Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group

What Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group does

Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group is a privately held, independent music management company founded in 1997 by David "Beno" Benveniste and headquartered in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. The firm provides full-service artist management — including A&R, production, marketing, touring, and overall career direction — for a roster of 15+ established and emerging rock and alternative artists, including Deftones, Avenged Sevenfold, Korn, System Of A Down, Incubus, AFI, Alice In Chains, Jerry Cantrell, and Jonathan Davis. The company differentiates itself through a long-term, "elasticity over quick-fix" management philosophy and a stated focus on worldwide, timeless brand-relevance rather than radio/record-cycle presence.

The business operates three revenue streams: (1) artist management commissions on touring, recording, and brand activity (the core revenue line), (2) publishing and record label operations that have signed and released records for acts such as OneRepublic and Poison The Well, generating licensing and royalty income, and (3) festival production via Sick New World Festival, co-created with Live Nation and launched May 13, 2023 in Las Vegas, drawing 65,000 attendees and selling out within hours of on-sale, with the second annual event also selling out immediately. A sub-brand, StreetWise Concepts & Culture, operates as a digital marketing agency connecting brands (historically Coca-Cola, Live Nation, Disney) with youth-culture trends. The firm employs 11–50 staff, is privately held with no VC/PE backing, and operates on bespoke, quote-based, non-publicly disclosed pricing terms with its artist clients.

Name

Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group

Legal name

Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group

Website

https://velvethammer.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Velvet Hammer is an independent, West Hollywood-based music management firm (founded 1997) that provides full-service career management for 15+ GRAMMY-winning rock and alternative artists, and also operates a publishing/record label and co-produces the Sick New World Festival with Live Nation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Artist Management

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Artist Management (MPAIAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Master Rights Ownership & Catalog Management (MPAIAAAB), Publishing Administration (Catalog Admin, Global Subpublishing) (MPAIABAB)

Keywords

• Artist management services
• Music publishing
• Record label operations
• Festival production
• Music career development

Headquarters

HQ city

West Hollywood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Artist Management: Full-service artist management including A&R, production, marketing, touring, and career direction for a roster of GRAMMY-winning rock and alternative artists.
2. Publishing and Record Label: Publishing branch and record label operations. The company has published and released records for artists including OneRepublic and Poison The Well.
3. Festival Production: Co-creation and production of Sick New World Festival, launched in partnership with Live Nation. The festival attracts sold-out crowds of 65,000+ attendees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group is an independent music management company that provides full-service artist management — including A&R, production, marketing, touring, and overall career direction — for a roster of GRAMMY-winning rock and alternative artists. The company also operates a publishing branch and record label that has signed and released records for artists such as OneRepublic and Poison The Well, and co-produces the Sick New World Festival in partnership with Live Nation.

Product overview

Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group is an independent music company offering comprehensive artist management services alongside a publishing/record label division. The company manages a roster of influential rock artists including Deftones, Avenged Sevenfold, Korn, System Of A Down, Incubus, AFI, Alice In Chains, and others. The founder also co-created the Sick New World Festival in partnership with Live Nation. Additionally, the company operates StreetWise Concepts & Culture, a digital marketing agency that served major brand clients. The portfolio includes artist management as the core service, supplemented by publishing/label operations and event production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• StreetWise Concepts & Culture: Digital marketing agency founded by Beno that utilized social media marketing, interactive marketing, and word-of-mouth marketing to connect brands with emerging trends in youth culture.

Products and services

• Artist Management
• Publishing & Record Label
• Sick New World Festival

Quantifiable outcome

• 65,000+ festival attendees within hours of on-sale for inaugural Sick New World Festival
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

One partnership is on record.

• Live NationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2023Live Nation partnered with Velvet Hammer founder David Benveniste to co-create Sick New World Festival. The inaugural festival launched on May 13, 2023 at Las Vegas Festival Grounds, drawing 65,000 fans and selling out within hours. The partnership has proven highly successful with the second annual also selling out immediately.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Q Prime Management: Independent rock-focused artist management firm managing Metallica, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and other legacy rock acts. Directly comparable in client genre, full-service model (management + label services), and roster-tier prestige.
• Red Light Management: Large independent artist management company founded by Coran Capshaw managing Dave Matthews Band, Phish, and other touring-heavy acts. Directly comparable in artist management model, festival exposure, and emphasis on long-term career building.
• The Azoff Company: Music management and consulting firm run by Irving Azoff, managing legacy artists (Eagles, Steely Dan, Harry Styles) with a focus on catalog and rights monetization. Directly comparable in rock-artist roster focus and rights-oriented strategy.
• Crush Music: Independent management firm managing Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, and Train. Closely comparable in rock/alternative genre positioning, roster of GRAMMY-tier catalog acts, and bundled management-plus-publishing service model.
• Primary Wave Music: Independent music company combining artist management, publishing, and recorded music with a focus on legacy and catalog assets. Closely comparable in publishing-plus-management structure and catalog-acquisition strategy.
• Maverick Management: Artist management firm with a long roster of high-profile acts across multiple genres. Directly comparable in full-service management offering and touring/live emphasis.
• Full Stop Management: Boutique artist management company representing Bon Iver, Lady Gaga, and others, with associated label and publishing operations. Comparable in cross-revenue structure (management + label/publishing) and artist-career philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• CAA (Creative Artists Agency) Music: Global talent agency with large music division providing management-adjacent services (booking, brand partnerships, touring). Comparable as a competitor for management and live-booking mandates, though broader in scope across entertainment verticals.
• WME (Endeavor) Music: Major talent agency with significant music representation including touring, brand, and publishing services. Comparable as an incumbent competitor in artist representation, though embedded within a broader sports and entertainment conglomerate.

Emerging players

• Atom Factory (Troy Carter's firm): Artist management and music-tech advisory firm with a roster spanning legacy and emerging acts. Comparable as a management-plus-tech-services competitor, particularly relevant for artists transitioning between major-label and independent ecosystems.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vhmgmt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/velvethammer
• Facebookfacebook.com/velvethammermusicandmanagementgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/velvet-hammer-music-management

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group