Mumbai: Universal Music Group Distribution (UMGD), the award winning sales and marketing division of Universal Music Group (UMG), has entered into a strategic alliance with INgrooves, a leading provider of digital distribution, marketing and promotion services to the independent music industry. As part of this venture, Universal Music Group has made a strategic investment in INgrooves. The announcement was made by UMGD president & CEO Jim Urie and INgrooves CEO Robb McDaniels.
The terms and conditions of the transaction were not disclosed.
This partnership further expands UMG’s growing portfolio of strategic media investments, while expanding the services and opportunities that UMGD, and Fontana, the company’s independent distribution subsidiary, provides their partner labels. Utilizing INgrooves’ proprietary and cutting-edge software platform, ONE Digital, the UMGD and Fontana family of labels will directly benefit from superior, seamless digital distribution to all of the major music services, while capitalizing on INgrooves’s comprehensive menu of services which include digital retail sales and marketing, sales reporting, film and video distribution, and mobile.
"Universal is committed to exploring new ways to expand the availability of our artists’ music online, while offering our partner labels the widest array of choices possible in how and where they make their music available," stated Urie. "And after much research, we identified INgrooves as the most successful and comprehensive second generation digital distribution company in the market. Through this venture, we will provide our partners with access to the only flexible digital distribution system that allows for innovative structures to maximize their freedom, the connection of the artists’ music to fans, and sales."
McDaniels commented, "Now that the world’s leading music company and its executives have validated the INgrooves brand, its exclusive technology and the comprehensive services that only we can deliver, we are ready to provide UMG unparalleled digital distribution support and expand the proliferation of our platform to an industry in need."
"Fontanahas been at the forefront of offering the most comprehensive digital music distribution services in the industry to the independent sector," added Fontana executive vice president and general manager Ron Spaulding. "And we are delighted to partner with Robb and his team as we further enhance our digital efforts and expand the reach of our partners via INgrooves’ digital platform."
