Jamen Capital and Merlin have completed their acquisition of Curve Royalty Systems from Virgin Music Group after the deal received final approval from the European Commission.
The sale, which was agreed in June, was a condition of the EC’s clearance of UMG’s acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings through Virgin Music Group in February of this year.
Its completion marks the beginning of a new era for Curve as an independent, standalone business, backed by two strategic partners "committed to preserving its neutrality while supporting its long-term growth".
Curve’s leadership, team, brand, products, services and client relationships will stay the same, with Richard Leach continuing as CEO and the existing management and day-to-day teams remaining in place.
Under its new ownership, Curve says it plans to "accelerate innovation, expand its existing services and develop new products" for the labels, publishers, distributors and other music businesses it serves.
“Completing this transaction gives Curve the independence, stability and backing we need for the next stage of our development," said Leach. "For our clients, it is very much business as usual: the same team, products, service and commitment to protecting their data and interests. What changes is our ability to invest more ambitiously in the future. With the support of Jamen and Merlin, we can accelerate innovation, develop new products and continue building the elite-level infrastructure that music businesses need to manage increasingly complex royalty flows.”
Our priority is to protect everything that has made the company successful while giving Richard and his team the resources to move faster, innovate and create even greater value for clients
Matt Spetzler, Jamen Capital
Founded in 2019, Curve provides royalty processing services across recorded music and publishing, supporting labels, distributors, publishers and other rightsholders globally. Its clients include Armada, Defected, Epitaph, Exceleration, Reservoir, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Virgin Music Group, Netflix and BBC/Demon.
“Downtown believed in Curve, invested in our team and supported our growth from the moment it acquired the business in 2022," added Leach. "Pieter [van Rijn, now COO, Virgin Music Group], Justin [Kalifowitz, founder, Downtown Music Holdings], Andrew [Bergman, chairman] and the wider Downtown team have worked incredibly hard on our behalf throughout this process, and we thank them for everything they have done. While our ownership is changing, the friendship and mutual respect between our teams remain strong.”
Matt Spetzler, founding partner of Jamen Capital, said: “Curve has earned the trust of music businesses by combining sophisticated technology with genuine sector expertise and outstanding service. Our priority is to protect everything that has made the company successful while giving Richard and his team the resources to move faster, innovate and create even greater value for clients.”
Merlin CEO Charlie Lexton added: “Curve is vital infrastructure for independent music businesses around the world. Completing this acquisition secures its independence and ensures it remains neutral, trusted and closely connected to the community it serves. We are proud to back the team as it expands the platform and develops the next generation of products and services for the sector.”
PHOTO (L-R): Matt Spetzler, Richard Leach and Charlie Lexton
