Create Music Group
Create Music Group is a digitally native music platform providing distribution, rights management, royalty collection, and capital deployment to 17,000+ independent artists, labels, and music businesses across 100+ countries, supported by a portfolio of 9+ acquired label brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Create Music Group does
Create Music Group, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Los Angeles, is a digitally native music platform that combines capital deployment with proprietary technology infrastructure to serve independent artists, labels, and music businesses. The platform delivers distribution, rights management, accounting, real-time analytics, in-house A&R, and social-first marketing to a stated base of 17k+ clients across 100+ countries, supported by a portfolio of 9+ label brands and sub-brands (including Monstercat, Cr2 Records, Nettwerk Music Group, Ostereo, Nirvana Digital, Music For Pets, Flighthouse, and Create Capital).
The underlying technology stack centers on data pipelines and analytics infrastructure for music rights management, distribution, and real-time operational insights. The company has signaled increased investment in this layer through the February 2026 appointment of a dedicated Chief Data & Technology Officer. The platform's technology is differentiated primarily by scale of aggregated catalog data rather than by disclosed proprietary AI/ML models.
Create Music Group's business model operates across multiple revenue streams: licensing royalties and acquisition returns from owned IP and label stakes, recurring subscription and service-fee revenue from distribution and rights-management services for 17k+ clients, and transaction-based returns from capital deployment into artists, labels, and creative entrepreneurs. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is structured through custom partnership arrangements. Customer segments span artists and managers, independent labels, and music-business founders, reached via direct enterprise sales, industry events, and channel partnerships (including JVs with managers and a $500M+ specialty fund for electronic music with Circuit Group). Founders retain majority ownership; institutional investors Ares Management, Mile Two, and Flexpoint Ford hold minority stakes.
Create Music Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Create Music Group
- Legal name
- Create Music Group, Inc.
- Website
- https://createmusicgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Create Music Group is a digitally native music platform providing distribution, rights management, royalty collection, and capital deployment to 17,000+ independent artists, labels, and music businesses across 100+ countries, supported by a portfolio of 9+ acquired label brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Create Music Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Create Music Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Acquisition and Investment Returns: Create Music Group generates returns through strategic acquisitions of music catalogs, labels, and publishers, then scaling these assets through their global infrastructure and technology platform.
- Distribution Services: The company provides distribution, rights management, accounting and real-time insights to 17k+ clients, likely generating revenue through service fees and revenue shares.
- Capital Deployment: The company invests capital into artists, labels, and creative entrepreneurs with alignment on growth, generating returns through equity stakes and revenue sharing arrangements.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Create Music Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Create Music Group operates an all-in-one platform that combines technology, data, marketing, and capital to power independent music businesses. It provides distribution, rights management, accounting, and real-time insights to over 17,000 clients across 100+ countries, while also deploying capital into music catalogs, labels, and publishers, holding a portfolio of 9+ acquired label brands.
Product overview
Create Music Group operates as a digitally native all-in-one platform combining technology, data, marketing, and capital to power independent label growth. The core platform provides distribution, rights management, accounting, real-time insights, and creative services (in-house A&R, social-first strategy) to 17k+ clients across 100+ countries. The portfolio includes 9+ label brands such as Monstercat and Cr2 Records (acquired electronic and dance labels), along with Create Capital for investments exceeding $500M in the past year. A $500M Circuit Capital fund (joint venture with The Circuit Group) targets electronic music catalogs and labels. The ecosystem also includes acquired brands Music For Pets (pet music franchises), Nettwerk Music Group (Canadian indie), and Nirvana Digital (India market entry).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Flighthouse: A music brand/label under Create Music Group with its own careers page
Products and services
- Create Music Group Platform An integrated platform providing distribution, rights management, accounting, real-time insights, in-house A&R, and social-first marketing strategy to over 17,000 clients across 100+ countries.
- Investment Capital Capital solutions for artists, labels, and music businesses to support growth, with over $500M invested across acquisitions, advances, and growth initiatives in the prior 12 months.
- Global Distribution Services Global music distribution network enabling releases across 100+ countries, with rights management and real-time analytics infrastructure built to scale catalogs.
- Create Capital The dedicated investment arm of Create Music Group providing capital for music catalog acquisitions, advances, and growth initiatives.
- Monstercat Independent electronic music label under Create Music Group, featuring a roster of electronic artists and a catalog across multiple electronic subgenres.
- Cr2 Records UK-based dance music label with chart-topping hits and global certifications for artists including Matt Sassari and Hugel, part of the Cr2 Holdings Group acquisition.
- Music For Pets Pet-focused music company producing calming music franchises 'Relax My Dog' and 'Relax My Cat', reaching over 20 million pets globally.
- Circuit Capital $500 million investment fund established jointly with Circuit Group to acquire and scale electronic music catalogs, labels, and publishers with long-term value creation focus.
- Nettwerk Music Group Vancouver-based Canadian independent record label and music publishing company representing artists including Sarah McLachlan, Vacations, SYML, and Paris Paloma.
- Flighthouse Music brand and label under Create Music Group with dedicated creator career opportunities and content platform presence.
- Nirvana Digital Digital music streaming and distribution service operating in the Indian market under Create Music Group's ownership.
- Ostereo UK-based independent music label acquired as part of Create Music Group's expansion of its label portfolio.
Quantifiable outcome
- 17k+ clients supported globally
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Create Music Group
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Create Music Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature1 record
Create Music Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- GoodTalkminorCreate Music Group formed a joint venture with GoodTalk for collaborative music projects.
- Nettwerk Music GroupcoreCreate Music Group invested over $300 million in Nettwerk Music Group as part of a management buyout. The partnership allows Nettwerk's management to increase ownership while retaining independence, with Create providing global infrastructure, distribution networks, and capital for continued growth.
- Xania Monet ManagerminorMulti-million dollar joint venture with Xania Monet's manager for music projects.
- Circuit GroupcoreCreate Music Group partnered with Circuit Group to launch Circuit Capital, a $500+ million fund to invest in electronic music catalogs, labels, and publishers. The fund supports long-term value creation, catalog acquisitions, and artist funding deals.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Create Music Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Downtown Music Holdings: Music publishing, rights administration, and distribution services for independent labels and artists. Direct comparison to CMG's core platform before its acquisition by Concord; both serve the independent music ecosystem with similar capital, distribution, and rights infrastructure.
- AWAL: Distribution and label services platform serving independent artists and labels globally, now owned by Sony Music. Directly comparable to CMG's distribution and rights management offerings, both targeting indie talent seeking major-label-quality infrastructure.
- Kobalt Music Group: Independent music publisher and rights management platform serving songwriters, artists, and labels with transparent royalty collection. Closely aligned with CMG's publishing, rights, and technology-led approach to indie music services.
- Empire Distribution: Independent distribution, publishing, and label services company representing independent artists across hip-hop, R&B, and Latin. Operates a similar integrated platform model serving indie artists and labels with global reach.
- UnitedMasters: Music distribution platform for independent artists providing release services, royalty collection, and brand partnership opportunities. Direct peer in indie distribution with similar target customer base of independent artists and labels.
- Primary Wave Music Publishing: Independent music publisher acquiring and administering iconic music catalogs, with a focus on marketing and brand development. Comparable to CMG's catalog acquisition and publishing strategy, particularly in the indie and legacy IP space.
- Reservoir Media: Independent music publisher managing rights across a catalog of more than 140,000 songs. Direct comparison in music publishing, rights administration, and catalog acquisition strategy targeting independent songwriters and catalogs.
- Spirit Music Group: Independent music publisher managing rights to over 75,000 songs across pop, rock, country, and R&B. Comparable in catalog acquisition and publishing administration, though with a different ownership structure (backed by Lyric Capital Group).
Broad incumbents
- Concord Music Group: Major independent music publisher and label group with a broad portfolio across recorded music, publishing, and theatrical rights. Acquired Downtown Music in 2021, directly competing with CMG for indie catalog and rights acquisition opportunities.
Emerging players
- Hipgnosis Songs Fund: Publicly listed music IP investment fund that acquires song catalogs and royalties. Direct overlap with CMG's catalog acquisition thesis in the indie IP space, though structured as a public fund rather than an operating platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Create Music Group social profiles
Digital presenceCreate Music Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Create Music Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Create Music Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Create Music Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Create Music Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A8 records
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Create Music Group
What does Create Music Group do?
Create Music Group operates an all-in-one platform that combines technology, data, marketing, and capital to power independent music businesses. It provides distribution, rights management, accounting, and real-time insights to over 17,000 clients across 100+ countries, while also deploying capital into music catalogs, labels, and publishers, holding a portfolio of 9+ acquired label brands.
Is Create Music Group a public or private company?
Create Music Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Create Music Group founded?
Create Music Group was founded in 2015. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Create Music Group based?
Create Music Group is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Create Music Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Acquisition and Investment Returns are the primary driver. The others are distribution Services and capital Deployment.
Who are Create Music Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Downtown Music Holdings, AWAL, Kobalt Music Group, Empire Distribution, UnitedMasters, Primary Wave Music Publishing, Reservoir Media and Spirit Music Group. Concord Music Group is listed as a broad incumbent. Hipgnosis Songs Fund is listed as an emerging player.
Does Create Music Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Create Music Group.