FUGA, the world’s leading full-service B2B music distributor owned by Downtown Music Holdings, today announced a global delivery platform services deal with Beggars Group, the legendary independent label group home to 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade Records, XL Recordings and Young. The partnership sees extensive technical integration between Beggars’ newly developed, innovative technology platform and FUGA’s proprietary digital supply chain technology, to service all of Beggars’ global DSP partners with the group’s entire catalogue and new releases across all five labels.
Simon Wheeler, Director of Global Commercial Strategy at Beggars Group, said: “FUGA’s industry-leading software and an impressive breadth of experience working with the independent music sector makes them an ideal delivery partner for us. Their best-in-class supply chain will allow us to maintain full control over our rights and catalogue while servicing our digital partners around the world and keeping up with the many and varied developments in the modern digital marketplace.”
The coupling of Beggars’ exceptional data quality and fully automated DDEX feed with FUGA’s best of breed distribution technology and comprehensive network of 260+ digital service providers is transformational and enables Beggars’ continued growth of its sector-leading digital business, which services its award-winning roster of labels and their artists.
FUGA’s technology, which has seen several new features implemented in 2021, such as support and automated delivery of spatial audio to Apple Music, supports large volumes of content, including video, and complex product set-ups, enabling its partners to keep pace in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
Supported by FUGA’s global engineering and London-based management teams, these two organisations have already completed the seamless migration of Beggars’ considerable catalogue. FUGA’s London-based team has doubled in size over the last twelve months, with the business actively expanding its presence in the region.
Pieter van Rijn, CEO of FUGA, added: “As one of the most influential label groups in both the UK and global independent music, Beggars Group is an incredibly exciting addition to our international clients, with FUGA now a route to market for a significant portion of the world’s new releases. I’d also like to acknowledge Client Relations Manager EMEA Sarah Johnston, the lead for the operational onboarding process, and Joost Calis, our Head of Supply-Chain Engineering,
as well as the whole engineering team for their exceptional work, which was tremendously instrumental in the process.”
As a result of this expansion, Liz Northeast has been appointed as UK General Manager, reporting to FUGA’s SVP EMEA Dorothée Imhoff. Northeast, who has previously occupied senior roles at The Orchard and AWAL, joined FUGA as Client Relations Director EMEA in early 2021. She will spearhead FUGA’s London team, overseeing existing UK clients and partner relations, including Beggars Group, as well as handling all new business development for the region.
About FUGA
FUGA is the world’s leading full-service B2B music distributor in the world. Mixing deep marketing prowess with continual investment in leading technologies, FUGA’s clients – from Armada, Better Noise and Curb to Mom + Pop, mtheory and Ninja Tune – get equal access to its all-encompassing services.
Owned by Downtown Music Holdings, FUGA is one of the very few distributors to sit on the highest preferred partner tiers for Spotify, Apple and all other major DSPs.
FUGA’s global marketing team operates across 17 countries and its partners deliver over a quarter of the world’s new releases. Together with marketing and distribution, FUGA’s holistic product and services suite – including analytics, royalty accounting, neighbouring rights, rights management and white label services – empower over 775 music rights holders from all regions across the globe.
www.fuga.com
About Beggars Group
Proudly independent, The Beggars Group is one of the world’s largest and most respected group of record labels.
Founded in London in 1977, Beggars sprang from a small chain of Beggars Banquet record stores. Success was quick to follow via one of their first signings, Gary Numan.
Chaired by founder Martin Mills, Beggars Group now comprises many of the world’s most respected independent labels and is home to 4AD, Matador Records, Rough Trade, XL Recordings and Young, in addition to a growing publishing wing (Beggars Music) and a successful catalog imprint (Beggars Arkive). Based in London with US headquarters in New York City, The Beggars Group also have dedicated offices in all major markets in addition to an office in Los Angeles, CA and a Matador office in Austin, TX.
With numerous Brit, GRAMMY®, Mercury Music Prize and Academy Award® wins among them, further success over the years have included releases from innovative and groundbreaking artists such as Adele, ANOHNI, Arca, Bauhaus, The Breeders, Cocteau Twins, Jarvis Cocker, The Cult, FKA twigs, Grimes, Interpol, M.I.A., The National, Pixies, The Prodigy, Queens Of The Stone Age, Radiohead, Sampha, Vampire Weekend, Kamasi Washington, The xx and many more.
Beggars has been a pioneer in the digital world and had its catalogue available digitally since the 1990’s. Beggars have been active proponents in promoting the collective interests of the independent sector, and instrumental in the setting up of the sector’s many representative bodies.
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