Create Music Group, a Los Angeles-based data-driven music platform, has raised $450 million in equity and debt funding from Ares Management, 2 Mile, and Flexpoint Ford at a $2.2 billion valuation. The company offers distribution, marketing, capital, and tech tools to independent artists and labels. The capital will fuel acquisitions, artist advances, and technology upgrades.

Indie Funding Hits $2.4B in January

The raise aligns with a music industry funding surge, where investments reached $2.4 billion in January 2026 alone, up from $404 million the prior year. Pipeline emerged from stealth with $200M+ for indie financing in January 2026, while DistroKid explores a potential sale. Create Music Group's focus on full-service support and M&A differentiates it as streaming growth slows to 6.5% YoY.

Indies Claim 46.7% Revenue Share

Independent labels generated $14.3 billion in 2023, capturing 46.7% of the global recorded music market. Yet DIY distributors like DistroKid leave gaps in marketing, advances, and catalog investments. Many indies struggle with fragmented UGC revenue from YouTube and TikTok amid slowing DSP payouts.

Full-Stack Platform Powers Growth

Create Music Group integrates distribution, real-time analytics from 600+ data pipelines, A&R, and equity-free capital across 17,000+ clients in 100+ countries. Unlike UnitedMasters ($170M raised), which emphasizes brand deals, CMG acquires labels like Monstercat, !K7, and Cr2 Records. It also bought deadmau5's catalog for $55 million and invested $300 million in Nettwerk Music Group.

Acquisitions Deployed Over $500M

Over the past 12 months, the company invested more than $500 million in deals, following a $165 million raise at $1 billion valuation in 2024. This brings total capital to $767 million, enabling Circuit Capital's $500M+ fund for catalogs and labels.

Bootstrapped Founders Scale to Billions

Founders Jonathan Strauss (CEO), Alexandre Williams (COO), and Wayne Hampton (CBO) bootstrapped from $1 million self-investment to $2.2 billion without prior exits. Strauss oversaw acquisitions like mau5trap ($55M) and Monstercat. Recent hires include Chief Data & Technology Officer Mitchell Shymansky and data leaders from GoDaddy.

Acquisitions Eye Global Catalogs

With $450 million secured, Create Music Group plans more label buys and international expansion via its nine specialist imprints. The Circuit fund targets artist ventures, while tech upgrades support 30 billion monthly streams across roster stars like Durand Bernarr, a 2026 Grammy winner.