the global music landscape.”   We wish the entire Mavin family success on this exciting journey. https://lnkd.in/eTQ3_GRy

Surprised by this decision by Warner Music not to acquire Believe 😦……..(read more below) Transformational assets at that level are rarely up for grabs and would have supercharged their distribution capabilities (technology, emerging market markeshare, experience) plus added c. $1bn to their P&L. As a publicly traded company you would have thought it would have been in the best interest of shareholder value to at least bid for the company 🤔. To continue to try go ADA to a Believe / Orchard type level will take a long time, by which point WMG could further fall behind in the distribution market which continues to grow. And on the frontline label side UMG is still leading the pack. Big (questionable) call by their new CEO - Robert Kyncl ⏳ #linkedinbusiness #musicindustry #warnermusic #m&a #investment #linkedinmusic #musicbusiness

More on the ins and outs of a music company in our interview with Gerald Ang , Managing Director of Warner Music Group Singapore! 🎶

If you read through Billboard’s list of the Biggest Music Deals in 2023, you’ll see some staggeringly big numbers. Labels and music companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on acquisitions and mergers in the past 12 months. The largest of 2023 was the Korean internet company Kakao’s purchase of a $1 billion stake in SM Entertainment. But across the board, there have been huge multi-million acquisitions by large entertainment companies of A-list artist catalogs. When you look at the numbers, there’s an insane amount of money flowing in the music industry at the moment. It’d make you wonder why artists, who aren’t in the highest echelons of the business, are struggling to survive off incomes from their music… #music #tech #acquisition

How Sony’s $6bn+ M&A splurge has set the pace for music acquisitions over the past decade MBW Reacts is a series of analytical commentaries from Music Business Worldwide written in response to major recent entertainment events or news stories Sony Music Entertainment #musicbusiness #acquisitions

Music IP Acquisitions Are Exploding: What Early 2024’s Strong Showing Could Mean for the Space Moving Forward Here's the full DMN Pro Weekly Report: https://lnkd.in/dGtCMsDT #musicindustry #musicbusiness #musicnews #musicindustrynews #musicIP #musicdata #musicanalytics #dmnpro

KKR has acquired European festival operator Superstruct Entertainment from Providence Equity Partners.  Superstruct Entertainment which was founded in 2017, has experienced rapid growth through strategic acquisitions across Europe and Australia. Today, it operates 80 large-scale festivals and 200 smaller events, including iconic festivals like Wacken Open Air and Boardmasters. With events attracting 7M+ attendees annually, it is a leader in delivering insane live music experiences. KKR’s investment, made through its European Fund VI, an $8 billion fund dedicated to the growth of leading businesses, is a new chapter for Superstruct. This acquisition reflects a broader trend of venture capital firms entering the music industry. Historically, VCs stayed away from this space. However, the growing demand for live experiences has changed the music business into a lucrative and stable investment opportunity leading to massive buyouts, acquisitions and mergers. The backing of KKR, with its extensive network and resources, will undoubtedly strengthen Superstruct’s ability to scale in the experiential economy. This partnership sets a new standard for live experiences and it will be exciting to see where will it take the industry. What do you think was KKR’s motive behind this? #music

Have you looked back and tried to tell your own story? Connecting the dots between experiences you've had as an entrepreneur , helps you realise that the journey you take has a plan... ...and it IS taking shape. For example, here's mine: 1. Started promoting events in nightclubs while I was a student in university  2.Used the money saved and expanded into F&B  3.Sold, and continued the F&B journey by setting up Malaysia's first ice cream truck  4. Got into a legal tussle with Baskin Robbins, license revoked  5.Ended up going to events to continue my ice cream business, ended up at a rave for 20,0000 people  6.Fell in love with events all over again, started an event company  7. Built music festival IPs and ran over 300 different concerts across South East Asia  8. Experienced the true fallout of the pandemic, massacred what I built, made me reflect on the problems within live entertainment and how no one is addressing them 8.Saw the power of #web3, and am now on a mission to bring live entertainment on-chain Individually, a lot of those experiences didn't feel connected as you are experiencing them. But when you pan out, jot it down... It actually makes perfect sense why I'm doing what I'm doing. Try it!