Schubert Music Publishing

What Schubert Music Publishing does

Schubert Music Publishing is a privately held independent music publishing and copyright administration company founded by Andreas Schubert, headquartered under its Polish legal entity Schubert Music Publishing Sp. z o.o. in Warsaw. The company provides copyright administration, royalty collection across performance, mechanical, and synchronization rights, and international sub-publishing services to songwriters, composers, and other music publishers. It serves three customer segments: individual songwriters and composers (primary), recording artists via its integrated record labels, and other publishers seeking territorial sub-publishing representation. The company has built a network of 11+ offices across Europe and North America with direct memberships in local collection societies, and holds a strategic sub-publishing relationship with Peermusic, the world's largest independent music publisher with a catalogue exceeding 1 million copyrights.

The company's product surface combines music publishing services with six wholly-owned record label imprints spanning indie rock (Unique Records, Atlantic Curve, Freakwave), Latin/Iberian (Costa Futuro), dance/electronic (Pump It Suzi), jazz (Blue Flame Records), and mixed releases (SMILE Records), plus an artist management arm (Schubert Music Agency, Celsius Management, Hardbeat Promotion). Distribution flows through Believe, Groove Attack, Rough Trade, and The Orchard, with music available on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms. The Partner Panel at partner.schubertmusic.com serves as a B2B interface for sub-publishing counterparties. Revenue is generated through licensing royalties, sub-publishing administration fees, and record label operations; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated individually with artists and publishers.

The business model is fundamentally catalogue-based and recurring-revenue in nature, with revenue streams anchored by long-tail royalty income from both legacy catalogues (Scorpions first four albums, Krautrock recordings, Roger Whittaker via Rudolf Slezak; Alphaville/Marian Gold; The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices) and current chart-performing works (VNV Nation top-10 in Germany, Thundermother top-10 in DE/SE). The company has been founder-financed with no disclosed funding rounds, operates with 11-50 employees, and maintains regulatory influence through a seat on the ZAiKS Management Board in Poland.

Name

Schubert Music Publishing

Legal name

Schubert Music Publishing Sp. z o.o.

Website

https://schubertmusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schubert Music Publishing is a privately held European independent music publisher providing copyright administration, royalty collection, and sub-publishing services to songwriters, composers, and other publishers across 11+ offices, with integrated record labels spanning multiple genres.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Publishing

NAICS

Music Publishers (51223), Record Production and Distribution (51225)

SIC

Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Publishing Administration (Catalog Admin, Global Subpublishing) (MPAIABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements) (MPAIAKAD), Sync Rights Representation (Pitching, Clearance, Negotiation) (MPAIABAF), Performance Rights Administration (PRO Affiliation, Cue Sheet/Setlist Processing) (MPAIABAE), Royalty Accounting & Payment Services (Statements, Audits, Payee Management) (MPAIABAL), Contracting, Licensing & Rights Management (Music/Performance Releases) (HSACAHAM)

Keywords

• Music publishing services
• Copyright administration
• Royalty collection management
• Songwriter representation
• Sub-publishing administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Warsaw

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Music Publishing: Schubert Music Publishing generates revenue through copyright administration and publishing rights management for songwriters and composers. The company collects royalties from various sources including performance rights, mechanical rights, and synchronization rights.
2. Sub-publishing and Administration: The company acts as sub-publisher or administrator for other publishers from across Europe and beyond, managing their catalogues in various territories.
3. Record Label Operations: Through subsidiaries like Unique Records and Costa Futuro, the company releases music from signed artists and earns revenue from record sales, streaming, and related activities.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Schubert Music Publishing provides copyright administration and royalty collection services for songwriters, composers, and recording artists, securing publishing deals and managing performance, mechanical, and synchronization rights across territories. The company also operates sub-publishing and catalogue administration for other publishers, and runs affiliated record labels (Unique Records, Costa Futuro, SMILE Records, Blue Flame Records, Pump It Suzi) for music releases through a global distribution network.

Product overview

Schubert Music Publishing operates as a music publishing and copyright administration company offering a multi-label, multi-territory portfolio. The core offering consists of music publishing services, with affiliated record labels including Unique Records (Germany-based, handling indie/pop/rock acts like Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys and J Mahon), Costa Futuro (Barcelona-based, focused on Latin American and Iberian artists like Queralt Lahoz and Tagua Tagua), SMILE Records, and Blue Flame Records. The company also provides a Partner Panel platform for sub-publishers and partners to access their catalogs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Costa Futuro: Record label based in Barcelona focused on Latin America and Iberian Peninsula music, seeking to disseminate and project to the world music from these regions.
• Unique Records
• SMILE Records
• Pump It Suzi
• Freakwave

Products and services

• Music Publishing Services Core music publishing offering securing publishing deals with songwriters and composers, managing composition rights, and administering catalogues on behalf of creators.
• Copyright Administration and Royalty Collection Collection and administration of royalties from performance rights, mechanical rights, and synchronization rights through direct memberships in local collection societies across multiple territories.
• Sub-publishing Administration Acts as sub-publisher or administrator for other publishers (including Peermusic with over 1 million copyrights), managing their catalogues in territories where Schubert has direct collection society memberships.
• Unique Records Record label imprint for releases by indie, pop, and rock artists, distributed via Believe, Groove Attack, and Rough Trade.
• Costa Futuro Record label based in Barcelona releasing Latin American and Iberian artists such as Queralt Lahoz, Tagua Tagua, Lucía Tacchetti, and Isla de Caras.
• SMILE Records Record label imprint under Schubert Music releasing artists such as The Sirens of Titan, Dede, White Heat, and Jamieson.
• Blue Flame Records Germany-based record label releasing jazz and contemporary artists such as Christoph Spendel under the Schubert Music Europe umbrella.
• Partner Panel Online portal offered to other publishers and sub-publishers to access and manage their catalogues, rights, and royalty information in territories where Schubert administers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Schubert Music Publishing became Europe's dominant independent publisher and copyright administrator within 15 years of founding
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PeermusiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPeermusic is the world's largest independent music publishing company, founded in 1928, operating in approximately 32 countries across 39 offices. Their catalogue encompasses over 1 million copyrights covering wide array of genres. Schubert Music Publishing acts as sub-publisher for Peermusic, contributing to the extensive medley of genres and styles available.
• Costa FuturocoreOthersRecord label based in Barcelona that seeks to disseminate and project music from Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. Founded by Schubert Music Publishing to develop artists from these regions. Artists include Tagua Tagua (Brazil), Lucía Tacchetti (Argentina), and Queralt Lahoz (Spain).
• Unique RecordscoreOthersGerman record label under Schubert Music Europe. Releases artists including Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys, Suzan Köcher's Suprafon, J Mahon, Frank Popp Ensemble, and Christoph Spendel. Distributed via Believe / Groove Attack / Rough Trade.
• Atlantic CurveminorOthersRecord label under Schubert Music Europe releasing artists like The Sirens of Titan and LINA & Jules Maxwell collaborations.
• Blue Flame RecordsminorOthersLabel under Schubert Music Europe releasing German jazz pianist Christoph Spendel.
• FreakwaveminorOthersGerman label led by Eric Burton and Thomas Thyssen, releasing artists like Creux Lies.
• Prophecy ProductionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman record label releasing The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices' album 'BooCheeMish' in most territories outside Bulgaria.
• Creative Artist Agency (CAA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThundermother signed exclusive booking contracts with CAA for USA, Canada and South America in February 2021.
• The OrchardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMusic distribution company handling releases for Joachim Witt and other Schubert artists.
• Rudolf Slezak MusikverlagminorOthersCatalogue administered by SMP Germany since June 2019, including first four albums from Scorpions, 70s Krautrock albums, and releases from Roger Whittaker.
• Eisenherz MusikverlagminorOthersJoachim Witt's music publishing company now administered by SMP Germany since February 2019.
• Costa Futuro and COMBOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint organization of Latin Lens Showcase as part of New Colossus Festival in New York, spotlighting new wave of artists from Latin America.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Primary Wave Music Publishing: Independent music publisher and talent management company with strong catalogue acquisition strategy and integrated label-publishing model. Comparable in combining publishing administration with artist development and label operations.
• Kobalt Music Group: Independent music publisher and rights administrator built around technology-enabled royalty tracking and transparent service to songwriters. Comparable in being an independent challenger to the majors, with overlap in copyright administration, sync licensing, and international collection society coordination.
• Spirit Music Group: Independent music publisher focused on catalogue acquisition and rights administration across rock, pop, country, and Latin genres. Comparable mid-sized independent competitor with similar emphasis on legacy catalogue value and songwriter representation.
• Downtown Music Publishing: Independent music publisher offering publishing administration, sync, and royalty services with a technology-driven platform. Closely comparable business model to Schubert's publishing administration core, including B2B partner panel functionality similar to partner.schubertmusic.com.
• Peermusic: The world's largest independent music publishing company, founded in 1928, operating in ~32 countries across 39 offices with over 1M copyrights. Schubert is a sub-publisher for Peermusic, making them both partner and most direct structural comparable in terms of catalogue breadth and independent positioning.
• Hipgnosis Songs Fund: Music IP investment company that acquires catalogues of classic songs. Indirect competitor in catalogue acquisition and a relevant comparable for Schubert's Rudolf Slezak and Eisenherz administration deals, though Hipgnosis is capital-markets-driven rather than operating-driven.

Broad incumbents

• BMG: The largest European-headquartered music publisher and rights administrator, controlled by Bertelsmann. BMG is the most direct global-scale competitor to Schubert on the independent side of the publishing market and shares Schubert's strength in catalogue acquisition and rights administration.
• Concord Music Publishing: Diversified independent music company with a sizeable publishing arm owning major catalogues across pop, rock, country, and classical. Comparable in catalogue diversification and label-publishing integration, though at materially larger scale.

Emerging players

• CTM Music / Create Music Group: Technology-driven independent music company combining publishing administration, distribution, and label services. Comparable in independent positioning and full-stack publishing-distribution offering, though with stronger US-centric footprint.

Regional players

• Edition Peters / G. Ricordi: European-rooted classical and contemporary music publishers with strong print music and rights administration capabilities. Comparable in long-standing European publishing heritage, multi-territory collection society relationships, and rights administration for enduring catalogues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCd5iNczpP8eoKhBKbEh1j5g
• Facebookfacebook.com/SchubertMusicPublishing
• Instagraminstagram.com/schubertmusicpublishing
• Xx.com/_SchubertMusic_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schubert-music-publishing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries11 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 Schubert Music Publishing