Richard Stumpf, previously the CEO/Founder of Atlas Music Publishing (HYBE US), President of Imagem Music, US (Concord) and SVP at Cherry Lane Music (BMG), is launching Hawkeye Music Publishing. The company serves to both connect relationship driven catalog clients to strategic partner, Round Hill Music, as well as work closely with active writers who are creating meaningful works. Stumpf has gathered an impressive team of advisors from various industry sectors including Ann Mincielli, Grammy-winning engineer, mastermind of Grammy-winning sounds with Alicia Keys, visionary founder of She is The Music and co-founder of Jungle Studios, Josh Gruss, Founder and CEO of Round Hill Music, Sean Garrett, legendary producer/songwriter (Usher, Beyonce), Barry Ehrmann, founder/video producer Enliven Entertainment (Billy Joel, Lady Gaga, Travis Scott), Brandon Young, Head of Music Affairs, Activision Blizzard, Chris “Coach” Rodriguez, Assistant Program Director and Disc Jockey at 107.1 The Peak (NY), Julio Guiu, President of Clipper’s Music Group in Spain. and Amy Berkholtz, digital media strategist (Variety, various consultant roles in entertainment, media, tech, social impact). Notes Stumpf, “This advisory team shares my reverence for the songwriter and the creative process. They are a group that fully embrace innovation and provide expertise across several sectors of a constantly evolving and overlapping music space. I’m humbled and excited by their participation.”
The success of Atlas, a company that counted Van Halen, Brandi Carlile, The Counting Crows, Dan the Automator, Sean Garrett, Ashley Gorley, and the Al Jackson Jr. catalog (“Let’s Stay Together”) as clients, caught the attention of Ithaca Holdings (HYBE US), which purchased the assets of Atlas the start of 2019. Contrary to prior reporting, after the sale Stumpf agreed to stay on as CEO until January 2021. Upon leaving Atlas, Stumpf decided to step back and take a bird’s eye view of the music landscape before jumping right back into a new publishing company. During this time, he advised several tech companies looking to enter the music space, such as RightBox and MerchCat, as well as helped companies looking to acquire and/or administer catalogs, such as Pythagoras Music Fund, GoldState Music, and Round Hill Music. “What was clear to me working alongside tech and catalog companies was that there is an enormous and growing appetite for copyrights - both from a consumer and ownership perspective,” says Stumpf. “I wanted to put myself in a position where I could bring relationship driven catalog business to a home where I knew the music would be treated with the utmost respect and at the same time have a partner who could assist in administering Hawkeye, which would be dedicated to active writers. I found that strategic partner in Round Hill Music. Josh and his team exemplify what it means to be a proactive partner who puts the music and writers first.”
Notes Josh Gruss, “Rich is a real music guy with a lot of creative ideas about maximizing value for copyrights and writers. He’s a respected industry vet that I’m happy to have working alongside Round Hill Music. We’ve already been able to welcome Warren Haynes as a Round Hill Music client and are grateful to Rich for the introduction and endorsement.”
