Create Music Group

Create Music Group

Data-driven music distribution and rights management

Overview

Create Music Group is a data-driven music and technology company that provides services for artists and labels, including music distribution, music publishing, and rights management. Its platform uses data analytics to offer insights and opportunities, helping clients navigate the digital music landscape. The company earns revenue from distribution fees, publishing royalties, and rights management commissions, and it partners with both emerging artists and established labels on a global scale. Unlike others that offer only one service, this company combines distribution, publishing, and rights management with analytics to create a connected workflow for monetizing music in the digital space. The primary goal is to help artists and labels succeed financially by maximizing revenue, simplifying rights tracking, and guiding decision-making in a data-rich digital market.

About Create Music Group

Simplify's Rating
Why Create Music Group is rated
B+
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated A on Growth Potential
Rated B on Differentiation

Industries

Data & Analytics

Consumer Software

Entertainment

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

Growth Equity (Venture Capital)

Total Funding

$615M

Headquarters

Los Angeles, California

Founded

2015

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • March 2026 raised over $450 million, funding expansion and dealmaking.
  • April 2026 GoodTalk JV expands Create's pipeline into emerging talent and selective releases.
  • March 2026 Soundlink seed round and January hires deepen marketing, attribution, and operations capabilities.

What critics are saying

  • Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music control distributor economics and policy terms.
  • The $2.2 billion valuation and $450 million raise demand relentless acquisition returns.
  • AI-native labels like dai + drm threaten Create's human A&R and catalog thesis.

What makes Create Music Group unique

  • Create Music Group pairs distribution, data, and capital into one operating platform.
  • Jonathan Strauss and Mitchell Shymansky anchor a technology-first music infrastructure advantage.
  • Its co-ownership model with labels like Nettwerk and GoodTalk keeps entrepreneurs engaged.

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Funding

Total Funding

$615M

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

3 Rounds

Debt funding comparison data is currently unavailable. We're working to provide this information soon!
Debt Funding Comparison
Coming Soon

Benefits

Hybrid Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

1%

1 year growth

1%

2 year growth

14%
Music Business Worldwide
Apr 22nd, 2026
Create Music Group forms joint venture with Jonnyshipes' GoodTalk.

Create Music Group forms joint venture with Jonnyshipes' GoodTalk. April 22, 2026 Create Music Group has agreed to form a joint venture with GoodTalk, an entertainment company founded by American record executive Jonnyshipes. Jonnyshipes launched GoodTalk after selling the catalog of his independent record label Cinematic Music Group to Interscope Geffen in a deal reported to be worth eight figures. The new joint venture pairs Create's global infrastructure across distribution, marketing, and data infrastructure with GoodTalk's "selective, development-first approach," according to a press release. The companies said the structure of the joint venture, which they described as a "co-release model," is designed to grow emerging talent while keeping their creative independence. Jonathan Strauss, Founder and CEO of Create Music Group, said: "Jonnyshipes has always had a clear instinct for where culture is moving. This partnership is about supporting that vision and helping it reach a broader audience without losing what makes it distinct." "Jonnyshipes has always had a clear instinct for where culture is moving. This partnership is about supporting that vision and helping it reach a broader audience without losing what makes it distinct." Jonathan Strauss, Create Music Group Jonnyshipes added: "Artists need development now more than ever. With over 100,000 new songs uploaded every day on DSPs, cutting through takes more than momentum. "GoodTalk was built to develop talent from the ground up and create a real connection between artist and fan. Partnering with Create allows us to scale that approach without compromising it." "Artists need development now more than ever. With over 100,000 new songs uploaded every day on DSPs, cutting through takes more than momentum." Jonnyshipes, Goodtalk Artists on GoodTalk's roster includes Skaiwater and Judah Weston & ISO Keys. The company also operates JumpStart Distribution, a talent incubator that works with early-stage talent. Chris Herche, SVP / Music, Operations and Marketing at Create Music Group, said: "Getting the opportunity to reunite with Jonnyshipes at Create is really a dream come true." "We had a successful track record in the past, working together to build artists and shape culture, and this new joint venture allows us to bring that experience in a bigger, more impactful way within Create Music Group." Create says it works with more than 17,000 clients across a portfolio of independent labels. "We had a successful track record in the past, working together to build artists and shape culture, and this new joint venture allows us to bring that experience in a bigger, more impactful way within Create Music Group." Chris Herche, Create Music Group Last month, Create secured over $450 million of new equity and debt capital in its latest funding round to support its continued expansion. The round valued the Los Angeles-headquartered company at $2.2 billion. The company remains majority-owned by its founders, with institutional investors Ares Management, 2 Mile, and Flexpoint Ford each holding minority stakes. The financing round also included expanded bank group support, with Truist Securities and Banc of California serving as Joint Lead Arrangers. Nearly two years ago, Create secured a $165 million minority investment round led by private equity firm Flexpoint Ford, which valued the company at $1 billion at the time. Also, last month, Create disclosed that it had invested more than $500 million across acquisitions, advances, and other growth initiatives over the past 12 months alone. Create said that this M&A activity has positioned it "as a scaled co-owner and operator of enduring music businesses with global reach". Create acquired independent electronic label Monstercat in May 2025, Berlin-based label group !K7 Music in April 2025, and UK dance music company Cr2 Records in December 2025, while striking catalog buyouts with the likes of Pack Records and Deadmau5. In February, Create made a strategic investment in Vancouver-headquartered indie Nettwerk Music Group. The same month, it entered into a "multi-million dollar" joint venture label called dai + drm with Romel Murphy, manager of AI musician Xania Monet. Music Business Worldwide

New Industry Focus
Apr 7th, 2026
Music Marketing Startup Soundlink Raises $2M | New Industry Focus

Soundlink raises a $2 million seed round led by Create Music Group to expand its music marketing platform and social media stream attribution technology.

Creative Industries News
Apr 3rd, 2026
Music marketing startup Soundlink raises $2m in a round led by Create Music Group

Music marketing startup Soundlink has raised its first outside capital since its launch in June 2025 in a $2 million seed round led by asset management and funding company Create Music Group. Soundlink will use the seed capital to grow its product and engineering team, which is fully distributed across Latin America, Asia, and Europe. […]

RadioFacts
Mar 31st, 2026
People moves: Monet Little named Record Label Operations Manager at Create Music Group.

People moves: Monet Little named Record Label Operations Manager at Create Music Group. March 30, 2026 1 min. read Monet Little has announced her new position as Record Label Operations Manager at Create Music Group, one of the leading independent music distribution and rights management companies in the industry. Create Music Group has built a significant presence in the independent music space, working with artists across multiple genres and helping them manage distribution, sync licensing, and royalty collection. The company's roster and catalog have grown considerably in recent years as independent artists have sought out alternatives to traditional major label deals. For Little, the move into record label operations represents an exciting step into the infrastructure side of the music business - the engine room that keeps labels running. Operations management at a company like Create Music Group means overseeing the systems that handle everything from release logistics and metadata to royalty administration and partner coordination. As the independent music sector continues to grow and evolve, companies like Create Music Group are increasingly important players in the ecosystem. The ability to operate efficiently at scale, without the overhead of a major label structure, is a competitive advantage - and that makes experienced operations professionals more valuable than ever. Congratulations to Monet Little on the new role. Radio Facts will be watching Create Music Group's continued expansion in the independent space. Get radio Facts news. Get exclusives first

RadioFacts
Mar 13th, 2026
Harnessing Data: Create Music Group's Innovative Approach to Music Streaming

Harnessing data: Create Music Group's innovative approach to music streaming. March 13, 2026 The music industry is navigating a complex landscape shaped by data and artificial intelligence (AI). While there are valid concerns regarding the potential misuse of technology, companies in the sector are increasingly finding ways to leverage data-driven models for competitive advantage. One such company making strides in this area is Create Music Group, a Los Angeles-based music technology firm that is integrating data and AI into its operational processes. Create Music Group has developed a sophisticated data platform that empowers artists and labels to comprehend how each stream of their music translates into revenue. At the core of this platform is Astronomer's AI and orchestration capabilities, which manage over 600 data pipelines to deliver real-time insights amidst the rapidly evolving data landscape. Since partnering with Astronomer in 2021, Create Music Group has transitioned from relying on cron jobs and Google Cloud Composer tools to utilizing Astronomer's managed Airflow service, Astro. This shift, particularly the upgrade from Airflow 1 to Airflow 2, has significantly enhanced the company's operational efficiency. Miko Chen, Lead Data Engineer at Create, noted that this collaboration has allowed her team to focus more on critical business data rather than infrastructure management, thereby improving their overall productivity. With Astro, Create has successfully integrated its BigQuery and Google Cloud Storage technologies with APIs from major streaming platforms like Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. This integration has streamlined operational activities such as analytics, financial forecasting, and acquisition modeling for label deals, enabling the data team to develop new pipelines 60% faster than before. Chen emphasized that this capability allows her team to provide timely insights to labels and artists, enhancing their ability to track performance and revenue across multiple platforms. Looking ahead, Create Music Group is set to further enhance its data capabilities by migrating to Airflow 3, which will support real-time orchestration and keep its data platform up-to-date. The company is also exploring AI applications to improve services, such as data-driven marketing campaigns and optimizing tour locations based on streaming data. As Create continues to innovate, Chen is confident that Astronomer will play a pivotal role in orchestrating their future developments, ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of the music technology industry.

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