Nordic Music Partners

What Nordic Music Partners does

Nordic Music Partners is a Helsinki-based boutique music publishing company that represents a roster of 11 songwriters, artists, and producers primarily from Finland and the Nordic region, with international placement reach spanning K-pop, European dance, and North American markets. The firm operates as a traditional music publisher, generating revenue through three core streams: music publishing royalties (mechanical, performance, and synchronization from represented catalogs), sync licensing to video games (Remedy Entertainment's Alan Wake II, Epic Games' Fortnite, Ubisoft's Just Dance), advertising campaigns (Hesburger, Veikkaus, Terveystalo), and film/TV (Netflix, ABC), and songwriting credit placements with major artists including K-pop acts (NCT 127, Red Velvet, Twice, Hearts2Hearts), international DJs (Afrojack, Wilkinson, Gorgon City, Robin Schulz), and domestic Finnish artists.

The company operates on a standard publishing deal model with individually negotiated contracts. Its distribution channels include streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music), direct sync licensing to enterprise clients, and channel partnerships with K-pop labels SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment. The underlying technology is described as a standard music publishing and rights management platform with no disclosed proprietary features or AI capabilities. The company is led by Managing Partner Riku Salomaa (overseeing Sync and Branded content) and Head of A&R Nino Lintermo, with a total headcount of 6 employees.

Nordic Music Partners was formerly known as Fried Publishing and rebranded around 2020. The company is privately held with no external investors documented, operating as a Finnish private limited company (Nordic Music Partners Helsinki Oy). Its roster has produced notable catalog performance including 100M+ streams for Blind Channel works (produced by Alex Mattson), 62M+ Spotify streams for Frida Amundsen's 'There For You', 19 consecutive weeks at #1 Finnish radio airplay for 'Ram Pam Pam' co-written by Tomi Saario, and a BAFTA nomination for Mougleta's work on the Alan Wake 2 soundtrack.

Name

Nordic Music Partners

Legal name

Nordic Music Partners Helsinki Oy

Website

https://nordicmusicpartners.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nordic Music Partners is a Helsinki-based boutique music publisher representing 11 songwriters, artists, and producers, generating revenue from publishing royalties, sync licensing to gaming and advertising, and songwriting placements with K-pop and European dance labels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Publishing

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230), Music Publishers (51223)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAIABAA

Songwriting & Composition (Topliners, Co-writers, Camps)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Publishing (Songwriting, Rights Administration, Licensing)

SECONDARYMPAIABAF

Sync Rights Representation (Pitching, Clearance, Negotiation)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Publishing (Songwriting, Rights Administration, Licensing)

SECONDARYMPAIAKAD

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

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Rights & Royalty Services (PROs, Collection, Royalty Accounting)

SECONDARYMPAIAKAI

Global Rights Representation & Sub-Publishing/Reciprocal Collection Services

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Rights & Royalty Services (PROs, Collection, Royalty Accounting)

SECONDARYMPAIALAM

Brand Partnerships & Music Placement Services (Non-Exclusive Brand Deals)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Sync & Music Licensing Services (Film/TV/Ads/Games)

SECONDARYMPAIAHAB

Music Producers & Production Teams

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Production Services (Studios, Producers, Session Musicians)

Keywords

• Music publishing services
• Sync licensing
• Songwriter representation
• Royalty collection
• Artist development

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Music Publishing Royalties: The company earns revenue through publishing deals with songwriters and artists, collecting mechanical, performance, and synchronization royalties from their catalog of works.
2. Sync Licensing: Revenue generated from placing music in video games (Alan Wake II, Fortnite), commercials (Hesburger, Veikkaus, Terveystalo), and films/TV (Netflix, ABC).
3. Songwriting Credits and Placements: Income from co-writing credits with major artists including K-pop acts (NCT 127, Red Velvet, Twice), international DJs (Afrojack, Wilkinson, Gorgon City), and domestic Finnish artists.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Nordic Music Partners is a boutique music publishing company that signs songwriters, artists, and producers to publishing deals, manages their catalogs, and represents them for international sync placements, co-writing opportunities, and royalty collection. The company brokers music placements across video games, advertising, film, and TV, and facilitates collaborations between its roster and K-pop labels and European dance/pop artists.

Product overview

Nordic Music Partners is a global boutique music publisher based in Helsinki, Finland. The company operates as a single unified offering focused on music publishing and sync licensing services, representing a roster of international songwriters, artists, and producers. Their core business involves managing creative rights, facilitating global songwriting collaborations, and placing music across commercial advertising, video games (Alan Wake II, Just Dance, Fortnite), and branded content partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Music Publishing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 100M+ streams for Blind Channel catalog
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Remedy EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic sync partnership for Alan Wake II video game soundtrack. Multiple Nordic Music Partners roster artists (Jurek, Heviteemu, Costee, Mougleta) contributed chapter songs to the critically acclaimed game.
• Epic Games / FortnitecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic sync placement featuring Yeonjun's 'GGUM' in Fortnite gaming experience, introducing roster artists to massive gaming audience.
• Ubisoft / Just DanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSync placement of 'Stop This Fire' in Just Dance video game series.
• SM EntertainmentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorK-pop label partnership for songwriting credits with artists including NCT 127, NCT Dream, Red Velvet, Girls' Generation, Taeyeon, BoA, SHINee, and Hearts2Hearts.
• HesburgerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish fast food chain featuring Lilli Loiri's song 'Nyt voin luottaa' in national advertising campaign.
• VeikkausminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish gaming company using Nordic Music Partners roster music for 'Dream Bigger' campaign.
• TerveystalominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish healthcare provider using Nordic Music Partners music in 'Kannan sua' advertising campaign.
• JYP EntertainmentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorK-pop label partnership for songwriting with artists including Twice and Kiss of Life.
• Gorgon CitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK electronic music duo collaboration with Frida Amundsen on 'There For You' featuring MK, achieving 62M+ Spotify streams.
• WilkinsonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK drum and bass artist collaborating with Mougleta on 'Eternity', earning BBC Radio 1 support.
• AfrojackminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDutch DJ collaborating with Mougleta on dance music productions.
• Robin SchulzminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman DJ and producer collaborating with Mougleta on dance tracks.
• Sony Music GermanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor label partnership for Tomi Saario's debut EP release 'I Think We Need To Talk...' in 2019.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hipgnosis Songs Fund: Investment vehicle focused on acquiring songwriter catalogs and publishing rights. Comparable as a serious participant in the songwriter-rights/catalog segment that Nordic Music Partners operates in, though at far greater scale and capital intensity.
• Concord Music Publishing: Major independent publisher with deep songwriter roster and global admin infrastructure. Comparable as a larger incumbent competing in the same songwriter-representation category.
• BMG Rights Management: Major independent music publisher offering global publishing administration, sync licensing, and recorded-music services. Larger, broader incumbent in the same publishing and sync-licensing category that Nordic Music Partners operates in.
• Primary Wave Music Publishing: Independent music publisher managing songwriter catalogs and pursuing strategic catalog acquisitions. Comparable for catalog-focused publishing and rights administration at greater scale.

Direct peers

• peermusic: World's largest independent music publisher with global sub-publishing network and rights administration across 80+ territories. Comparable as an indie publisher offering international reach to songwriters — relevant peer at the larger end of the indie spectrum.
• Downtown Music (Concord): Independent music services company offering publishing administration, royalties, and rights management to songwriters and catalogs. Comparable as a publishing-administration specialist serving independent creators across global markets.
• APM Music: Sync licensing library and publisher supplying original music for film, TV, advertising, and gaming. Comparable for sync-first music licensing into entertainment and brand channels.
• Kobalt Music Group: Independent music publisher and rights administrator representing songwriters and catalogs globally. Comparable as a modern, tech-enabled indie publisher competing against majors — a similar go-to-market to Nordic Music Partners' boutique publishing model.
• Position Music: Independent music publisher and sync licensing specialist with a strong track record placing songs in film, TV, advertising, and video games. Comparable for sync-first publishing strategy.
• Spirit Music Group: Independent music publisher focused on songwriter representation, catalog acquisitions, and sync licensing. Comparable as a boutique-to-mid-sized publisher with similar A&R-led signings and sync placement emphasis.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/nordicmusicpartners
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nordic-music-partners

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 Nordic Music Partners