Primary Wave (company)
| Primary Wave | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | January, 2006 |
| Founder | Lawrence Mestel |
| Status | Active |
| Distributor(s) | BMG Rights Management (in the USA) Sony Music Entertainment (in the USA & WW) |
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | US |
| Location | Los Angeles/ New York/ London |
| Official website | www.primarywave.com |
Primary Wave Music is a music management and publishing company based in the United States.
History
The company was founded in January 2006 by music executive Larry Mestel, and is one of the largest independent music companies in the U.S. with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, and London. Since its origin as a music publishing company, Primary Wave has grown its business into a full service music and entertainment company with additional in-house resources such as a Talent Management department, digital marketing team BrightShop, branding company Brand Synergy Group, record label and a film/TV development & production division, Primary Wave TV.[1]
In August 2012, CeeLo Green, a management client at Primary Wave Talent Management, was named Chief Creative Officer of Primary Wave Music. CeeLo’s role involves advising developing acts, co-writing with artists, and overseeing the creative planning of the company's events.[2]
In September 2013, Primary Wave Music entered into a strategic alliance with BMG Rights Management to form a full service label, BMG/Primary Wave Label Services, with Primary Wave Music signing and marketing record releases in the U.S.[3]
On November 10, 2014, as first reported by Variety, Mark Burg’s Evolution Management merged into Primary Wave's Talent Management division and will operate under the Primary Wave name. The partnership also offers Primary Wave Music’s talent roster the ability to tap the Evolution managers’ reach in film and TV while further enabling both companies to expand their development projects.[4]
On January 19, 2015, Primary Wave unveiled details of a merging it’s talent management division with Intellectual Artists Management, to be named Primary Wave Entertainment. By uniting Primary Wave’s expertise in music, branding and digital with Intellectual’s strong hold on the film/tv industry, the newly formed talent management team will provide full access and opportunities for their roster across multiple platforms from music and film to TV and literary.[5][6]
Publishing
Primary Wave Music Publishing was founded in 2006 after the purchase of 50% of Kurt Cobain’s portion of the Nirvana (band) catalog, as well as the MGM Records catalog.[7] Currently, one of the largest indie music publishers in the US, the company markets the copyrights of over 15,000 songs from the catalogs of legendary and contemporary artists and songwriters, including Hall & Oates, Def Leppard, Chicago, John Lennon, Roccstar, L.P. (singer), Steven Tyler, Steve Earle, Daniel Johnston, Ryan Hadlock, and many more.[8]
In addition to landing sync placements in film, TV, advertising, video games, and new media, Primary Wave has also spearheaded creative licensing deals for their publishing clients. Examples include brokering a deal with Converse in 2008 to create a limited edition run of Kurt Cobain sneakers, which included graphic designs, his signature, and song lyrics on the sneakers.[9] In 2009, Primary Wave executed an Aerosmith marketing campaign with the 1st-ever artist branded scratch-off lottery ticket, which featured Aerosmith’s likeness and was also promoted by a TV campaign featuring the band’s iconic rock anthem, “Dream On”, in 11 states across the US. Part of the campaign allowed fans to scratch off prizes such as free concert tickets, backstage passes, and even a private performance by the band.[10] That same year, Primary Wave also created an animated cartoon J-stache, based on John Oates of Hall & Oates' signature moustache, which debuted on Funny or Die.[11] In 2012, Primary Wave partnered with Boom! Studios and Wieden+Kennedy Entertainment to release underground musician and artist Daniel Johnston debut graphic novel, Space Ducks: An Infinite Comic Book of Musical Greatness.[12]
Talent Management
Launched in 2010, Primary Wave Talent Management currently has managers based in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and includes various divisions such as pop, rock, R&B, hip-hop, and electronic dance music (EDM).[13]
References
- ^ "Primary Wave and EMI sign North American distribution". EMI Music. Retrieved 2010-12-18.
- ^ "Cee Lo Green Named Chief Creative Officer of Primary Wave Music (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
- ^ "BMG injects $150M into NYC talent shop". New York Post. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
- ^ McNary, Dave. "Evolution Management Merging into Primary Wave". Variety. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
- ^ "Primary Wave Merging With Intellectual Artists Management". TheWrap. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
- ^ "Primary Wave Merges Management Arm With Intellectual Artists". All Access. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
- ^ Reuters Editorial (13 April 2007). "Julian Lennon sells stake in Beatles songs: report". Reuters.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ "Primary Wave Music - Home".
- ^ "The Daily Swarm".
- ^ "Aerosmith collaborates with lottery ticket company for Aerosmith themed scratch off games. Prizes include money, backstage tickets and merchandise. - Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "John Oates' 'J-Stache' Cartoon Debuts Online". Billboard.
- ^ "Daniel Johnston's "Space Ducks" Hits in April from BOOM! Town". Comic Book Resources.
- ^ SFGate, 1 November 2010