Downtown Music Holdings
| Company type | Independent |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music rights management |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Justin Kalifowitz |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Andrew Bergman (CEO), Justin Kalifowitz (Executive Chairman) |
| Products | Music publishing, royalty collection, music distribution, digital rights management |
| Website | www |
Downtown Music Holdings is a New York City–based independent company specializing in music rights management and related services. The organization manages 10 distinct enterprises, categorized under two main sectors: Creator and Business (Downtown Music).
History
Established in 2007 by entrepreneur Justin Kalifowitz, Downtown Music Publishing was launched to respond to the challenges posed by industry consolidation and evolving technology impacting songwriters and copyright owners. The following year, in 2008, Downtown Music Studios was introduced. By 2011, the company expanded its royalty collection capabilities beyond publishing through the launch of Songtrust. Neighboring Rights was added to its portfolio in 2016.
Prior to 2013, Downtown operated the record label Downtown Records but later shifted its focus exclusively to publishing. The firm broadened its geographic footprint by opening offices in Los Angeles (2013) and Nashville (2014), and formed Downtown Music Benelux in Amsterdam via a collaboration with Hot Streak Music. In 2015, the acquisition of London’s Eagle-i Music led to the creation of Downtown UK.
In March 2019, Downtown completed a $200 million acquisition of AVL Digital Group, thereby incorporating CD Baby, Soundrop, AdRev, and DashGo into its holdings.
Founder Justin Kalifowitz stepped down as CEO in August 2021 to become executive chairman, with Andrew Bergman appointed as the new chief executive officer.
In December 2024, Universal Music Group revealed plans to acquire Downtown, with the transaction anticipated to finalize by mid-2025. Following the acquisition, Downtown will operate as part of Virgin Music Group.
Downtown Music Publishing
As one of Billboard's top 10 music publishers, Downtown Music Publishing represents the company’s primary division. It manages copyright administration alongside royalty collection, songwriter development, catalog promotion, neighbouring rights management, and financing solutions. This division also supports co-writing collaborations and secures placements for compositions across film, television, advertising campaigns, and video games. Writers affiliated with Downtown have contributed to chart-topping tracks for artists such as Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, and Rihanna, with their works featured in productions like Hunger Games, Girls, and Grand Theft Auto. Prominent brands including the NFL, Coca-Cola, Apple Inc, and Amazon have utilized compositions from Downtown’s roster.
The company maintains strategic alliances with digital platforms like YouTube, Pandora Radio, and LyricFind to enhance royalty processing efficiency and data management. It offers comprehensive analytics tools for songwriters, managers, and legal representatives to ensure transparent royalty tracking and reporting.
Downtown Music Publishing earned a nomination for Publisher of the Year from Music Business Worldwide in 2016 and secured a place among Billboard’s Top 10 Publishers in 2014.
Significant catalog expansions include the 2018 acquisitions of Salli Isaak Music and Salli Isaak Songs, which added works by One Direction, Madonna, and Sam Smith. In 2019, it obtained the catalogue spanning 1987–2017 from Belgian publisher Strictly Confidential. The company further expanded in 2020 by acquiring Good Soldier Songs (publisher for The 1975) and South African publisher Sheer Music.
In April 2021, Downtown divested its song publishing roster and catalogue to Concord while continuing to represent publishing rights for artists such as John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Miles Davis, John Prine, and the Wu-Tang Clan.
Songtrust
Established in 2011 by Downtown CEO Justin Kalifowitz and CSO Joe Conyers III, Songtrust operates as a worldwide platform for managing music rights. It oversees the catalog of Downtown Music Services and facilitates royalty collection for creators across the globe, recovering earnings from more than 90 countries and 20,000 distinct revenue streams. To broaden its publishing royalty offerings, Songtrust collaborates with partners such as CD Baby, Secretly Publishing, The Orchard, and Stones Throw Publishing.
In January 2018, Molly Neuman—formerly the head of music at Kickstarter and ex-drummer for Bratmobile—joined Songtrust to lead business development. By October 2019, she advanced to the role of President, enhancing the company’s strategic direction.
CD Baby
Headquartered in Portland, CD Baby is an independent service supporting DIY musicians with monetization and distribution through streaming, downloads, physical product sales, video monetization, sync licensing, and publishing royalties via Songtrust. Additionally, it runs Soundrop, a platform dedicated to DIY distribution. Downtown expanded its presence in global music distribution by acquiring CD Baby through the $200 million purchase of AVL Digital in 2019.
Adrev
Adrev is a digital rights and content monetization company focused on platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Founded in 2011 and based in Los Angeles, Adrev assists creators and rights holders in generating revenue through advertisements placed on third-party channels. This service became part of Downtown after the acquisition of AVL Digital in 2019.
Fuga
Fuga is a Netherlands-based B2B technology and music service provider that Downtown acquired in January 2020. The company specializes in distributing music and offering marketing solutions to labels and management teams worldwide.
Downtown Music Studios
Located in SoHo, Manhattan, Downtown Music Studios comprises two recording studios that opened in 2008 under chief engineer Zach Hancock. The studios were designed by Martin Pilchner but are currently closed with no announced plans for reopening.
Neighbouring Rights
Introduced globally in 2016, Downtown’s Neighbouring Rights division ensures that artists are compensated when their recordings are broadcast publicly on satellite or online radio services such as Pandora. This initiative capitalizes on Downtown’s direct relationships with sound recording performance rights organizations.
Advocacy
Executives at Downtown serve on the board of the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), representing the interests of music publishers and songwriters before governmental bodies, industry groups, and media outlets. The company also collaborates with Berklee College of Music's Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship (BerkleeICE) through the Open Music Initiative to advance equitable digital licensing payments for songwriters.
Co-founder Justin Kalifowitz actively participates in NY is Music, a coalition comprising over 200 organizations dedicated to promoting music’s impact on New York’s economy, culture, and education. This group was instrumental in achieving the 2015 New York State Tax Credit for music production.
Further reading
- Justin Kalifowitz Discusses Publishing and Industry Innovation
- Open Letter to the Downtown Community Regarding Direct Licensing