Investors in Profitable, Growing Service Businesses
Bug Music Registers Four Consecutive Quarters of Growth, Ranks #1 among Indie Music Publishers in the U.S. and Claims Top Honors in the U.K. for Q1
Los Angeles, CA
CEO John Rudolph sees continued growth for Bug Music in spite of an economic downturn and the overall issues plaguing the music industry. Rudolph attributes his forecast for Bug based on an increase in traditional business activities and the introduction of new business models.
Recent deals have included several major catalog acquisitions, publishing agreements with marquee acts, as well as a unique publishing and joint venture with the band Kings of Leon (global #1 charting album) and a co-publishing relationship with Kara DioGuardi (hit songwriter and American Idol judge) and joint owners in her Arthouse Entertainment company.
“Bug Music is a music company made of amazing writers, artists, and songs. We recognized the need a few years ago to not only be aggressive in developing our traditional music publishing business, but to be more inventive in utilizing our partners and their songs by diversifying the role of an independent music company,” said Rudolph. “We believe the turmoil of the economic climate today has afforded us great opportunities to create new models for the future ranging from releasing records to developing brands around songs.”
Leading music industry publications Billboard and Music Week recently released their Q1 publishers rankings and share analysis. Bug Music ranks #6 among Billboard’s Top 10 Publisher Airplay chart holding 2.82% of the U.S. radio airplay chart share, an increase of 70% over Q4. This finding marks the company’s fourth consecutive quarterly market share gain, beginning at the first quarter of 2008.
Additionally, in the U.S., Bug Music claimed the #5 spot on the Billboard Top 10 Rock Publishers chart with 4.57% of the market share (#1 among indie music publishers), and ranked #6 among the Billboard Top 10 Country Publishers with 5.14%. During Q1, the company held shares in more than 10% of the songs in the top 100.
In the U.K, Bug Music claimed Music Week’s Independent Publishers top spot for the first time in its 34-year history. Bug’s 18.5% combined share during the first quarter was led by the band Kings of Leon whose new album “Only By The Night” has been the year’s biggest selling album with several singles topping the U.K. charts, all of which are handled exclusively by Bug Music.
Additionally, Music Week’s report ranked Bug #5 overall in Album Share with 7.4% and #5 overall in Combined Share with 6.1%, a 734.2% increase over Q4.
About Bug Music
Boasting over 250,000 copyrights including the classics “What a Wonderful World,” “Fever” and “Happy Together,” as well as hit songs from such musical luminaries as Johnny Cash, Pete Townshend, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Woody Guthrie, Townes Van Zandt and Stevie Ray Vaughan to contemporary hit makers Three Six Mafia, Ashley Gorley (Carrie Underwood, Trace Atkins), Kara DioGuardi (Pink, Jonas Brothers, Celine Dion), Iggy Pop, Bruno Mars, Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon and Wilco, Bug Music’s reputation as a writer/artist-oriented music company and trusted counsel of legendary estates and current artists is unrivaled.
