The Orchard Acquires finetunes GmbH and Phonofile AS
May 04, 2017
Leading German and Nordic independent digital distributors join The Orchard’s global team in landmark deal
The Orchard, a global leader in independent music, video and film distribution, today announced that it has agreed to acquire a pair of leading European independent music distributors – finetunes GmbH of Germany and Phonofile AS of Norway – from holding company SendR SE.
Under the deal, both finetunes and Phonofile will become wholly owned subsidiaries of The Orchard, giving The Orchard an expanded local presence in its European operations.
Labels distributed by finetunes and Phonofile will gain access to The Orchard’s enhanced services in over 25 territories worldwide, offering physical sales and distribution, global digital marketing, playlist promotion, interactive marketing, digital advertising, synch licensing, video services, performance/neighboring rights collections, and artist royalty processing and more.
Commenting on the acquisition, finetunes Founder and Authorized Officer Oke Göttlich said, “Today is a big day for our finetunes family. We feel confident that our labels will be best positioned for a healthy and prosperous future alongside The Orchard, who is dedicated to serving independents on a global level.”
“We’re honored to welcome finetunes and Phonofile to The Orchard family. Their addition greatly enhances our local representation in two of Europe’s key digital entertainment markets,” said Brad Navin, CEO of The Orchard. “Both teams are extremely knowledgeable and passionate, and they do an excellent job representing some of the most prestigious and important independent labels in Germany and the Nordics respectively. In joining together, we believe we have an exciting opportunity to provide even greater levels of service and global reach to our local clients.”
“The addition of these two respected companies to The Orchard further establishes our strong service offering across the continent and beyond,” said Manlio Celotti, Managing Director of The Orchard Europe. “The Orchard’s independent spirit and structure makes this acquisition a true ‘win-win’ for all involved. We look forward to driving growth opportunities for the expanded client base both at home and abroad.”
finetunes and Phonofile combined their ownership in 2016 under the SendR umbrella – a holding company that is predominantly owned by finetunes founders Henning Thieß and Oke Göttlich, and that also includes shareholders such as FONO (the Norwegian independent record labels’ association) and NOPA (the Norwegian association for music composers and lyricists).
About finetunes:
We are passionate about music, artists and labels. Since 2003 our focus has been to create fair and innovative music-driven success stories for independent labels and licensing partners. With offices in the UK, USA, France and Germany we aim to provide successful marketing solutions for our products through daily, dedicated work with a personal touch. Transparency and innovation are not just buzzwords but some of the main pillars finetunes as a company is built on.
About Phonofile:
Phonofile (since 1999) is a successful and profitable digital pioneer, and the biggest of its kind in the leading Nordic markets. Our highly skilled team strive to provide independent labels and their artists with the best possible knowledge and tools for understanding and acting in the constantly changing world of digital music. From offices in Oslo, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, London and New York we distribute music from our innovative and ambitious labels to the whole world.
About The Orchard:
The Orchard, celebrating 20 years in business, is a pioneering music, film and video distribution company operating in more than 25 global markets. With a holistic approach to sales and marketing combined with industry-leading technology and operations, The Orchard amplifies reach and revenue across hundreds of digital, physical and mobile outlets around the world. The Orchard streamlines content owners’ business complexity with an intuitive client dashboard, comprehensive rights management and tailored client support. Founded in 1997, The Orchard empowers businesses and creators in the entertainment industry. For further information, please visit www.theorchard.com.
About SendR:
SendR – through its affiliate companies – is a digital distributor and license exploitation enabler. SendR currently enables the non-physical exploitation of more than a million media assets (audio- and video-tracks) with about 450 licensees (including Apple iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, Spotify, YouTube etc.). The services offered by its affiliate companies cover the entire value chain for digital media (esp. audio and video) content. Its affiliate companies are both provider and supplier for artists, record labels, licensed digital services providers and private consumers.