The Orchard Announces Global Strategic Alliance with Membran Entertainment Group
Feb 10, 2015
Industry Veteran Manlio Celotti Named Managing Director of The Orchard GmbH
New York, NY and Hamburg, Germany – February 10, 2015 – The Orchard, a pioneering independent music, film and video distribution company, and Membran Entertainment Group, an established independent music services company based in Germany, have entered into a strategic relationship that will further strengthen and expand both companies’ presence in Europe and across the globe.
Effective immediately, The Orchard’s Germany / Switzerland / Austria (GSA) and Eastern Europe operations will be run by Hamburg-based Membran CEO and The Orchard GmbH Managing Director Manlio Celotti. Celotti brings 25+ years of experience in the German and European music industry, including running indie distributor EWM, launching the careers of major German artists such as Fettes Brot, Tobi und Das Bo, Die Sterne, and Tocotronic, and starting MCC (NEO), his own label services company, among other successes. Celotti and his team will coordinate key releases on a pan-European and global basis, utilizing the services and network of both companies to provide maximum results.
The initiative brings to The Orchard the expertise of one of Germany’s most established label services and independent music magnates, providing a powerful option for labels and artists looking to take advantage of The Orchard’s presence in more than 25 markets worldwide and its cutting edge technical infrastructure, as well as grow their presence across Europe. The Orchard’s core distribution service relies on the backbone of its proprietary digital platform and physical capabilities, which are now enhanced through direct physical distribution in Europe, via Membran’s sales team and direct retail relationships.
“Partnering with Membran and bringing real leadership to bear in market puts The Orchard in a strong strategic position to support the growth of Germany’s still developing digital music share,” says Brad Navin, The Orchard’s CEO. “We are thrilled to welcome Manlio Celotti to our management team. His experience will help us meet our clients’ evolving needs in one of the most important music markets of the world, and further bolster The Orchard’s global offering.”
“The Orchard has been a long-standing and reliable partner for Membran for many years and I am absolutely excited to be working even more closely with Brad, Colleen [Theis, The Orchard’s COO] and their team,” says Manlio Celotti. “I firmly believe that the constellation we have created provides exactly what the industry needs today and the combination of The Orchard’s technological systems and global network together with Membran’s international label services and music passion is rare in today’s industry and will certainly be a force to be reckoned with — not only in Europe but worldwide.”
ABOUT MEMBRAN
The Membran Entertainment Group today is one of the music industry’s leading European independents. Membran controls over 300.000 musical works with an active catalog in excess of 5.000 titles and a worldwide distribution and marketing network for its physical product. As a true International one-stop, it can provide coordinated cross-territory release planning, strategy and implementation and has been providing a full pan European Label Service operation since 1997. Among the services offered are:
- Product & Label Management
- Worldwide Physical & Digital Distribution
- Physical & Digital Sales and Marketing
- Rights Management – Licensing, syncs for Film & Advertising
- Manufacturing & Mechanical Licensing Admin.
- Promotion coordination to: Radio, Press, TV, Online & Mobile
- Media Buying and Advertising design and conception
- Full In-house production facilities for video & web
Membran has successfully launched and/or marketed newcomers as well as established stars ranging from Joss Stone, Gregory Porter, Dave Stewart, Glen Campbell, Brian Setzer, The Airborne Toxic Event, Blue October, Chris Norman, Cassandra Wilson, Macy Gray, Marc Cohn, Johnny Winter and many more. www.membran.net
ABOUT THE ORCHARD
The Orchard is a pioneering music, video and film distribution company and top-ranked Multi Channel Network 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.