Audio Chateau Records, a new label from Jared Gutstadt’s podcast company Audio Up Media, has secured $4.5 million in funding from a group of investors including Glen Barros, Gillian Hormel and Jonathan Schulman.
Following the fundraising, the company has brought in investors Barros and Schulman as the label’s first appointed board members. Barros is managing partner at Exceleration MusicHe left his position as Chief Operating Officer of Unity At the end of 2019, after 25 years in office, to form Exceleration Music.
Exceleration has been on a shopping spree in recent years, acquiring Chicago-based label Bloodshot Records in 2021; the catalog of the US independent label Kill Rockstars in 2022; and Red eyesthe sales partner of beggar, domino and other indie labels, in 2023.
Audio Chateau has also announced two strategic hires to strengthen its leadership team. Industry veteran Grayson Flatness comes as an A&R consultant and brings a wealth of experience from his work at Sounds good. Kate Londonwith a background in Global music rights, Interscope recordsAnd Warner recordswill assume the role of Head of Legal and Commercial Affairs for the label.
Launched in January 2024, Audio Chateau Records is on track to release a number of releases this year. The label’s roster includes regional Mexican artists Linea GroupComedy country star Uncle drank, Cool Versed the Compton Cowboysand the health and wellness group Maejor Audio sunshinewith producer and recording artist MaejorEnglish singer-songwriter Bipolar Sunshineand songwriter, producer and CEO of Audio Up Jared Gutstadt.
Before its launch, the label cooperated with Virgin Music Group “to catapult new talent into the stratosphere.”
“Much of our audio entertainment includes original music, and we are constantly discovering and working with new talent that deserves to be heard by a wider audience,” Gutstadt was quoted as saying by Billboard as I said in December 2023.
Gutstadt, a Canadian-born musician, is a 25-time ASCAP award winner. Before founding Audio Chateau’s parent company, Audio Up MediaIn 2020 he founded the creative music agency Strum Punk in 2008. Jingle Punks, with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and London, was sold to Canadian rights management company ole in 2015.
In December 2022, Audio Up Media closed a Series C financing round, receiving 150 million US dollars Pre-money valuation. This investment, which is based on just 10 million US dollarsAudio Up’s total funding amounted to 20 million US dollarsThe company confirmed to MBW at that time.
Audio Up also counts Primary Wave Music Release and based in New York Reservoir media to its supporters. In 2022, Audio Up entered into a strategic alliance with Universal Music Publishing Group to sign songwriters and create unique music for Audio Up’s original podcast programs.
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