Music Moneyball

There are billions of dollars looking for a way into music. So where are the opportunities to put that capital to work?

In this episode, we’re joined by Fred Davis, Partner at The Raine Group, to explore where he sees growth, what makes a business worth backing and why capital doesn’t always find its way to the right opportunities.

His work spans advising on major acquisitions and capital raises, alongside investments through Raine’s own funds. We get into the firm’s bets on the independent artist ecosystem, including Firebird, Duetti and SoundCloud, and what he sees in the entrepreneurs behind them.

Fred also helped Spotify and Napster co-founder Shawn Fanning secure music licenses during a period of enormous disruption. We explore the parallels with AI today and what it takes to make new business models work for rights holders, technology companies and consumers.

Brought to you by Standard Innovation.

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LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠

► About Standard Innovation

Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure.

► Episode Links

The Raine Group: ⁠https://raine.com

► Credits

Guest: Fred Davis, Partner, The Raine Group

Host: Tom Mullen and Emma Griffiths, Standard Innovation

Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records

Sync income can be unpredictable, but there is plenty music rights investors and operators can do to improve their odds.

In this Music Fastball episode, Tim Hayes draws on over 13 years in sync, including at Recognition Music Group, formerly Hipgnosis, to explain how better data and processes can help funds get more from their catalogs.

We start with diligence: what to look for when assessing a catalog’s sync potential, what income you can reasonably forecast, and whether the upside you’re planning for is actually achievable.

We then move into day-to-day operations: tracking sync requests through to payment, using data to prioritise catalogs and inform pricing, and working more closely with administrators and their local teams to develop sync opportunities.

We finish with practical advice on where to start and how to build on the sync data you already have.

Brought to you by Standard Innovation.

► Stay up to date
Newsletter: https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd

► About Standard Innovation
Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure.

► Episode Links
Turn Music: https://www.turnmusic.co

► Credits
Guest: Tim Hayes, Founder, Turn Music
Host: Emma Griffiths, Standard Innovation
Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records

Raising capital and putting it to work are two different challenges. What does it take to build a music investment business that can consistently execute at scale?

In this episode, we’re joined by Lior Tibon, CEO and co-founder of Duetti, to explore the engine behind its music investments, from its capital structure and technology to the people and processes supporting more than 80 deals a month.

Lior explains why Duetti was built as a company rather than a fund, and how that decision allowed it to invest in data infrastructure, engineering and operations from day one.

We discuss how its underwriting models and portfolio approach give it the confidence to acquire catalogs as young as six months, and why making sense of the data still depends on deep industry knowledge and relationships with artists and their teams.

The conversation also gets into the practical choices that make the model work: keeping agreements simple, building local expertise and earning repeat business from creators. Together, these offer a look at what it takes to turn a music investment strategy into an operation that can deliver it.

Brought to you by Standard Innovation.

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LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► About Standard Innovation

Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure.

► Episode Links

Duetti: https://www.duetti.co

Standard Innovation: ⁠https://standard-innovation.com⁠

► Credits

Guests: Lior Tibon, CEO and Co-Founder of Duetti

Hosts: Tom Mullen and Emma Griffiths, Standard Innovation

Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records

The catalog gold rush brought a wave of new capital, buyers and acquisitions into music rights. But as the market consolidates around larger platforms, what happens next, and who is best placed to win?

That’s the question Standard Innovation CEO Tom Mullen and NYU Steinhardt professor Larry Miller explore in the first collaboration between Music Moneyball and Musonomics.

Larry begins by tracing the history of the major music companies, from the independent entrepreneurs who built businesses in overlooked genres and markets to the shared infrastructure and vertical integration that helped create the majors we know today.

Tom then looks to the film and TV industry for a more recent parallel, using A24 to show how smaller players can find opportunities alongside the largest companies through clear positioning, agility and a better understanding of underserved audiences.

Drawing the parallels together, they consider where the next opportunities could emerge, why larger platforms can leave parts of the market underserved and how smaller players can compete through focus, specialisation and execution rather than capital alone.

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Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► About Standard Innovation

Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure.

► Episode Links

Musonomics: https://musonomics.com
Standard Innovation: https://standard-innovation.com

► Credits

Hosts: Larry Miller, host of Musonomics, NYU Steinhardt professor and inaugural Executive Director of the Sony Audio Institute for Music Business and Technology; Tom Mullen, CEO of Standard Innovation

Catalogs are often treated as passive streaming assets, but there is more room to move the needle than many people realize.

In this Music Fastball episode, streaming strategist Camille Jamet draws on 18 years in the industry, including roles at Sony Music and Amazon Music, to explain what can actually be done to increase visibility and consumption across a catalog.

For larger catalogs, that starts with knowing where to focus. We explore why the biggest tracks do not always offer the greatest growth potential, and how engagement signals such as save rate and tracks per listener can reveal opportunities that total streams alone miss.

Camille then breaks down how to build a streaming growth flywheel for your own catalog: test different approaches, identify what gains traction, invest behind what works and repeat the process at greater scale.

Brought to you by Standard Innovation

► Stay up to date

Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► About Standard Innovation

Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure.

► Episode Links

Camille Jamet: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.camillejamet.fr/en/⁠

Standard Innovation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► Credits

Guests: Camille Jamet, Music Streaming Strategist

Hosts: Tom Mullen and Emma Griffiths, Standard Innovation

Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records

Artists today have more ways to build a career around their music, but more complexity to navigate too.

Jamie Dee Hart, founder of Hart & Songs, joins us to unpack the education gap behind the independent artist market: understanding what you own, collecting what you are owed and making decisions that protect the long-term value of your rights.

From unclaimed royalties and incomplete registrations to YouTube Content ID conflicts and missed licensing opportunities, Jamie explains where value leaks from catalogs, often before creators know it is there.

She also shares the marketing playbook behind growing a catalog: packaging existing music for different audiences, using social content to reach new listeners and making the most of a viral moment when it hits.

Finally, we look at the growing capital options available to artists, from distribution deals and advances to partial sales and catalog buyouts. What should a creator weigh between immediate liquidity, control and the future upside of their rights?

Brought to you by Standard Innovation.

► Stay up to date

Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► About Standard Innovation

Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure.

► Episode Links

Hart & Songs: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jamiedeehart.com

Standard Innovation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► Credits

Guest: Jamie Dee Hart, Founder & CEO, Hart & Songs

Hosts: Tom Mullen, Sam Morey and Emma Griffiths, Standard Innovation

Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records

What happens when an ABBA icon and a private equity titan build a music investment company together?

At Pophouse, the answer is a value-creation model that treats music catalogs not as passive royalty assets, but as the foundations for larger entertainment brands.

In this episode, we’re joined by Natalia Fontecha, Partner and Head of Capital Raising & Investor Relations, and Per Sundin, President of Music & Artist Relations, to unpack how that model works in practice.

From ABBA Voyage to KISS, we discuss the brand and narrative diligence Pophouse applies alongside the usual financial and legal work: the scope of the rights package, the strength of the fan connection, and whether there is a credible path to build an entertainment business around the artist.

Per shares the creative thesis for the model, while Natalia explains what makes it investable: underwriting the cash flows song by song, stress-testing the downside and managing portfolio risk.

Brought to you by Standard Innovation.

► Stay up to date

Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► About Standard Innovation

Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure.

► Episode Links

Pophouse Entertainment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pophouse.se

Standard Innovation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► Credits

Guests: Natalia Fontecha & Per Sundin, Pophouse Entertainment

Hosts: Tom Mullen and Emma Griffiths, Standard Innovation

Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records

Music ABS is changing how serious capital moves through the music rights market.

In this episode, Paul Sipio, Managing Director at Apollo, explains how music went from a niche alternative asset to something institutional investors can underwrite, structure and finance at scale.

We discuss the catalysts behind that shift, from streaming growth and public market validation to the rise of scaled, diversified catalogs. Paul also takes us inside Apollo’s work with Concord, and how creative ABS structures can give music companies more than a lower cost of capital.

The conversation gets into why repeatable financing platforms matter, how they can support faster acquisition execution, and what funds need to have in place before they can access institutional capital.

This episode follows the release of Standard Innovation’s new whitepaper, Music ABS and Institutional Readiness, which is available here: https://standard-innovation.com/guides/music-abs-and-institutional-readiness

Brought to you by Standard Innovation.

► Stay up to date

Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► About Standard Innovation

Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure.

► Episode Links

Apollo: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.apollo.com

Standard Innovation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► Credits

Guests: Paul Sipio, Managing Director, Apollo

Hosts: Tom Mullen and Emma Griffiths, Standard Innovation

Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records

Decay curves have become one of the dominant frameworks used to value music catalogs, but how reliable are they really?

Earlier this year, we brought together the UK music rights investment community in London for the first ever live recording of Music Moneyball.

Standard Innovation CEO Tom Mullen sat down with Alex Bowler of Y Royalties and Sachin Saggar of RedBrick Advisors to unpack how valuations actually work in practice, from forecasting royalty earnings and modelling decay, to understanding how touring, viral moments and artist activity can materially change a catalog’s value.

The discussion explores how decay curves are actually built, where they break down, whether there might be a better way to forecast future catalog earnings, and what we can learn from more mature asset classes like infrastructure and renewables.

Brought to you by Standard Innovation.

► Stay up to date

Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► About Standard Innovation

Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure.

► Credits

Guests: Alex Bowler (Y Royalties) & Sachin Saggar (RedBrick Advisors)

Host: Tom Mullen (Standard Innovation)

Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records

In this Music Fastball episode, we’re joined by Ryan Hamilton to explore two areas where catalog investors leave money on the table: deal optimization and commercial music usage across social platforms.

First, we break down how the agreements and structures investors inherit can constrain catalog performance — and how taking a more active approach to catalog management can unlock greater commercial leverage and upside.

We then explore one of the fastest-growing areas of music monetization: identifying and enforcing commercial music usage across platforms like TikTok and Instagram using AI tools that now make this possible at scale.

Ryan is the founder of CTLGMGMT and brings nearly two decades of catalog management experience, helping rights holders and investors turn passive catalogs into active revenue-generating assets.

Brought to you by Standard Innovation.

► Stay up to date

Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► About Standard Innovation

Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure.

► Episode Links

CTLGMGMT: ⁠⁠https://catalogmgmt.com

Standard Innovation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standard-innovation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► Credits

Guest: Ryan Hamilton — founder, CTLGMGMT

Host: Sam Morey, Standard Innovation

Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records