London, 11th August 2021
Founding members include founders and executives of Killing Moon, Metropolis, Fierce Panda, Export Quality Records, Elephant Music, Native.fm, Wild Paths Festival
Members include artists, curators, festivals and venues, booking agents, PRs and more
Services range from financial and operational support through to promotional and non-label (e.g. live) services, and can be applied at release-level in a unique accounting development for distributors
Killing Moon Group to rename to The Music Federation, signs worldwide deal with Believe
London-based artist and music business development company, Killing Moon Group, are proud to launch The Music Federation in partnership with Believe, as well as a number of domestic and international music companies due to come on board as members in the coming year.
The Music Federation provides a scalable services-based distribution, label and non-label services solution for members both great and small – and you do not need to know everything about running a label in order to have one.
The scope of members include Metropolis, Fierce Panda, Export Quality Records, Native.fm, Elephant Music, Polarface, Annabel Allum, Wild Paths and many more TBA.
With a focus on holistic and robust artist and business development for the next generation of music industry stakeholders, and largely in response to the big-catalogue purchases of late predominantly taking place in the major label sector, The Music Federation is committed to pulling together a diverse range of skill sets unique to each of The Music Federation’s members. This is to procure the best possible prospects and opportunities for the rightsholder, and present the only viable solution to the broken models of the existing distribution landscape by accounting to its members at release-level as a matter of course; which in turn allows the Federation to attach services.
Services provided by The Music Federation to its members include free-at-the-point-of-use recording studio services, promotional services (PR, radio, DSP playlist pitching), access to The Music Federation Advances (coming October 2021), free/discounted legal services with professional lawyers, merchandise facilities that are free at the point of use in respect to tour supply items, general training and expertise provided by Music Federation staff, video production services, access to artificial intelligence-based scouting, and more, to address what the Federation believes to be its membership’s most commonly encountered issues on a day-to-day basis.
The Music Federation also recognises that most of its membership do far more than just release records in order to generate revenue – to that end, the Federation will provide an array of non-label services to members which range from live (i.e. the Federation will create club shows, festival stages, and more) and artist management services, through to publishing, A&R management and mental health/well-being services which can be opted into on a project-by-project basis. The Federation even offers full day-to-day running of the label business, for catalogue owners who still want to own their catalogue but don’t have the time to run the business, or new curators and entrants to the music industry at large.
The model allows The Music Federation to draw new entrants into the streaming economy – particularly agents, promoters, festivals and venues who have suffered massive financial losses owing to the pandemic – thus expanding on the very concept of what a modern record label is, and is capable of doing.
A focal point for inspiration in terms of The Music Federation comes from the fact that the three principal architects of the model – Killing Moon’s Achal Dhillon, Positive Subversion’s Siofra McComb, and Believe’s Ben Rimmer – all met as directors on the Board of The Association of Independent Music. In operational terms, Killing Moon’s position and expertise in the live and artist management sectors becomes deployed along the entire membership of The Music Federation, with other third party services bringing the full menu of operations up to scratch.
In its mission statement to procure societal change, there is a rigid set of admission requirements into The Music Federation in order to enforce compliance with member labels with the very best spirit of the independent sector in terms of their business practice. Following launch, admission for new members into the Federation will be via approval of the Federation Board.
QUOTES:
“Virtually zero research and development into automated and transparent accounting at release-level within distributors has taken place to-date, and I think we all know why that is (or check out the Select Committee’s recommendations to government on the recent DCMS inquiry into streaming, if you really don’t). The broken-record issues are not recent. What is recent, due to the pandemic, is having the time and lack of distractions to finally face up to the fact that the music industry works for a select few, and the rest of us are expected to wait politely for our turn to govern, whilst we are being robbed by those who already control everything. The Music Federation provides everything you could possibly need in terms of human resource and services to found, run and expand a music business – we’ll fund, distribute and market your releases, we can orchestrate tours for your artist, put together your merch business, allow you access to our advance-granting facility, kit you out with showcase festival stages – and none of it requires you to have money upfront, or catalogue to be necessarily involved. I see us as both being in the individual-potential business, and the holistic music business in its various monetised forms, at the same time and that really puts artist and business development on the same dining table for our members”
Achal Dhillon [CEO, The Music Federation]
“I’ve known Ach and Siofra for many years, having all sat on the AIM board together representing the U.K. independent community. Ach’s vision for a modern independent music services company is very timely and much needed in the current landscape. The Music Federation will provide bespoke artist and label services while partnering with Believe to power global digital and physical distribution, DSP editorial and retail marketing partnerships, video and audience development, and funding. The ability to tap into different levels of service on fair and reflective deals fully outside of major systems will enable artists and labels to be fully heard as part of The Music Federation.”
Ben Rimmer [Believe]
“There is power in creating a community that is built on a foundation of integrity, and there is money to be made in running your business in an ethical way. With The Music Federation, Achal is building that community – one based on collaboration and a sharing of resources, while using its collective bargaining power to provide opportunities for its members and the artists they represent. It’s exciting to help him build this community. “
Siofra McComb [G.M. The Music Federation]
“The AIM community is known for innovation, not just in music but also with business models and approaches to partnering for success. We are delighted to see this innovation demonstrated in the launch of The Music Federation, offering a novel approach alongside expertise and keeping independence at its heart. We wish the founders, their partners and all of the artists and teams looking to benefit from this launch all the best into the future.”
Paul Pacifico [Association of Independent Music / AIM]
“If the 27 years we’ve spent serving, and just about surviving, in the feral record company trenches firing out mini-miracles by Coldplay, Placebo, Keane, The Maccabees and the like has taught fierce panda anything at all it’s this: no label is an island. In today’s gleamingly streaming-driven industry even resolutely battered old independent lags like us need friends in high-flying places. To that end, Fierce Panda has spent the past half decade cruising the final frontier in a quest to find alternative partners with whom to share ideas and ideals for living in a manically evolving music business universe. Long-term gigging acquaintance Achal Dhillon finally proffered that like minded lifeline, and the heroically-named The Music Federation will provide that communal essence rare by pooling its expansively vivacious resources to make even the smallest indie individual stronger. All the while it will be offering essential moral and fiscal support, local and global sales expertise”
Simon Williams [Fierce Panda Records]
“I’ve known Ach for a while now and his vision for independent artists is totally on top of the game considering the current musical landscape. Happy to be part of it and to be part of the future of music services”
Renaud Doucet [Head Of DSPs, The Music Federation]
“The Music Federation is set to revolutionise the music industry; re-writing an archaic and outdated script by bringing together some of the most progressive music companies and creating a network of support, empowering all of its members and supporting emergent artists to produce and promote their music. Wild Paths is thrilled to be a part of this family.”
Ben Street, [Wild Paths Festival Director]
“Our partnership with TMF will enable us to service Indian artists, not just through our extensive network here in India, but to global outlets as well. Add to this a full service press + PR team and our newly founded publishing division, we’re really looking forward to this next chapter as a full-service record label.”
Tej Brar [Export Quality Records]
“TMF was a no-brainer for us. The idea of having a one stop shop that takes care of our streaming, master rights and distribution, allows my team to be more productive. Ach is good friend with a solid reputation in the industry, so I know I’m in safe hands”
Vikram Gudi [Elephant Music]
“The Music Federation offers a democratized vision for the curatorial layer of the creator economy. Anyone with the passion, the skills, and the community to truly champion great artists can now sign, release and take that music to the next level without the archaic overhead of going it alone. This mutually supportive network of curators, governed by shared guiding values, will set a new model for how to think about running a label in the modern music landscape.”
Tom Lovett [Advisor, The Music Federation. Founding Team, Sofar Sounds. Founder & CEO, WithOthers]
“I’m thrilled to be launching my record label Perceptible Records with TMF. Helping give a leg up to musicians I dig is something I’ve always wanted to do. Perceptible started out as a self curated all day festival and I’m thrilled it’s now expanding to a label too. With the support from TMF I am able to run this alongside my career as an artist and that really excites me”
Annabel Allum [Perceptible Records]
“When I founded Polarface in my second year of university, I had aspirations for the label to be a cultural asset in music. This December, Polarface will be turning five years old. It feels special that in a year I have considered to be a new chapter for the label, we will be entering in a new partnership with the TMF. Our partnership with TMF will enable us to have the resources to grow the business within live events, TV/Media, apparel, management and most importantly recordings. Right from the beginning when I met Achal, straight away he knew what Polarface was aiming to achieve. As we both want to champion and support the independent sector, it felt right for Polarface to partner with TMF. I’m very excited for where the future holds for the TMF and Polarface. I’m very proud to see a label that was set up in a uni halls, invested on student loans and club nights, now surrounds itself with other great independent labels in which this country has produced. I’m very grateful that the TMF exists, as it has now given Polarface new opportunities that I desire and am working for the label to achieve. I aim for Polarface and the TMF to be a success.”
Jason Ngimbi [Polarface]
“In an industry where control is diminished far too easily, The Music Federation allows us to take control and forge our own paths to where we want to go”
Draper [Emprise Records]
“In these days of changing ways, it’s great to have a forward thinking company appear and it’s brilliant to be involved right from the start. Any collective is only as strong as its members and already there is a very large presence of great people and companies in The Music Federation. I look forward to collaborating and using the forward thinking ideals and resources The Music Federation have at their disposal.”
Kelly Munro [End of the Trail]
