Music Industry Moves: Create Music Group Completes $450 Million Fundraise, Company Valued at $2.2 Billion

Create Music Group, a digital music and media company founded in 2015, has secured over $450 million in a new funding round, propelling its valuation to $2.2 billion. The financing, a mix of fresh equity and debt, is intended to fuel expansion across media, technology, and intellectual property holdings. This follows the firm's recent strategic investment in the independent label Nettwerk Music Group, home to iconic artists such as Sarah McLachlan. The founding team maintains majority ownership, with minority stakes held by institutional backers Ares Management, 2 Mile, and Flexpoint Ford. A banking syndicate led by Truist Securities and Banc of California also increased its support. Co-founder and CEO Jonathan Strauss stated the capital will empower partners to "build generational businesses that redefine culture and value creation across the global entertainment ecosystem." Industry observers note this valuation underscores a sustained investor appetite for companies that blend catalog ownership with tech-driven distribution—a model that has flourished since the pandemic accelerated streaming adoption. According to media analyst Clara Vance, "This deal signals confidence in vertically integrated models that control both the content and the digital storefront, a strategy that mitigates risk in a volatile market."

In a key promotion, Electric Feel Entertainment has elevated Jamie Lierk to Chief Operating Officer. She will oversee daily operations for all divisions and manage infrastructure in Los Angeles and Nashville, with planned expansion into Miami. Lierk joined the management firm in 2019 as executive assistant to CEO Austin Rosen and was promoted to chief of staff in 2021. Her prior experience includes roles at Brew Media Relations and Maverick Management—the latter co-founded by industry veteran Guy Oseary, who is famed for guiding the careers of Madonna and U2. Electric Feel's roster features major artists like Post Malone and Quavo. Rosen described Lierk's ascent as a "natural progression" given her operational leadership, positioning the company for its next growth phase. This internal promotion reflects a wider industry trend of developing executive talent from within, particularly at firms managing complex, multi-platform artist careers where institutional knowledge is critical.

On the representation front, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Mary Kutter has signed with WME for worldwide representation. Kutter, who is under a label deal with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville, first built her career writing for artists like Bailey Zimmerman before releasing her own single, "Bed of Roses," last month. WME's Lance Roberts praised her "authenticity" and "conviction," calling her music both grounded and innovative. In a separate move, Concord Music Publishing has signed songwriter-producer Nathan Wallace to a global agreement for future works. Wallace has secured multiple synch placements on popular series such as Netflix's "Love Is Blind." Concord VP of A&R Matt Turner highlighted his "infectious energy" and distinctive production style. These signings illustrate the fierce competition among agencies and publishers to lock down versatile talent capable of succeeding both behind the scenes and as performing artists.

Administrative changes include Sony Music Publishing promoting Michael Riggs to Senior Vice President of Licensing and Income Tracking. Based in Nashville, Riggs is a nearly 30-year veteran of the company and will continue reporting to EVP of Worldwide Administration Dale Esworthy. His expanded role focuses on strengthening income tracking systems and enhancing matching capabilities for global digital licensing deals. Esworthy credited Riggs' "unwavering persistence in the digital space" with improving royalty collection and ensuring timely payments to songwriters. Separately, Sync Music Global has entered a worldwide sub-publishing and administration partnership with Kobalt, which includes a new joint venture for future signings. Founded by British rapper Avelino and executives Gautier Mukuna and Rowland Ashitey, Sync Music Global's roster includes artists like Blanco. These deals highlight the industry's continuous effort to simplify complex royalty collection in the digital era while simultaneously fostering new creative partnerships.

New specialized ventures are emerging in production management and public relations. Veteran Nashville A&R executive Sarah Marie Burke has launched Sarmar Management, a firm focused on providing organized production management for studio and live projects, handling logistics from schedules and budgets to label communications. Burke also announced a partnership with Veva Sound, a music technology company with a decades-long reputation for audio verification and metadata integrity. "This venture was born from my deep love of music and the people who create it," Burke said. In public relations, Ariana Sacco has joined Metro Public Relations as an Account Supervisor for music in Los Angeles, reporting to head of music Taylor Webster. She previously managed communications for clients like the DJ software company Serato at the boutique agency Hustle&Co. These launches point to a growing demand for niche support services that help artists and labels navigate an increasingly fragmented and demanding media landscape, where specialized expertise can make a crucial difference in project success.