MusicBird AG

What MusicBird AG does

MusicBird AG is a Swiss music rights investment firm incorporated in Wollerau that acquires master royalty income and publishing catalogs from established artists, songwriters, and producers to build a diversified portfolio of iconic music rights. The company earns revenue primarily through ongoing streaming royalties (mechanical and performance) paid by platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music on acquired catalogs, with secondary income from catalog appreciation and any future sales of rights. Its go-to-market is direct, relationship-driven negotiation with creators and estates rather than platform-mediated distribution, with a website (musicbird.ch) that functions as both a catalogue showcase and a credibility asset.

The firm has executed eight disclosed catalog acquisitions since 2025 across Dougie Thomson (Supertramp), Majid Jordan, Rick Parashar, J.R. Rotem, Midge Ure, Alex P, Shaggy, and Astma & Rocwell, bringing total holdings to over 2,000 songs. Strategic capital is sourced from a $100 million loan facility from MUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group), one of Japan's largest financial institutions, which funds acquisition activity and corporate purposes. MusicBird serves two customer segments: established artists and songwriters seeking liquidity and legacy preservation, and institutional investors seeking exposure to music rights as an alternative uncorrelated asset class. The leadership team combines music and finance expertise, led by CEO Paul Brown, with Roger Howl joining as CFO to support institutional scaling.

Name

MusicBird AG

Legal name

MusicBird AG

Website

https://musicbird.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MusicBird AG is a Swiss music rights investment firm that acquires master royalty income and publishing catalogs from established artists to build a portfolio of iconic music rights, generating revenue through streaming royalties funded in part by a $100M MUFG loan facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Rights Investment

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230), Music Publishers (51223)

SIC

Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements) (MPAIAKAD)

Keywords

• Music catalog acquisition
• Music rights investment
• Royalty income
• Publishing catalog
• Music IP

Headquarters

HQ city

Wollerau

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Music Catalog Acquisition and Royalty Income: MusicBird acquires music catalogs (master royalty income and publishing rights) from artists, then collects ongoing streaming royalties and potentially generates returns through catalog appreciation or future sales. Revenue is derived from music streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) paying mechanical and performance royalties on acquired catalogs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

MusicBird AG is a Swiss music rights investment company that acquires master royalty income and publishing catalogs from established artists, songwriters, and producers. It builds a portfolio of iconic music rights to generate returns for investors while providing artists with liquidity and legacy support.

Product overview

MusicBird operates as a single unified music catalog investment platform. The company acquires music publishing catalogs and master royalty interests from artists, songwriters, and producers, building a portfolio of over 2,000 songs. Key acquisitions include Majid Jordan's publishing catalog, Dougie Thomson's (Supertramp bassist) master royalty income, Rick Parashar's catalog, J.R. Rotem's catalog, Shaggy's catalog, Midge Ure's catalog, Alex P's catalog, and Astma & Rocwell's catalog. MusicBird generates revenue through streaming royalties and sync licensing while providing artists with liquidity and investors with exposure to music rights assets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MusicBird Catalog Acquisition Service A music catalog acquisition and investment service in which MusicBird AG identifies, values, and purchases master royalty income and publishing rights from established artists, songwriters, and producers, building a portfolio of over 2,000 songs (including works from Supertramp's Dougie Thomson, Majid Jordan, Shaggy, J.R. Rotem, Rick Parashar, Midge Ure, Alex P, and Astma & Rocwell) for the purpose of generating royalty income for investors.

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spirit Music Group: Spirit Music Group is an independent music publisher owning/ administering rights to songs by iconic artists (Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, etc.). Direct peer in catalog acquisition and music rights administration.
• Concord Music Group: Concord is an independent music publisher and label that has aggressively acquired major catalogs (e.g., Pink Floyd, Queen). Direct peer in the acquisition and administration of premium music IP rights.
• Round Hill Music Royalty Fund: Round Hill Music Royalty Fund is a music rights investment fund that acquires songwriter and publisher royalty streams. Closely comparable as a financial-vehicle peer to MusicBird, with similar strategy of building royalty-bearing catalogs.
• Hipgnosis Songs Fund: Hipgnosis Songs Fund is the largest publicly-listed music catalog acquisition vehicle, acquiring publishing and master rights from iconic artists (e.g., Neil Young, Shakira, Red Hot Chili Peppers). It is the most directly comparable peer to MusicBird in strategy, asset class, and acquisition motion.
• Primary Wave Music Publishing: Primary Wave is a leading independent music publisher that acquires and administers catalogs of legendary artists (Whitney Houston, Stevie Nicks, Bob Marley estate). Directly comparable as a competitor for the same iconic catalog deals MusicBird pursues.

Broad incumbents

• Warner Chappell Music: Warner Chappell is the global music publishing arm of Warner Music Group, owning/administers a vast catalog. Functions as both a competitor for catalog acquisitions and a potential distribution/sublicensing partner for MusicBird's publishing assets.
• BMG Rights Management: BMG is the world's fourth-largest music publisher and a major rights administration platform. A broad incumbent that competes for catalog acquisitions at scale and provides an alternative to MusicBird for sellers considering administration vs. outright sale.
• Kobalt Music Group: Kobalt is a global music publisher and rights administrator offering tech-enabled royalty collection and publishing administration for songwriters. Comparable as an alternative platform for rights management vs. outright sale to a catalog acquirer like MusicBird.
• Sony Music Publishing: Sony Music Publishing is the world's largest music publisher, controlling rights to millions of compositions. A major incumbent competing for premium catalog acquisitions and a potential strategic acquirer of MusicBird's portfolio over time.

Emerging players

• Iconic Artists Group: Founded by Irving Azoff, Iconic Artists Group acquires music catalogs and brands from legacy artists (David Bowie, Cher, etc.). Comparable as a focused, well-connected catalog acquirer competing for similar deal flow to MusicBird.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/musicbird-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 MusicBird AG