Diplo and former Downtown Music Holdings CEO Andrew Bergman have launched Bison Music, an independent music publisher.
The New York and Los Angeles-based company says it will sign songwriters early, support their development, and give them “a real stake in what they create”.
Bergman is CEO of Bison, alongside COO Tom Lee, CCO Juba Lee, and General Manager Jenny Ilibassi.
The company announced its launch on Wednesday (November 11) with a roster of songwriters and producers whose credits include work for BTS, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, and JENNIE.
Diplo first formed Bison to bring together a group of songwriters and producers, according to the company.
Writers previously signed to Bison include Picard Bros., Leclair, MAESIC, Nitti, Kaien Cruz, BomboCat, Akira Evans, and Groupthink.
Now that Bergman has come on board as CEO, Bison says it is dedicated to making “fresh, original music written by real people to connect with a global audience”.
The company also says that while “much of the publishing business today is investing in the acquisition of existing intellectual property”, Bison is focused on developing writers and creating new songs.
“For me, there’s still nothing more exciting in music than discovering a great song from someone you’ve never heard of,” said Bergman. “That’s always been at the core of what makes music publishing a great business.
“And it’s what excited me about partnering with Diplo, one of the leading creative forces in the modern music business, and tmwrk, his management team and longtime business partners.
“We’re designed to identify and sign writers early, nurture them through the harsh realities of the music business and allow them to reap the benefits of their creative endeavors. Writers and the music publishers that serve them are at their best when they are in a collaborative mode and we intend to operate that way internally and externally.”
“At a moment when it feels like music needs an injection of originality, our writers are in a position to shape where music goes next,” said Diplo. “Andrew and I are creating a home for those writers, with a team that knows how to develop them and a company built to back them for the long term.”
“IT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER FOR NEW INDEPENDENTS TO STEP UP AND SUPPORT THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY.”
ANDREW BERGMAN, BISON MUSIC
On Bison‘s position in the publishing market, Bergman told MBW: “As a new independent, we can move fast and stay lean.
“Pairing a modern, tech-enabled operation with decades of creative and business experience allows us to invest in the writers and music we believe in. Creatively, we are coming from a different perspective – a little left of center – but still enormously critically and commercially relevant.”
Bison says it pairs A&R with “the funding, global administration and data that writers need to build lasting careers”.
On the company’s ambitions, Bergman said: “It’s more important than ever for new independents to step up and support the creative community. I’ve been inspired by friends in the industry who have built remarkable independent companies over the last decade, and we’re excited to join that group.
“In five years, we want Bison to be known for championing great songwriting, and to be a company people want to collaborate with because of the quality of our writers and our executive team.”
Asked by MBW why now is the right moment to launch a development-focused publisher, Bergman said:
“Streaming services are pulling millions of tracks from their platforms and recommendation engines because they’re spam or violate their platform’s rules. At the same time, fans are looking for real, authentic connections with music.
“There has never been a greater need for the hands-on support that helps great songwriters reach their potential, and we’re excited to be part of the creative process right now. The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Bergman did not mention AI specifically. But on October 20, Spotify said it had taken more than 50 million “AI-generated slop and spam” tracks out of its recommendations so far this year, in addition to more than 75 million “spammy tracks” it says it has removed from its platform entirely.
“BISON IS A GROUP OF PROGRESSIVE SONGWRITERS WHO SHARE AN OUTSIDER’S PERSPECTIVE.”
DIPLO, BISON MUSIC
“Bison is a group of progressive songwriters who share an outsider’s perspective,” Diplo told MBW. “From M.I.A.’s Paper Planes to K-pop, country and everything in between, I’ve never stayed in one lane and I hope that we can build a publishing company that exemplifies that approach; it’s what keeps me going and what’s exciting.
“My role is very hands-on: I’m constantly A&R-ing, sharing ideas, connecting writers with opportunities and getting music to the right people, even when I’m not producing it myself.”
According to Bison, Leclair co-wrote and co-produced BTS‘s SWIM, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
He also co-produced JENNIE‘s like JENNIE, while Nitti co-wrote and produced three tracks on the BTS album ARIRANG.
Kaien Cruz and Akira Evans also have BTS credits, the company said.
Bison says Picard Bros. worked on Silk City and Dua Lipa‘s Electricity, which won the Grammy for Best Dance Recording in 2019.
Tom Lee has held A&R roles at Columbia Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, and Arcade Songs, according to the company. He helped sign and develop John Legend.
Juba Lee was most recently SVP of A&R at Columbia Records, according to Bison, and has worked with Diplo for more than 16 years, including running Mad Decent Publishing.
Ilibassi has worked on sales, acquisitions, and integrations for companies including Downtown Music Holdings, Tipico Sportsbook, and Condé Nast, the company said.
Diplo’s Mad Decent Publishing signed a joint venture deal with Big Deal Music Group in 2019, under which Big Deal would administer Mad Decent’s songs.
MBW‘s report on that deal identified Juba Lee as an A&R at Mad Decent, and cited Picard Bros. as Mad Decent songwriters.
Bergman joined Downtown as General Counsel and Executive Vice President in 2008, became COO in 2014, and was named CEO in 2021.
Earlier that year, Downtown sold its owned and co-published catalog of 145,000 copyrights to a Concord affiliate, in a deal MBW estimated at the time to be worth around USD $400 million.
Universal Music Group‘s Virgin Music Group completed its $775 million acquisition of Downtown in February.
Bergman, previously Downtown’s Chairman, was due to move into a senior advisory role following the deal’s completion.
Bison says it will announce more signings in the coming months.Music Business Worldwide