Better Noise Music

What Better Noise Music does

Better Noise Music is an independent, privately-held record label and content company operating as a division of Better Noise Entertainment. Founded in 2006 by Allen Kovac as Eleven Seven Music and rebranded in 2020, the company is headquartered in New York with international offices in Los Angeles, Nashville, Austin, Miami, London, Berlin, Toronto, and Sydney — a footprint spanning North America, Europe, and Oceania. The company develops and manages a roster of hard rock, metal, and alternative artists including Five Finger Death Punch, Sabaton, Bad Wolves, Dirty Heads, The Hu, In This Moment, Nothing More, From Ashes to New, Eva Under Fire, and Yellowcard, alongside an alumni catalog spanning Mötley Crüe, Papa Roach, Blondie, Debbie Harry, Tommy Lee, SIXX:A.M., Apocalyptica, Asking Alexandria, AWOLNATION, and Drowning Pool.

The company's core product surface is broader than a traditional record label: it operates a recorded-music catalog, produces films through Better Noise Films (notably The Dirt, 2019 Mötley Crüe biopic, and The Retaliators, 2023 horror-thriller with original rock soundtrack), runs direct-to-consumer merchandise and physical-media stores across three Shopify storefronts, and pursues synchronization licensing for film, TV, and gaming placements. Distribution is handled through partnerships with FUGA, AMPED, and Membran for global marketing, royalty accounting, and streaming delivery across Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, Deezer, Amazon Music, Tidal, and SoundCloud.

Revenue is generated across multiple streams: streaming royalties (Five Finger Death Punch alone has accumulated 13+ billion streams), physical media sales (vinyl, CD, cassette priced $13.58-$40.00), digital downloads ($5.99-$11.99), sync licensing fees tied to film soundtracks, and film production economics. Artist-and-fan-side services span signing and artist development, promotion, tour marketing, and licensing. Its underlying technology stack is comparatively conventional — third-party distribution platforms plus Shopify-based e-commerce — with no proprietary AI, APIs, or developer-facing tooling referenced.

Name

Better Noise Music

Legal name

Better Noise Music Corp.

Website

https://betternoise.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Better Noise Music is an independent rock and metal record label and content company that develops, distributes, and monetizes a roster of current artists (Five Finger Death Punch, Sabaton, The Hu, Bad Wolves, In This Moment) and an alumni catalog (Mötley Crüe, Papa Roach), with global distribution, film production, and direct-to-consumer merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Streaming Royalties: Revenue from streaming plays on platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, Deezer, Amazon Music, Tidal, and SoundCloud. Five Finger Death Punch alone has over 13 billion streams globally.
2. Physical Music Sales: Direct sales of vinyl records, CDs, and cassettes through company Shopify stores. Price points range from $13.58-$40.00 USD depending on format and edition type.
3. Digital Downloads: Digital album and single sales through company stores and third-party platforms. Digital downloads priced at $5.99-$11.99 USD.
4. Sync Licensing: Music featured in films including The Dirt (Mötley Crüe biopic) and The Retaliators (horror-thriller). Soundtrack releases tied to film properties.
5. Film Production: Better Noise Films produces films and documentaries. Revenue generated from streaming distribution and soundtrack sales. Films include The Dirt and The Retaliators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Better Noise Music is an independent record label and content company that signs, develops, and markets rock and metal artists globally. The company produces and distributes recorded music, films, music videos, and merchandise, and licenses music for synchronization use across film, television, and gaming. It sells vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and digital downloads directly through its own e-commerce stores and earns streaming royalties through global streaming platforms.

Product overview

Better Noise Music is a content company and record label (division of Better Noise Entertainment) that creates music, films, and related entertainment. The company operates as a multi-faceted entertainment platform comprising: (1) a record label with a roster of current artists (Five Finger Death Punch, Bad Wolves, Dirty Heads, The Hu, Sabaton, and others) and alumni artists (Mötley Crüe, Papa Roach, SIXX:A.M., and more), (2) Better Noise Films producing horror-thriller films with original rock soundtracks, and (3) direct-to-consumer retail through the Better Noise Store offering physical and digital music formats. The company partners with FUGA, AMPED, and Membran for global marketing and distribution, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, Austin, Miami, London, Berlin, Toronto, and Sydney.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Better Noise Films: Film production division of Better Noise Entertainment that produces films, documentaries, and theatrical productions, including The Dirt and The Retaliators.

Products and services

• Better Noise Films Film production division of Better Noise Entertainment that produces horror-thriller films with original soundtracks featuring the label's rock artists. Notable productions include The Dirt (Mötley Crüe biopic) and The Retaliators.
• The Dirt (Film) Biopic film based on Mötley Crüe's best-selling 2001 autobiography, depicting the band's rise from Sunset Strip to world stage. Stars Douglas Booth, Iwan Rheon, Colson Baker, and Daniel Webber.
• The Retaliators (Film) High-octane horror-thriller film with original soundtrack featuring rock artists including Tommy Lee, Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach, The Hu, Ice Nine Kills, and Escape The Fate.
• Better Noise Store Direct-to-consumer e-commerce store offering vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, digital downloads, and merchandise bundles from the label's artist roster. Operates globally with multiple Shopify storefronts.
• Playlists & Sync Curated music playlists across streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Deezer, organized by mood, lifestyle, genre, and artist, with music synchronization licensing capabilities for film, TV, and advertising use.
• Music Videos Official music video library featuring artist music videos, lyric videos, and visualizers from the label's roster, available on the company website and YouTube channel.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 consecutive Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay #1s - longest run of leading consecutive entries in Mainstream Rock Airplay history
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

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 flagship.

• FUGAcoreTechnology or IntegrationFUGA is a global marketing and distribution partner for Better Noise Music. FUGA provides distribution infrastructure, royalty accounting, and marketing services for the label's artists worldwide.
• AMPEDcoreTechnology or IntegrationAMPED (Distribution) is a distribution partner for Better Noise Music, providing distribution services and infrastructure for the label's music catalog.
• MembrancoreTechnology or IntegrationMembran is a global marketing and distribution partner for Better Noise Music, operating across multiple territories.
• MetallicaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive Finger Death Punch concluded a two-year stadium tour with Metallica across the globe, ending at the end of 2024. This is a major co-promotional touring partnership.
• MetallicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetallica enlisted The HU to cover 'Through The Never' for their 2021 Metallica Blacklist album. Additionally, The HU was featured performing an original song for EA Games' Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• BMG: Independent major music company with significant rock roster (including Rise Records) and global distribution. Comparable in serving independent rock artists but at materially larger scale with broader genre coverage.
• Roadrunner Records: Major-label rock/metal imprint (part of Warner Music Group) with substantially larger roster and resources. Operates in the same rock/metal space but with broader genre coverage and significantly greater scale.

Direct peers

• Napalm Records: Austrian independent rock/metal label with global distribution and comparable roster of established rock/metal artists. Highly comparable in scope, with similar focus on heavy music subgenres and international footprint.
• Victory Records: Independent rock/metal label of similar size and genre focus. Both labels pursue comparable artist development models within heavy music and compete for similar listener demographics.
• Rise Records: Independent rock/post-hardcore label (now part of BMG) with comparable roster size and genre overlap. Both labels operate in the rock/alternative space with similar artist development and global distribution models.
• Epitaph Records: Independent punk/rock label with comparable artist development philosophy and roster breadth. Similar independent positioning with broad rock-adjacent genre coverage.
• Nuclear Blast Records: German independent rock/metal label with extensive roster of established acts and global distribution capabilities. Both labels focus on similar subgenres and compete for international rock/metal market share.
• Century Media Records: Independent rock/metal label with long-established roster and global distribution. Comparable in genre focus and roster depth, particularly in heavy music subgenres.
• Spinefarm Records: Rock/metal label (owned by Universal Music Group) with comparable roster strategy focused on heavy music. Both labels specialize in similar subgenres and pursue similar artist profiles.
• Sumerian Records: Independent rock/metal label of similar size with comparable roster scope, also handling artist development, distribution, and genre specialization. Both labels compete for similar rock/metal artist signings and playlist positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BetterNoiseMusic
• Xx.com/betternoise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Better Noise Music