Cinq Music

Name

Cinq Music

Legal name

Cinq Music, LLC

Website

https://cinqmusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Distribution and Rights Management

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Aggregators & DIY Distribution Platforms (MPAIAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) & Public Performance Licensing (MPAIAKAA)

Keywords

• Music distribution services
• Record label operations
• Music publishing administration
• Music catalog acquisitions
• Rights management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Distribution Services: Digital-first distribution services for independent artists and labels, delivering music to streaming platforms globally
2. Record Label Operations: Traditional record label services including artist development, marketing, and release management for signed artists
3. Publishing Rights Management: Publishing administration and rights management services for songwriters and composers
4. Catalog Acquisitions: Purchase and ownership of music catalogs, recordings, compositions, and companies. Revenue generated through ongoing streaming, licensing, and eventual resale
5. Artist Services: Flexible deal terms from short-term low-fee distribution and admin deals to co-publishing and recording deals

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cinq Music Group is a full-stack independent music company providing digital music distribution to global streaming platforms, record label services including artist development and marketing, music publishing and rights administration, and acquisition of culturally significant music catalogs. The company operates the proprietary CinqUP platform to deliver distribution, analytics, and royalty payment services directly to creators and label partners.

Product overview

Cinq Music Group is a full-stack independent music company operating four core divisions: distribution, record label, publishing, and catalog acquisition. The company offers its proprietary CinqUP platform as the artist-facing portal for music submissions, analytics, and royalty payments. Founded in 2012 and 100% independent, Cinq owns its supply chain—building its own technology and administering its own catalog—while providing flexible deal structures from short-term distribution agreements to co-publishing and recording deals. The company serves artists across Latin music, hip-hop, R&B, and increasingly country music, with global presence through offices in Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Bogota, Medellin, Seoul, Minsk, and Colombo.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CinqUP: In-house developed platform providing artists with their own portal account to submit music, download statements, view analytics, and get paid.

Products and services

• Music Distribution Digital music distribution service enabling artists to distribute their music across global streaming platforms and online stores including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon, and SoundCloud.
• Record Label Services Full-stack record label operations including artist development, marketing, and promotional support for signed artists.
• Music Publishing Music publishing services including composition rights management, synchronization licensing, and royalty collection.
• Rights Management Comprehensive rights management services overseeing master recordings and publishing rights for artists and catalogs.
• Catalog Acquisition Acquisition of iconic music catalogs and companies from culture-defining creators, with over $250M deployed into the independent creator ecosystem. Includes purchases such as T.I.'s Atlantic Records-era catalog, the Beluga Heights/Jason Derulo catalog, and Flow La Movie's catalog.
• CinqUP In-house developed artist portal and data analytics platform providing creators with accounts to submit music, download statements, view analytics, and receive payments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Two Grammy-winning albums and numerous Billboard chart positions achieved within three years of founding
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and regional.

• Street Mob RecordsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2023Equity investment partnership with Street Mob Records (founded by Jesús Ortiz Paz, lead singer of Fuerza Regida). Deal includes growth capital to expand artists' exposure, discover new talent, and release new music. First release was Chino Pacas' 'Yo Preferí Chambear'. Street Mob's roster includes Juanpa Salazar, Calle 24, and Angel Tumbado.
• GoDigital Media Group SubsidiariescoreTechnology or Integration · 20 June 2023Part of GoDigital's ecosystem including Latido Music television network, AdShare (social media monetization), and Sound Royalties (artist-advance platform). Enables integrated services across content and distribution channels.
• Boom Music GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2023Partnership with Boom Music Group for exclusive publishing deal with songwriter Jimmy Robbins. Cinq Music also acquired a portion of Robbins' catalog. Partnership combines Boom's publishing expertise with Cinq's distribution and catalog capabilities.
• mitúregionalGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2023Partnership with mitú (sister company and leading US Latino digital publisher) for SXSW 2023 showcase 'Rumba'. Both are subsidiaries of GoDigital Media Group. Mitú amplifies Cinq artists across its digital platforms to Latino audiences.
• Beluga Heights / Warner RecordsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2020Acquired JR Rotem's Beluga Heights joint venture with Warner Records. Deal included Jason Derulo catalog. This was the largest acquisition in company's history, surpassing the 2017 T.I. catalog deal. Beluga Heights was founded in 2006 and developed artists like Derulo, Sean Kingston, and Iyaz.
• Rancho HumildecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Worldwide distribution partnership with Regional Mexican label. Partnership credited with fueling careers of Fuerza Regida, Natanael Cano, and Victor Cibrian. Extended agreement to further expand the #1 independent record label in Regional Mexican music. Includes investment in Rancho Humilde for growth capital.
• MCN VidaPrimoregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 14 November 2016Joint expansion into Colombia with MCN VidaPrimo (also subsidiary of GoDigital Media Group). Offices headed by Paola Colmenares. VidaPrimo is one of the largest Latin Music Multi-Platform Networks with presence across YouTube, Dailymotion, Amazon Video Direct. Reaches 25% of US-based Hispanic Millennials and 20% of Millennials in Latin American countries.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EMPIRE Distribution: Privately-held independent music distribution, label, and publishing company serving hip-hop, R&B, and Latin. Directly comparable to Cinq in combining distribution, label services, catalog acquisitions, and an artist-friendly flexible-deal model.
• AWAL (Sony Music-owned): Artist distribution and label services platform serving independent artists globally. Comparable business model to Cinq's distribution-plus-publishing offering, though AWAL benefits from Sony Music's infrastructure and capital backing.
• UnitedMasters: Independent music distribution platform offering artists direct deals and ownership retention. Closely mirrors Cinq's direct-to-artist approach and emphasis on flexible deal structures for independent creators.
• TuneCore (Believe-owned): Self-service digital music distribution platform delivering independent artists to major streaming services. Competes with Cinq's distribution arm on similar customer base, though TuneCore is more transactional and less label/publishing-integrated.
• Believe: Paris-based global digital music company offering distribution, label, and publishing services to independent artists. Most direct full-stack peer to Cinq, with comparable geographic diversification and a similar focus on emerging-market and local-language music catalogs.
• Downtown Music Holdings: Music services company providing distribution, publishing administration, and royalty payments to independent rights holders. Directly comparable in publishing-administration, distribution, and B2B rights-management offerings.
• Stem Distribution: Independent music distribution and label services platform offering distribution, payments, and analytics to artists. Comparable direct-to-artist distribution model and emphasis on transparency/analytics through a proprietary portal.

Broad incumbents

• The Orchard (Sony Music): Sony Music-owned independent music distribution and label services company operating globally. Overlaps Cinq's distribution and label services across similar independent-artist and catalog-acquisition customer segments, with the backing of a major label's capital.
• Ingrooves (Universal Music): Universal Music-owned independent distribution and label services platform. Comparable distribution offering for independent labels and artists, though it benefits from Universal's catalog and label infrastructure.
• Concord Music Group: Independent music company with recorded music, publishing, and theatrical rights operations. Comparable catalog-acquisition strategy (Concord has acquired several legacy catalogs) and broader independent-label portfolio model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cinqmusic
• Facebookfacebook.com/111689562317463
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cinq-music
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore/locations/1029641669/cinq-music
• TikToktiktok.com/@cinqmusic

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cinq Music