Warner Music Group Acquires Dutch EDM Giant Spinnin’ Records
The fate of independent Dutch dance label Spinnin’ Records has finally been sealed, with Warner Music Group announcing their acquisition of the label. Although both Sony Music Entertainment and Believe Digital were understood to have been interested, WMG have announced that they have purchased Spinnin’ for a undisclosed figure. Music Business Worldwide are reporting the deal to be in the region of $100 million. WMG have said that have said that Spinnin’ co-founder Roger de Graaf will continue as CEO, working with Bart Cool’s, who is WMG’s Global dance A&R.
Whatever the final figure, it is certainly a huge acquisition. Spinnin’s roster includes Bob Sinclar, Fedde Le Grande and Oliver Heldens, whilst the list of artists who’ve released music on the label reads like a who’s who of EDM: Afrojack, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Tiesto and Martin Garrix. Spinnin’ also currently own a publishing and an artist management division too, with a neat sideline in merchandise. (You can get Spinnin’ branded caps, hoodies, t-shirts and so on, and you can even get a Spinnin’ branded bike). They also run a number of sub labels including Tiësto's Musical Freedom, Sander van Doorn's DOORN Records and Oliver Heldens' Heldeep Records. Spinnin’ have an impressive social media presence with nearly 18 and a half million YouTube subscribers and an equally healthy Spotify following.
Yet, it’s worth noting that many of Spinnin’s major artists are no longer with the label, with one man music gold-mine Martin Garrix jumping ship in 2015. The audience for Spinnin’s artists aren’t generally considered to be big music buyers, but they are big music streamers, and festival attendees. So it’s unlikely that the simple pursuit of sales is behind this move from WMG. It is more likely that WMG bolstering their catalogue with several big EDM names may well improve their bargaining position in any future negotiations with the likes of Spotify and Apple Music. Indeed, In the acquisition press release, Stu Bergen, WMG’s International & Global Commercial Services CEO said: “Spinnin’ is a company built for the streaming age, where the line between a local and a global hit, as well as the distinction between marketing and commerce, is blurring.” (http://www.wmg.com/news/warner-music-group-acquires-spinnin-records-30066)
UK Chairman & CEO, Max Lousada said: "Warner's past, present and future are all about creating an environment in which incredible artists and entrepreneurs thrive. That's why I'm pleased to welcome Spinnin’ to our growing family of labels, each with its own cultural identity. Roger and the team aren’t just world leaders in dance music, but pioneers of new ways to break artists and build music brands. Together, we'll nurture and expand Spinnin's global community of hit-makers, DJs, producers, songwriters, and millions of passionate fans.” (http://www.wmg.com/news/warner-music-group-acquires-spinnin-records-30066)
Describing themselves as ‘the worlds leading record label’, Spinnin’ was founded in 1999 and quickly became one of the most influential labels in commercial dance music. Major EDM players like Afrojack, Martin Garrix and Bingo Players all benefitted from being on Spinnin’ in the early stages of their careers. This acquisition follows a period of substantial expansion for WMG, who have been buying up a number of smaller labels from around the world in recent years.
