Music industry veterans Antony Bland, David Surnow, Matt Messer, John Mathiason and Geoff Siegel today announced the launch of their new hybrid artist and label services consulting company, Acumen Music.
Unlike a management company or record label, Acumen Music offers a flat-fee model and implements a wide array of offerings that are in line with breaking artists and maintaining careers in today’s music business culture. The company came about through numerous conversations ranging from frustration with traditional structures, to the proliferation of both online and physical entities charging fees for unattainable promises, as well as the partners’ desire to dig into new collaborative projects.
Drawing on the 5 members collective experience across records, publishing, touring and merchandising, Acumen’s list of offerings are bespoke and personalized and can include anything from helping to secure a publishing agreement, vetting press, radio and marketing partners, finding a distribution solution or budgeting and sourcing logistics for a tour. Whether it’s organizing, registering and collecting on song catalogues, seeking synch placements, DSP pitching, matching artists with content creators, or helping plan merchandise strategy, the company aims to help three distinct groups: Developing and established artists who need advice, support, connections and direction but for whom traditional management does not make financial sense; existing artists and management teams who require extra input, knowledge and problem solving; and international artists and labels seeking a US footprint without the expense of offices and staffing.
The goals for each artist remains similar however: increase business, maximize growth and minimize unnecessary expenses. And for those artists looking to retain and self-administer their rights, helping to navigate the often-complex world of rights and royalties.
Acumen Music is already working with several clients: Of note is multi-platinum rock band The All-American Rejects, for whom they have already secured a distribution deal with Too Lost. “Working with The Rejects is not only a highlight for Acumen, but a personal one as well,” says David Surnow. “Tyson Ritter is one of the most prolific songwriters of his generation and the new music is amongst the strongest and most important of any rock band today. I’ve been friends with (guitarist) Nick Wheeler for 30 years and think the music that he and Tyson have created over the years is incredible. We are excited about what the future holds for them with us supporting their management team at High Maintenance, and the band’s vision for the next chapter.”
The company has been helping artists such as Nashville solo rock artist Schenk fine-tune their output and also recently began working with Texas Alt-Pop artist Phix. “Phix is the perfect artist for us,” says Antony Bland. “His fantastic base across socials and DSPs is a great springboard for us to launch new music as well as look to build his label, publishing and live team. Plus, an existing business can always benefit from ensuring that everything is correctly registered and administered.”
