What Partisan Records does

Partisan Records is a Brooklyn-based independent record label founded in 2007 by Tim Putnam and Ian Wheeler. The company signs and develops independent music artists, providing comprehensive label services including recording, production, distribution, publishing, and marketing support. Its roster of 5+ named artists includes Geese, Cigarettes After Sex, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., Blondshell, and most recently Interpol (signed in 2026 for their first album in four years). Partisan has extended its scope beyond traditional recorded music through three additional brand assets: Left Music, a publishing division launched in 2020 to capture composition and songwriter rights; Select Discs, an electronic-oriented imprint; and Section1, a sub-label under the Partisan umbrella.

The label operates a two-office footprint with US headquarters in Brooklyn (281 N 7th St.) and a UK regional headquarters in London (5 Calvert Ave, E2 7JP). Global distribution is handled through a partnership with Virgin, signed in 2024, covering physical and digital formats worldwide. The label also operates a direct-to-consumer storefront for albums, vinyl, and merchandise. In November 2025, Partisan became a founding partner of Catalog, a curated sync licensing marketplace connecting independent artists and labels with audiovisual producers.

Partisan's revenue model is built on music sales, vinyl pressings, and streaming royalties, with breakthrough commercial success evidenced by Geese's 2025 album 'Getting Killed,' which immediately sold out its vinyl pressing and topped Billboard's Indie Store Album Sales chart for three weeks. Operating as a privately held, founder-controlled company with 11-50 employees, Partisan does not publicly disclose financials. Leadership includes co-founder Tim Putnam and COO Zena White, who was honored as Executive of the Year at Billboard's 2026 Indie Power Players.

Name

Partisan Records

Legal name

Partisan Records

Website

https://partisanrecords.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Partisan Records is a Brooklyn-based independent record label founded in 2007 that signs, develops, and distributes music for artists including Geese, Cigarettes After Sex, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., Blondshell, and Interpol, operating global distribution through Virgin plus publishing and electronic sub-labels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Record Label

NAICS

Record Production and Distribution (51225), Music Publishers (512230)

SIC

Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)

akta.pro primary industry

Record Labels (Major & Independent) (MPAIAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performance Rights Administration (PRO Affiliation, Cue Sheet/Setlist Processing) (MPAIABAE), Public Performance/Neighboring Rights for AV Uses (Cue Sheet & Reporting Services) (MPAIALAK), Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements) (MPAIAKAD)

Keywords

• Independent record label
• Music distribution services
• Music publishing rights
• Artist development
• Vinyl record sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Music Sales and Streaming: Revenue generated through album sales, vinyl pressings, and music streaming platforms. Notable success with Geese's 2025 album 'Getting Killed' which sold out its vinyl pressing immediately and topped Billboard's Indie Store Album Sales chart for three weeks.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Partisan Records is an independent record label that signs, develops, and releases music for indie artists, offering production support, global distribution through Virgin Music (deal signed in 2024), publishing rights administration via the Left Music division (launched in 2020), and an electronic-oriented sub-label called Select Discs. The label generates revenue from album sales (notably vinyl), streaming royalties, publishing rights, and music licensing, while also selling merchandise directly to consumers through its own online storefront.

Product overview

Partisan Records is a single unified independent record label offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering encompasses artist management, global music distribution through Virgin Music, and publishing rights management via Left Music. The label portfolio includes the main Partisan Records imprint plus Select Discs (electronic-oriented sub-label) and Section1 (additional imprint). Artists release music through these imprints, which are distributed globally and made available via the direct-to-consumer store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Select Discs: Electronic-oriented imprint/debut label operated by Partisan Records.

Products and services

• Partisan Records (Main Label) Independent record label signing and developing music artists such as Geese, Cigarettes After Sex, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., Blondshell, and Interpol, providing production, global distribution through Virgin Music, and marketing services.
• Select Discs

Quantifiable outcome

• Geese's 2025 album 'Getting Killed' topped Billboard's Indie Store Album Sales chart for three weeks
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• InterpolcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 June 2026Interpol, the New York City band, announced their first album in four years titled 'This Mirror Weighs a Ton,' arriving August 28 and marking their debut release on Partisan Records with a 23-date North American tour.
• VirgincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Partisan Records signed a global distribution deal with Virgin in 2024, enabling worldwide distribution of all label releases across physical and digital formats.
• Left MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partisan Records launched publishing division Left Music in 2020 to manage publishing rights for their artist roster.
• Select DiscsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartisan Records debuted the electronic-oriented Select Discs imprint for electronic music releases.
• Section1minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSection1 is a label under the Partisan Records umbrella, listed in the labels section of the Partisan Records website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sub Pop Records: Seattle-based independent record label with a comparable roster strategy across indie/alternative rock. Sub Pop operates with similar artist-development focus, multiple imprints, and global distribution partnerships, making it a closely analogous indie peer.
• Domino Recording Company: UK-based independent label with a comparable roster of critically acclaimed indie/alternative acts (e.g., Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand). Operates from London like Partisan's UK HQ, with global distribution and similar mid-sized indie power-player positioning.
• Matador Records: Long-running independent label (part of Beggars Group) with a comparable indie/alternative rock roster approach. Matador and Partisan both compete for the same tier of indie artists and operate with similar A&R-driven strategies.
• Merge Records: Durham, NC-based independent label with similar artist-development orientation and comparable scale. Merge's roster strategy and indie power-player status (Arcade Fire, Superchunk) closely parallels Partisan's positioning.
• Secretly Group: Independent label group operating Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, and Dead Oceans imprints. The multi-imprint structure and indie power-player positioning directly parallel Partisan's Partisan + Left Music + Select Discs + Section1 portfolio.
• Epitaph Records: Los Angeles-based independent label with a comparable scale and alternative/indie roster focus (Bad Religion, Vampire Weekend via subsidiary). Operates multiple imprints and has similar global distribution scale.
• XL Recordings: London-based independent label under Beggars Group with comparable breakout-artist strategy (Adele, Radiohead, The xx). Operates from the same London market as Partisan's UK HQ and competes for similar tier-one indie signings.
• 4AD: Beggars Group imprint with a comparable indie/alternative roster focus and similar approach to artist development and global distribution. Directly comparable in scale and roster positioning.
• Rough Trade Records: UK-based independent label with a comparable focus on indie and alternative acts and a parallel publishing operation (Rough Trade Publishing). Operates in similar indie power-player category with global distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Beggars Group: Larger UK-based independent music group encompassing 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade, and XL. Provides umbrella context for Partisan's positioning as an indie powerhouse competing for similar artists but at substantially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/partisanrecords
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/partisanrecords
• Facebookfacebook.com/partisanrecords
• Instagraminstagram.com/partisanrecords
• TikToktiktok.com/@partisanrecords

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Partisan Records