The state51 Conspiracy
The state51 Conspiracy is a London-based independent music house founded in 1991, operating a vertically integrated stack of in-house record label, digital and physical distribution for 100+ indie labels, handcrafted limited-edition vinyl (Atelier), and a recording studio (Factory) serving independent artists, labels, and music collectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
The state51 Conspiracy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The state51 Conspiracy
- Legal name
- The state51 Conspiracy Ltd
- Website
- https://thestate51conspiracy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The state51 Conspiracy is a London-based independent music house founded in 1991, operating a vertically integrated stack of in-house record label, digital and physical distribution for 100+ indie labels, handcrafted limited-edition vinyl (Atelier), and a recording studio (Factory) serving independent artists, labels, and music collectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The state51 Conspiracy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Music Distribution
- NAICS
- Record Production and Distribution (51225), Music Publishers (51223)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements) (MPAIAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Performance/Neighboring Rights for AV Uses (Cue Sheet & Reporting Services) (MPAIALAK), Sync Licensing Agencies & Representatives (MPAIALAA)
Keywords
Where The state51 Conspiracy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
The state51 Conspiracy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Record Label (State51 Recordings): Releases and promotes music from signed and developed artists on the state51 label, generating revenue from physical and digital sales of recordings.
- Distribution Services: Provides distribution services (digital, physical, mail-order) for third-party independent labels and artists, likely earning a commission or fee for these services.
- Atelier Handmade Products: Produces and sells limited edition handcrafted music products including lathe-cut vinyl, leather folios, bespoke packaging, and accessories. Products are premium-priced collector's items with unique designs.
- Creative and Marketing Services: Offers marketing, creative, and synch licensing services to artists and labels, including YouTube channel management and neighbouring rights/publishing administration.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Atelier Edition No. 11 (Verlo - Générique): Limited to 50 copies |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 51st Edition (Verlo - Générique): One-of-one unique piece |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Atelier Edition No. 10 (Clara Mann - Rift): Limited to 50 copies |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Atelier Edition No. 9 (Cannell & Goldston): Limited to 50 copies |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels12 records
The state51 Conspiracy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The state51 Conspiracy operates as an independent Music House providing digital, physical, and mail-order music distribution for independent record labels and artists, alongside marketing, creative, synch licensing, YouTube channel management, neighbouring rights, and publishing administration services. It also runs its own state51 Recordings label, the state51 Atelier hand-made limited edition vinyl studio, the state51 Factory session studio, and the Greedbag e-commerce distribution network.
Product overview
The state51 Conspiracy is an independent Music House operating as a distributor, record label, marketing agency, and creative studio. The core product portfolio comprises: state51 Distribution for digital, physical, and mail-order music distribution with marketing, creative, synch licensing, YouTube management, neighbouring rights, and publishing services; state51 Recordings as the record label releasing artists like White Flowers, Clara Mann, and Senyawa; and state51 Atelier as a hand-made music products studio with product design, print, and lathe-cutting capabilities for limited edition physical releases. Supporting operations include the state51 Factory studio facility for sessions, recordings, and photography, and the Greedbag digital distribution platform. The company serves independent labels and artists from subculture to pop culture, headquartered in Shoreditch, London since the early 1990s.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- state51 Recordings: The record label arm of state51, releasing music by artists including White Flowers, Voka Gentle, Clara Mann, Senyawa, Nid Tapes, and many others.
- state51 Distribution
- state51 Atelier
- state51 Factory
- Greedbag
- state51 Collective
- Consolidated Independent
Products and services
- state51 Distribution End-to-end independent music distribution service handling digital delivery to streaming platforms, physical distribution to record stores, and mail-order, with bundled marketing, creative, synchronization licensing, YouTube channel management, neighbouring rights, and publishing administration services for independent record labels and artists.
- state51 Recordings Record label arm of The state51 Conspiracy that releases and promotes music from signed and developed artists on vinyl and digital formats, including albums by White Flowers, Voka Gentle, Clara Mann, Senyawa, and Nid Tapes.
- state51 Atelier Hand-made music products studio that combines product design, print shop, and lathe-cutting capabilities to produce limited edition physical music releases with bespoke packaging, leather folios, screen-printed sleeves, transparent vinyl discs cut on a lathe, and one-of-one unique 51st edition art pieces. Targets music collectors and enthusiasts.
- state51 Factory Session and event studio, recording and photography studio, gallery, and shop, hosting the state51 Factory Sessions video series of one-camera one-take live performances by artists including Senyawa, Nourished by Time, Clara Mann, and Avalanche Kaito, published on YouTube.
- Greedbag Digital music shop network and online music distribution collective operated by state51, enabling direct-to-consumer digital music sales and serving as the platform for distribution of the state51 roster to streaming platforms.
- Marketing and Creative Services Marketing, creative, and synchronization licensing agency serving artists and labels on the state51 distribution roster, with operations including YouTube channel management, neighbouring rights, and publishing administration.
Companies that use The state51 Conspiracy
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The state51 Conspiracy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The state51 Conspiracy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- MerlincoreThe state51 Conspiracy was a founder member of Merlin, the independent digital licensing and copyright protection consortium. Merlin represents independent labels' interests in digital licensing and rights protection.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The state51 Conspiracy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Orchard: The Orchard (Sony Music-owned) distributes music globally for independent labels and artists across digital and physical channels, including rights administration — a direct functional peer to state51 Distribution.
- DistroKid: DistroKid provides low-cost DIY digital music distribution to streaming platforms for independent artists — competing directly with state51's digital distribution arm at the artist-self-service end of the market.
- Secretly Group: Secretly Group operates independent labels (Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, Numero Group) and provides distribution and label services — comparable to state51's combined label and distribution offering.
- TuneCore: TuneCore (owned by Believe) distributes independent artists' music to streaming platforms and provides publishing administration — directly comparable to state51's digital distribution and publishing admin offerings.
- AWAL: AWAL provides independent music distribution, label services, marketing, and rights management for independent artists and labels — closely mirroring state51's distribution-plus-rights-services model.
- Domino Recording Company: Domino is a leading UK-based independent record label with global distribution — a peer operating in the same UK independent label landscape as state51 Recordings.
- Beggars Group: Beggars Group is one of the UK's largest independent label groups (4AD, Matador, XL, Rough Trade) — a peer in the UK independent label and distribution ecosystem that state51 serves.
- [PIAS]: [PIAS] is a Belgium-based independent music distribution, label services, and marketing company working with hundreds of independent labels and artists in Europe — a direct competitor in independent distribution.
Emerging players
- Bandcamp: Bandcamp is a direct-to-consumer music marketplace enabling artists and labels to sell physical and digital music directly to fans — overlapping with state51's Greedbag e-commerce and physical distribution model.
Broad incumbents
- Believe Digital: Believe is a large, publicly-listed independent digital music company providing distribution, label, and marketing services globally — overlapping with state51's distribution offering but at much greater scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The state51 Conspiracy social profiles
Digital presenceThe state51 Conspiracy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The state51 Conspiracy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The state51 Conspiracy subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
The state51 Conspiracy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The state51 Conspiracy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The state51 Conspiracy
What does The state51 Conspiracy do?
The state51 Conspiracy operates as an independent Music House providing digital, physical, and mail-order music distribution for independent record labels and artists, alongside marketing, creative, synch licensing, YouTube channel management, neighbouring rights, and publishing administration services. It also runs its own state51 Recordings label, the state51 Atelier hand-made limited edition vinyl studio, the state51 Factory session studio, and the Greedbag e-commerce distribution network.
Is The state51 Conspiracy a public or private company?
The state51 Conspiracy is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The state51 Conspiracy founded?
The state51 Conspiracy was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The state51 Conspiracy based?
The state51 Conspiracy is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The state51 Conspiracy make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Record Label (State51 Recordings) is the primary driver. The others are distribution Services, atelier Handmade Products and creative and Marketing Services.
Who are The state51 Conspiracy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Orchard, DistroKid, Secretly Group, TuneCore, AWAL, Domino Recording Company, Beggars Group and [PIAS]. Bandcamp is listed as an emerging player. Believe Digital is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The state51 Conspiracy have an API?
No public API is recorded for The state51 Conspiracy.
What industry is The state51 Conspiracy in?
The state51 Conspiracy's product category is Independent Music Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAKAD, Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements), with a secondary code of MPAIALAK, Public Performance/Neighboring Rights for AV Uses (Cue Sheet & Reporting Services). Its NAICS code is 51225 and its SIC code is 7822.