Monument Records
Monument Records is a Nashville-based country music record label operating as a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment, re-launched in 2017 under Jason Owen and Shane McAnally. It signs, develops, and promotes a small roster of country, Americana, and folk-adjacent artists including Walker Hayes and Tigirlily Gold.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Monument Records does
Monument Records is a Nashville, Tennessee-based country music record label operating as a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment. The label was re-launched in January 2017 under co-presidents Jason Owen (formerly of Sandbox Entertainment and UMG Nashville) and Shane McAnally (a multi-GRAMMY winning songwriter and 2015 Billboard Hot Country Songwriter of the Year). The imprint is small by Nashville standards, with 11 employees, and its operational scope centers on artist signing, recorded-music development, and promotion, with Sony providing the underlying distribution, marketing, and radio promotion infrastructure. Monument's roster is deliberately curated and includes Walker Hayes, Tigirlily Gold, Shelby Lynne, Brandon Ratcliff, Clay Street Unit, and Alex Hall, spanning mainstream country, Americana/legacy, and folk/bluegrass-adjacent styles.
Monument's commercial identity has been defined primarily by Walker Hayes' "Fancy Like," which spent more than six months at #1 on country radio, reached the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100, and earned a GRAMMY nomination — a breakout hit that established the re-launched label's market presence. Tigirlily Gold's 2024 ACM New Duo/Group of the Year award provides a second commercial anchor. The label is also extending beyond traditional recorded-music revenue: Tigirlily Gold has a brand partnership with Lee (apparel), and Walker Hayes has performed at international country music showcases such as C2C in London and Glasgow, indicating international touring and endorsement-channel monetization as adjunct revenue streams.
The label's business model is the standard recorded-music label model: sign artists to recording contracts, fund album production and marketing, distribute through Sony's infrastructure, and earn a share of recorded-music revenue (streaming, physical, downloads, synchronization) and ancillary revenue (touring-adjacent, brand partnerships, publishing where retained). Strategic emphasis under the current leadership is on artist development and roster breadth, evidenced by the 2024–2025 signings across Americana (Shelby Lynne), folk/bluegrass (Clay Street Unit), and emerging country singer-songwriter (Brandon Ratcliff, Alex Hall) segments — a deliberate move to reduce dependence on the Walker Hayes/Tigirlily Gold revenue concentration.
Monument Records firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Monument Records
- Legal name
- Monument Records
- Website
- https://monument-records.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Monument Records is a Nashville-based country music record label operating as a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment, re-launched in 2017 under Jason Owen and Shane McAnally. It signs, develops, and promotes a small roster of country, Americana, and folk-adjacent artists including Walker Hayes and Tigirlily Gold.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Monument Records industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Record Label / Music Label
- NAICS
- Record Production and Distribution (51225)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Record Labels (Major & Independent) (MPAIAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements) (MPAIAKAD)
Keywords
Where Monument Records is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Monument Records business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Music Sales and Streaming: Revenue from digital and physical music sales, including albums and singles distributed through streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music) and digital retail.
- Radio Airplay Royalties: Performance royalties from country radio airplay, which generates revenue based on broadcast frequency and audience reach.
- Sync Licensing: Licensing fees from placement of music in commercials, films, and TV shows (e.g., Walker Hayes' 'Fancy Like' featured in Applebee's commercial).
- Artist Touring and Merchandise: Supporting revenue from artist concert tours and merchandise sales facilitated by label promotion and support.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Monument Records product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Monument Records is a country music record label operating as a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment. The label signs, develops, and promotes country music artists through recording contracts, artist development, radio promotion, marketing, and distribution via Sony Music's global infrastructure. Its roster includes artists such as Walker Hayes, Tigirlily Gold, Shelby Lynne, Brandon Ratcliff, Clay Street Unit, and Alex Hall, with releases spanning albums, EPs, and singles distributed through streaming platforms, digital retail, and country radio.
Product overview
Monument Records is a record label operating as a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment, re-launched in January 2017 under co-presidents Jason Owen and Shane McAnally. The label specializes in country music and represents a roster of diverse artists including Walker Hayes, Tigirlily Gold, Shelby Lynne, Clay Street Unit, Brandon Ratcliff, and Alex Hall. The company provides artist development, record label services, and music distribution through Sony Music's infrastructure. The label's portfolio includes albums (such as "Consequences of the Crown" by Shelby Lynne, "Blonde" by Tigirlily Gold, "Country Stuff The Album" by Walker Hayes), EPs, and singles released across various artists.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Monument Records (Record Label) Country music record label and joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment that signs, develops, records, promotes, and distributes country music artists. Headquartered in Nashville, TN with a roster of signed artists.
- Walker Hayes (Artist Roster) Recording artist on the Monument Records roster, singer/songwriter from Mobile, Alabama, known for the 2021 hit 'Fancy Like' which topped Billboard Hot Country Songs for 6+ months and earned a GRAMMY nomination. Releases under Monument/RCA Records branding.
- Tigirlily Gold (Artist Roster) Sister duo consisting of Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh from North Dakota, signed to Monument Records in 2021. Won ACM New Duo/Group of the Year 2024. Known for viral hit 'Shoot Tequila' (40M+ streams) and debut album 'Blonde.'
- Shelby Lynne (Artist Roster) GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter/musician with a discography of 18 albums. Returned to Nashville after 25 years with album 'Consequences of the Crown' (August 2024) via Monument Records. Recognized as 2024 Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Honoree.
- Clay Street Unit (Artist Roster) Denver-based six-piece band fronted by lead singer Sam Walker. Signed to Monument Records in January 2025. Their sound blends bluegrass, country, folk, and mountain music. Management by Lucky Man Management; booking by Madison House.
- Brandon Ratcliff (Artist Roster) Singer/songwriter from Cotton Valley, Louisiana signed to Monument Records. Debut single 'Rules of Breaking Up' accumulated over 50 million streams. Selected as Pandora Ones to Watch artist and topped Rolling Stone's Breakthrough Artists chart. Named Apple Music Country Riser.
- Alex Hall (Artist Roster) Artist on the Monument Records roster.
Quantifiable outcome
- Artists signed to Monument have achieved number one country radio hits, top 5 Billboard Hot 100 placements, and GRAMMY nominations.
Companies that use Monument Records
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Monument Records technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Monument Records partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Sony Music EntertainmentflagshipMonument Records operates as a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment, an imprint of the global music company. Sony provides distribution infrastructure, marketing resources, and promotional networks while Monument maintains creative autonomy under co-presidents Jason Owen and Shane McAnally.
- RCA RecordscoreWalker Hayes appears on both Monument Records and RCA Records, indicating a joint venture or shared artist arrangement between the two Sony Music imprints. Hayes releases music under 'Monument/RCA Records' branding.
- Lucky Man ManagementminorManagement representation for Clay Street Unit, involved in the band's signing to Monument Records.
- Madison HouseminorBooking agency for Clay Street Unit, facilitating live performance bookings and touring arrangements.
- Lee (Kontoor Brands)coreLee, a 133-year-old iconic denim and casual apparel brand, partnered with Tigirlily Gold for 'Introducing Tigirlily Gold: The Tour Presented by Lee.' The brand partnership includes national tour sponsorship and co-marketing across Lee's consumer base.
- Musicians on CallminorNon-profit charity benefiting musicians on call; Tigirlily Gold's tour called for donations at each stop with a culminating livestream to all Musicians on Call hospitals.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Monument Records competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- UMG Nashville: Country music division of Universal Music Group, including Mercury Nashville, MCA Nashville, and Capitol Nashville. Broader major-label peer with overlapping artist base but vastly larger scale and portfolio.
- Warner Music Nashville: Country music division of Warner Music Group, including Atlantic Nashville and Warner Records Nashville. Broader major-label competitor with shared artist pool and radio promotion capabilities.
- Columbia Nashville: Sony Music Nashville's flagship country imprint. Internal Sony Music peer sharing distribution infrastructure and corporate parent with Monument Records.
Direct peers
- Valory Music Co. Big Machine Label Group imprint hosting artists like Thomas Rhett and Florida Georgia Line (heritage). Direct peer as a Nashville imprint label specializing in country music with major radio promotion focus.
- Big Machine Records: Founded in 2005 by Scott Borchetta, Big Machine is an independent Nashville country label home to Taylor Swift-era catalog and current roster including Tim McGraw and Florida Georgia Line. Directly comparable as a country-focused independent label working with major distribution partners.
- Curb Records: Long-standing independent Nashville label with roster including Tim McGraw, Lee Brice, and Rodney Atkins. Comparable as a country-focused independent label with a multi-decade history of artist development.
- Broken Bow Records: Nashville-based country music label (part of BMG/BBR Music Group) with artists like Jason Aldean and Lainey Wilson. Direct peer in the country label space with comparable artist development model and radio promotion focus.
- Triple Tigers Records: Nashville-based independent country label with artists like Russell Dickerson and Tyler Braden. Comparable mid-sized independent country label with similar artist development focus.
Emerging players
- EMPIRE Distribution: Independent music label and distributor with growing country presence. Comparable as an independent label with distributed catalog model, though broader in genre.
Others
- Sea Gayle Music: Nashville-based music publishing and artist management company (co-founded by Brad Paisley). Adjacent industry peer in Nashville country music ecosystem, sharing songwriter and producer relationships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Monument Records social profiles
Digital presenceMonument Records financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Monument Records leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Monument Records funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Monument Records M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Monument Records
What does Monument Records do?
Monument Records is a country music record label operating as a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment. The label signs, develops, and promotes country music artists through recording contracts, artist development, radio promotion, marketing, and distribution via Sony Music's global infrastructure. Its roster includes artists such as Walker Hayes, Tigirlily Gold, Shelby Lynne, Brandon Ratcliff, Clay Street Unit, and Alex Hall, with releases spanning albums, EPs, and singles distributed through streaming platforms, digital retail, and country radio.
Is Monument Records a public or private company?
Monument Records is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Monument Records founded?
Monument Records was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Monument Records based?
Monument Records is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Monument Records make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Music Sales and Streaming is the primary driver. The others are radio Airplay Royalties, sync Licensing and artist Touring and Merchandise.
Who are Monument Records's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are UMG Nashville, Warner Music Nashville and Columbia Nashville. Direct peers are Valory Music Co., Big Machine Records, Curb Records, Broken Bow Records and Triple Tigers Records. EMPIRE Distribution is listed as an emerging player. Sea Gayle Music is listed as an others.
Does Monument Records have an API?
No public API is recorded for Monument Records.
What industry is Monument Records in?
Monument Records's product category is Record Label / Music Label. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAA, Record Labels (Major & Independent), with a secondary code of MPAIAKAD, Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements). Its NAICS code is 51225.