Kick The Flame Publishing Gmbh

What Kick The Flame Publishing Gmbh does

Kick The Flame Publishing GmbH is an independent music publisher founded in 2003 by Rajk Barthel and headquartered in Leipzig, Germany, with additional operational presence in Berlin. The company provides publishing, sync licensing, royalty administration, and catalogue management services to a roster of 200+ artists across indie, electronic, jazz, folk, and other genres, as well as to other music publishers requiring DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) sub-publishing or global administration. Core products comprise four integrated service lines: Copyright and Royalty Management (global registrations, royalty tracking, claims handling); Sync and Licensing (active pitching and placement of music in film, TV, advertising, and games); Artist Development (career strategy, songwriting camps, creative matchmaking); and Third-Party Publishing Administration (sub-publishing mandates and global catalogue management).

Revenue is generated through commissions on royalties collected from collecting societies such as GEMA, fees from sync licensing placements negotiated with media and brand counterparties, and managed services for third-party publishers. The go-to-market is hybrid: direct enterprise sales to music supervisors and brand buyers, supported by an online sync catalogue on the Disco platform, alongside community-led artist acquisition through recurring songwriting camps (FLINTA*, Clouds Hill, hyper soda, BPM Sachsen). Proprietary technology includes the MyKTF artist app and The Porter publishing operations software, both developed in-house to streamline workflow. Named enterprise sync counterparties include Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Kaufland, ALDI SÜD, and Gucci, and long-standing sub-publishing mandates include Mouthwatering Records (Switzerland, 15+ years) and Golden Ticket (15+ years). The company is a member of VUT and DMV industry associations and participates in GEMA work groups. The company is privately held by Rajk Barthel with no external institutional investment and an 11-person team.

Name

Kick The Flame Publishing Gmbh

Legal name

Kick The Flame Publishing GmbH

Website

https://kicktheflame.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Kick The Flame Publishing GmbH is an independent German music publisher (founded 2003, Leipzig) providing publishing, sync licensing, royalty administration, and catalogue management to 200+ artists and third-party publishers across the DACH region and globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Publishing Services

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230)

SIC

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), Global Rights Representation & Sub-Publishing/Reciprocal Collection Services (MPAIAKAI), Royalty Accounting & Payment Services (Statements, Audits, Payee Management) (MPAIABAL)

Keywords

• Music publishing services
• Sync licensing
• Royalty administration
• Copyright management
• Artist development

Headquarters

HQ city

Leipzig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Music Publishing Administration: Royalty collection and management for songwriters and composers. Takes commission on royalties collected from collecting societies (GEMA, etc.) worldwide.
2. Sync Licensing: Licensing music for use in film, TV, commercials, games, and other media. Fees negotiated per placement, handling deal negotiation, rights clearance, and contract management.
3. Third-Party Publishing Administration: Sub-publishing services in Germany, Austria, Switzerland (DACH) and global administration for other publishers. Managing registrations, royalty tracking, and claims handling.
4. Artist Development Services: Supporting artists with career strategy, songwriting camps, matchmaking with co-writers and producers, fundraising support, and consulting.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Independent music publisher offering four integrated service lines: Copyright & Royalty Management (global registrations, royalty tracking, claims handling with collecting societies), Sync & Licensing (creative pitching and full-service licensing of music for film, TV, advertising, and games), Artist Development (career strategy, songwriting camps, co-writer and producer matchmaking, fundraising support), and Third Party Publishing Administration (sub-publishing in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and global catalogue administration for other publishers).

Product overview

Kick The Flame is an independent music publishing company offering a unified portfolio of publishing services. The core offering consists of four integrated service lines: Copyright & Royalty Management (handling administrative rights management, global registrations, and royalty tracking), Sync & Licensing (active pitching and placement of music in film, TV, advertising, and games), Artist Development (career strategy, songwriting camps, and creative support), and Third Party Publishing Administration (sub-publishing in DACH and global catalogue management). The company also operates proprietary software (The Porter) and maintains an online sync catalogue hosted on the Disco platform for music licensing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Copyright & Royalty Management Administrative management of music rights including global registrations with collecting societies such as GEMA, royalty tracking, claims processing, and ensuring accurate metadata and proper classification for payment. For songwriters, composers, and music publishers requiring global rights administration.
• Sync & Licensing Creative sync and full-service licensing for film, TV, advertising, games, and other media. Includes active pitching of catalogue music, negotiations with licensees, rights clearance, and contract management. For music supervisors, production companies, brands, and agencies.
• Artist Development Long-term artist support including career strategy, songwriting camps and sessions, matchmaking with co-writers and producers, fundraising support, consulting, and in-house label structures. For independent artists and songwriters on the roster.
• Third Party Publishing Administration Sub-publishing services in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, plus global administration for external catalogues. Includes royalty expertise, customized editions, GEMA representation, and creative sync support. For domestic and international music publishers.

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• hyper sodacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Co-organized commercial songwriting camp in September 2024 with 14 writers working on songs for the commercial sector. Kick The Flame also took over administration for hyper soda, providing publishing services.
• Clouds HillcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Three-day songwriting camp co-hosted in September 2024 at Clouds Hill studios in Hamburg. Artists including SALOMEA, Vor, Phea, Lias worked on songs in R&B, electro, indie pop, K-pop and sync genres.
• Mouthwatering Records (CH)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss music publisher represented in Germany and Austria for 15+ years. Kick The Flame handles sub-publishing including registrations, royalty tracking, and GEMA representation.
• Golden TicketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership of over 15 years described as 'a reliable harbor, a powerhouse for us and our Artists, a partner at eye level' by Fabian Schütze of Golden Ticket.
• GEMAcoreOthersKick The Flame is an active member with delegates and affiliates at GEMA work groups, ensuring proper registration and royalty collection for represented works.
• VUT (Verband unabhängiger Musikunternehmer*innen)minorOthersIndustry association membership providing networking, advocacy, and access to Themis Confidentiality Office against sexual harassment and violence.
• DMV (Deutscher Musikverlegerverband)minorOthersGerman music publishers association membership for industry representation and advocacy.
• BPM SachsenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizing Sachsen Camp 2026 with BPM Sachsen for songwriting opportunities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BMG: One of the world's largest independent music publishers, offering publishing administration, sync licensing, and royalty services across all major markets. Directly comparable to Kick The Flame across every service line, but at vastly larger scale.
• Peer Music: Largest independent family-held music publisher globally, providing sub-publishing, sync licensing, and admin services. Comparable independent, multi-territory publisher with strong sub-publishing network like Kick The Flame.
• Motor Music: Independent German music publisher with publishing, sync, and artist development focus. Comparable in offering integrated publishing and sync services for indie artists in the DACH market.
• Budde Music: Berlin-based independent music publisher offering publishing administration, sub-publishing, and artist development in the German market. Most direct domestic peer to Kick The Flame in geography and service mix.
• Kobalt Music Group: Tech-forward independent music publisher offering publishing administration, sync, and royalty services with proprietary technology. Closely comparable business model and tech-led differentiation philosophy to Kick The Flame's MyKTF / The Porter stack.
• Edition Ohne Ende: Hamburg-based independent music publisher handling publishing administration and sync. Comparable boutique DACH indie publisher serving overlapping artist and sync-client segments.
• Downtown Music: Independent music services company providing publishing administration, royalty accounting, and sync services. Comparable to Kick The Flame in offering full-service publishing with technology-enabled workflows for indie clients.

Broad incumbents

• Sony Music Publishing: Major-label affiliated music publisher offering publishing admin and sync. Overlaps with Kick The Flame's services but operates at much larger scale within a major-label portfolio.
• Warner Chappell Music: Major-label affiliated music publishing division with global scale. Overlaps in publishing admin and sync services but serves mega-roster, mainstream hits as part of a much broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Clouds Hill: Hamburg-based independent label and production house with publishing activities and songwriting camps. Comparable as a partner on co-hosted songwriting camps and as a DACH indie ecosystem player, though more label-focused than publisher-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kicktheflamepublishing/?locale=de_DE
• Instagraminstagram.com/kicktheflamepublishing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kick-the-flame-publishing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Kick The Flame Publishing Gmbh