CTM Outlander Music

What CTM Outlander Music does

CTM Outlander Music is a privately held music publishing and rights management company headquartered in Hilversum, Netherlands, operating as a limited partnership formed in April 2021 between Dutch independent entertainment firm CTM (founded by André de Raaff in 2000) and Dallas-based intellectual property fund Outlander Capital (led by Leslie Ware and Mike McKool). The company's stated ambition is to invest more than $1 billion over five years in music publishing catalogs and master rights, executed through 11 disclosed acquisitions completed between 2021 and April 2026. Its product offering comprises three core revenue streams: (1) music publishing royalties (mechanical, performance, and synchronization), (2) master rights acquisition and management (e.g., Matt Simons, Yellow Claw, BIG Music master recordings), and (3) sync licensing services placing catalog songs in film, TV, advertising, and trailers across brands including Heineken, Mercedes Benz, IKEA, Marvel Studios, Black Ink Crew, and Panda Express. The portfolio spans 5,000+ songs with 100+ No. 1 hits, anchored by historic Dutch catalog Strengholt Music Group and hit-rich Nashville songwriter rosters including Shane McAnally, Natalie Hemby, Ross Copperman, Sam Hunt, and Michael Tyler.

The company operates a six-office global footprint (Hilversum, Dallas, Los Angeles, London, Miami, Brussels) and pursues a sales-led go-to-market: direct catalog acquisitions from songwriters and artists through negotiated publishing deals, plus direct sales of sync licenses to media companies. Underlying technology is described as a music publishing and master rights management platform with no documented AI, API, or SDK components; the company explicitly leverages Outlander Capital's expertise in patent-royalty analytics for IP management. Customer segments are split between (a) artists/songwriters supplying catalogs in exchange for advances and ongoing royalty participation and (b) advertising agencies, film studios, TV networks, and brands purchasing sync rights for visual media. Marketing occurs primarily through the company website, a curated Spotify playlist, Instagram, and earned press coverage of acquisition announcements.

Ownership rests entirely with the two founding partners and their principals; no external private equity or venture capital is disclosed. Financial details, revenue, headcount, and unit economics are not publicly available, consistent with its status as a closely held Dutch LP. The business model is revenue-share plus upfront advance: artists receive a lump sum for catalog acquisition or future-works publishing, while CTM Outlander retains the rights and collects the perpetual royalty stream, monetized both organically (streaming, radio) and through active exploitation (sync placement). Recurring competitive advantage derives from the structural irreversibility of acquired copyrights, the proven hit-making concentration of affiliated songwriters, and the breadth of a transatlantic license-out network.

Name

CTM Outlander Music

Legal name

CTM Outlander Music LP

Website

https://ctmoutlandermusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CTM Outlander Music is a privately held Dutch-American music publishing and rights management partnership that acquires song catalogs and master rights from songwriters and artists, manages 5,000+ songs including 100+ No. 1 hits, and licenses them for sync placement in advertising, film, and television across a six-office global footprint.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Publishing and Rights Management

NAICS

Music Publishers (51223), Music Publishers (512230), Record Production and Distribution (51225)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Sync Rights Representation (Pitching, Clearance, Negotiation) (MPAIABAF), Master Rights Ownership & Catalog Management (MPAIAAAB), Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements) (MPAIAKAD), Royalty Accounting & Payment Services (Statements, Audits, Payee Management) (MPAIABAL), Music & Synchronization Rights for Film/TV (MPADALAC)

Keywords

• Music publishing services
• Master rights acquisition
• Sync licensing
• Royalty management
• Music catalog investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilversum

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Music Publishing Royalties: CTM Outlander acquires publishing catalogs and manages royalty streams from song compositions. They represent world-famous writers and catalogs, collecting mechanical, performance, and synchronization royalties.
2. Master Rights: Acquisition and management of master recordings, including catalogs from artists like Matt Simons and labels like Dureco and CNR.
3. Sync Licensing: Placing music from their catalog into visual media including commercials (Heineken, Mercedes Benz, IKEA, Panda Express), film trailers (Fire Island, Vengeance), TV shows (Black Ink Crew Compton, Marvel's Secret Invasion), and campaigns (Powerball, KPN European Football Championship).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CTM Outlander Music acquires and manages music publishing catalogs and master recording rights from established songwriters, artists, and labels, administering royalties and licensing the works globally. The company generates revenue by placing catalog music in films, TV, commercials, and other visual media through sync licensing, and by collecting mechanical, performance, and synchronization royalties across its diversified rights portfolio.

Product overview

CTM Outlander is a music publishing and intellectual property company formed as a partnership between Dutch entertainment firm CTM and Dallas-based Outlander Capital. The company operates a unified platform offering music publishing services, master recording catalog management, sync licensing for visual media, and patent royalty stream management. Their portfolio consists of acquired catalogs (including Strengholt Music Group, ONE77 Music, TEN Music Group, BIG Music) and roster management for songwriters and artists such as Matt Simons, Ross Copperman, Natalie Hemby, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Warren G, and Zara Larsson. The company is headquartered in Hilversum, Netherlands with offices in Dallas, Texas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Music Publishing Services Comprehensive music publishing rights management including acquisition, administration, and monetization of song catalogs and writer shares across global markets, serving songwriters and artists.
• Master Recording Catalog Management Acquisition and management of master recording rights including artist catalogs and label catalogs, providing diversified revenue streams from recorded music assets.
• Sync Licensing Music synchronization licensing services placing songs in film, television, advertising, video games, and other visual media for media companies, brands, and production studios.
• Patent Royalty Stream Management IP management platform leveraging expertise in patent royalties and emerging technologies to create new revenue streams for rights holders.
• SMACKSongs Administration Global administration services for SMACKSongs and SMACKBlue publishing companies, including works by Walker Hayes, Kylie Morgan, Josh Jenkins and other Nashville writers.
• Strengholt Music Group Catalog Historic Dutch music company catalog containing 100+ No.1 hits including 'Venus' by Shocking Blue/Bananarama, 'Reality' by Lost Frequencies, and classic Dutch music catalog.
• ONE77 Music Catalog Boutique music publishing catalog containing 2,000 songs by artists including Demi Lovato, Madonna, Martina McBride, Leona Lewis, John Legend and others.
• TEN Music Group Catalog Swedish music publishing catalog with 1,000+ songs including global hits by Rihanna, Shakira, Panic! At the Disco, and Zara Larsson's 'Lush Life'.
• BIG Music Catalog Music publishing catalog with 1,500+ songs including Morgan Wallen's 'Whiskey Glasses' (BMI Country Song of the Year 2020, 7x Platinum) and tracks from the 'Dangerous' album.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ No. 1 hits across catalog
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Jody Williams SongsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 7 November 2025Jody Williams Songs continues its writer management relationship with Natalie Hemby alongside CTM Outlander's publishing partnership.
• Strengholt Music GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2023Acquisition of legendary Dutch music company Strengholt Music Group, containing over 100 No.1 hits in Dutch music history including worldwide hits like 'Venus' by Shocking Blue/Bananarama and 'Reality' by Lost Frequencies.
• SMACKSongscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2023Global admin deal for SMACKSongs and SMACKBlue publishing companies. Includes works by Walker Hayes, Kylie Morgan, Josh Jenkins and others. SMACKSongs President Robert Carlton represented in the partnership. Ross Copperman also has creative partnership with SMACKSongs.
• Young Guns PublishingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2023Strategic creative partnership with Young Guns Publishing for the signing of SESAC Song of the Year winner Michael Tyler. This partnership handles Michael Tyler's publishing deal with CTM Outlander.
• BIG Music (Bump Into Genius)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 January 2022Acquisition of BIG Music catalog with over 1500 songs and multiple #1 singles including Morgan Wallen's 'Dangerous' album tracks and BMI Country Song of the Year 2020 'Whiskey Glasses'.
• ONE77 MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2021Acquisition of 2,000-song music publishing catalog including songs written by Demi Lovato, Madonna, Martina McBride, Leona Lewis, John Legend and others. Also includes Rodrick Doss, co-writer of Zara Larsson's 'Lush Life'.
• TEN Music GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2021Acquisition of TEN Music Group's publishing assets established by Ola Håkansson. Portfolio consists of more than 1,000 songs including global hits by Rihanna, Shakira, Panic! At the Disco and Zara Larsson's 'Lush Life'.
• CTMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2021CTM is one of the strongest independent entertainment firms of the world, headquartered in The Netherlands with foreign offices in Los Angeles, London, Miami and Brussels. CTM is owned by André de Raaff and Jitze de Raaff. CTM provides music industry expertise, leading in music publishing, representing world-famous writers and catalogs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Downtown Music: Independent music services company offering publishing administration, royalty distribution, and sync licensing — overlaps with CTM Outlander's publishing administration and rights management services for songwriters.
• Reservoir Media: Publicly traded independent music publisher with catalog acquisitions across multiple decades and genres, plus active sync licensing business — comparable business mix and acquisition cadence to CTM Outlander.
• Round Hill Music Royalty Fund: Music IP investment fund acquiring songwriter catalogs and master rights — same fundamental investment thesis and acquisition-led growth model as CTM Outlander's Outlander Capital partnership.
• Kobalt Music Group: Tech-enabled independent music publisher providing publishing administration, sync licensing, and royalty processing services to songwriters — competes with CTM Outlander's publishing administration and sync licensing offerings.
• Concord Music Publishing: Major independent music publisher and rights owner built through catalog acquisitions across pop, country, and classical catalogs — competes directly with CTM Outlander for songwriting catalogs and offers similar publishing administration services.
• Hipgnosis Songs Fund: Investment vehicle focused on acquiring music publishing catalogs and royalty streams — same acquisition-led growth playbook as CTM Outlander, with comparable capital-intensive strategy targeting songwriter rights.
• Primary Wave Music Publishing: Independent music publisher that acquires legendary songwriter catalogs and master rights, with a roster of marquee artists and a focus on sync licensing and brand partnerships — directly comparable strategy and customer set to CTM Outlander.
• peermusic: Largest independent music publisher with global offices and a focus on songwriter representation and catalog acquisitions — competes directly with CTM Outlander for songwriters and acquisition targets across multiple geographies.
• Spirit Music Group: Independent music publisher acquiring and administering songwriter catalogs across multiple genres — comparable catalog acquisition strategy and target songwriter profile to CTM Outlander.

Broad incumbents

• BMG Rights Management: Major independent music publisher with global infrastructure, owned by Bertelsmann — competes broadly with CTM Outlander across publishing administration, sync, and master rights, but at significantly larger scale and with broader artist services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/ctmentertainment
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOSgfvuRi0-kC6kGLR3kh1w
• Facebookfacebook.com/ctmentertainment
• Instagraminstagram.com/ctmentertainment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strengholt-music-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 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 CTM Outlander Music