Warner Music Group has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Revelator, described by WMG as “the innovative B2B music platform that serves the independent business worldwide”.<\/p>\n
The transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected to close next quarter.<\/p>\n
WMG said that the deal marks the latest move in its distribution and label services expansion.<\/p>\n
Formed in 2012, indie music platform Revelator specializes in digital music distribution, rights management, royalty accounting, and real-time analytics.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe combination of Revelator\u2019s leading-edge technology and array of premier services with our global infrastructure will turbocharge our joint mission to support more labels and artists around the world.”<\/p>\n
Robert Kyncl, WMG\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
According to a press release on Wednesday (April 1), Revelator’s “integration with WMG post-closing will transform the suite of services that WMG labels and ADA offer to artists and the independent community, while scaling WMG\u2019s reach”.<\/p>\n
<\/div> <\/div> <\/p>\nWMG CEO Robert Kyncl said: \u201cThe combination of Revelator\u2019s leading-edge technology and array of premier services with our global infrastructure will turbocharge our joint mission to support more labels and artists around the world.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019m very pleased to welcome the Revelator team to the WMG family.\u201d<\/p>\n
“We\u2019re very happy to partner with WMG to superserve artists, labels, and distributors around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bruno Guez, Revelator\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Revelator Founder & CEO Bruno Guez added: \u201cSince launching Revelator in 2012, we\u2019ve striven to make the music industry fairer, simpler, and more transparent by bridging the gap between creativity, technology, and distribution. We\u2019re very happy to partner with WMG to superserve artists, labels, and distributors around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/div> <\/div> <\/p>\nThe announcement added that “Revelator currently supports hundreds of clients with cloud-based tools that streamline operations and financial reporting for artists, labels, and distributors”.<\/p>\n
Among the “full-stack platform\u2019s signature features,” according to the announcment, are “the state-of-the-art Revelator Pro, Revelator API and its White Label solutions”.<\/p>\n
WMG added that the “Revelator organization boasts deep expertise in music, technology, and revenue management, and will bring that firepower to WMG\u2019s global operations, while continuing to service its current customers”.<\/p>\n
\nThe news confirms a prediction published in MBW founder Tim Ingham’s Tim\u2019s Take\u2019 email<\/a> in January, in which he noted that he’d heard a whisper over the festive break that Bruno Guez\u2019s Revelator was “attracting heavy acquisitive interest”.<\/p>\n
Ingham pointed out that Revelator could be a good fit for Warner as it “would come with a respected tech stack that WMG could ingest and develop”.<\/p>\n