Mama, Message and Nettwerk go on Polyphonic spree

16:10 | Monday July 6, 2009

The new company, to be known as Polyphonic, will invest directly into artists, offering an alternative to the label-driven model of the traditional music industry.

All copyrights will remain the property of the artist, with Polyphonic taking a share of all profits generated, in much the same way that managers traditionally do.

The company has a financial commitment of more than $20m for its first year of operation, with what is described as “significant additional capital available” thereafter.

ATC’s Brian Message, who co-manages Radiohead, says that Polythonic will provide “an important funding option for artists”.

He adds, “More and more artists are directly engaging with their fans in a way that enhances that unique relationship and enables the artist to have much more say in the way in which their business is built. ATC and Mama have co-invested in a number of new artists over the last three years and Polyphonic marks the next iteration of that business. Now, together with Nettwerk, we want to be working with a much bigger group of artists and managers and the capital we have available makes that achievable.”

Mama Group co-CEO Adam Driscoll explains, “It has been apparent for some time that there is a real barrier to artist development - and that is a lack of available investment capital.

“Through our SuperVision Management businesses, we have been making funds available to our clients to help them at the early stages of their careers for some time. The launch of Polyphonic will enable us to make many more such investments in both emerging artists and those further down their career path. This investment will not just apply to the artists that we manage, but also to artists that excite us who are not necessarily part of our management structure. The contract that we have structured brings more business and creative freedom to artists and managers than has ever been offered before.”