Universal Music Group has acquired a minority stake in superfan platform Stationhead.
UMG’s minority investment in the company follows Stationhead’s merger with online music event platform Mellomanic.
The deal sees the two companies combine under the Stationhead name, with Chicago-based private equity firm Sterling Partners also investing. MBW understands that Sterling has a controlling interest in the newly merged entity.
Alongside its minority investment, UMG has entered into a commercial agreement to use Stationhead’s technology. The major said it is supporting “an independent, industry-wide platform designed to benefit artists, fans, and the broader music ecosystem.”
The deal comes as the music industry increasingly focuses on “superfan” monetization strategies, with major labels and streaming platforms alike exploring new ways to capture value from highly engaged audiences.
UMG’s partnership with Stationhead arrives two years after it invested in another prominent superfan platform, HYBE’s Weverse.
Most recently, in his annual New Year memo, UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge highlighted superfans as one of the company’s strategic priorities for 2026.
“In 2026 we will accelerate these efforts both by working with our established DSP partners on the launch of enhanced premium tiers for superfans, as well as by working with emerging platforms that are focused on special events and products for superfans, both virtually and in the physical world,” wrote Grainge.
Elsewhere in the music industry, UMG rival Warner Music Group was reported a year ago to be readying a superfan app.
Stationhead’s platform enables artists to host live listening sessions with fans, while Mellomanic has focused on powering virtual music events and providing labels with audience data and engagement tools.
The merged company says it will offer a single platform combining e-commerce capabilities, fan data insights, and revenue-generating tools. The service currently works with Spotify and Apple Music, with further streaming integrations planned.
“At Universal Music Group, we see tremendous potential in technology innovation that brings artists and their biggest fans more closely together, and Stationhead’s independent platform exemplifies that opportunity,” said Michael Nash, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at UMG.
“At Universal Music Group, we see tremendous potential in technology innovation that brings artists and their biggest fans more closely together, and Stationhead’s independent platform exemplifies that opportunity.”
Michael Nash, UMG
Added Nash: “We’re pleased to enter into a commercial agreement and make a strategic investment alongside Sterling Partners as these talented entrepreneurs build a platform that fosters creative new ways for artists to connect with audiences and activate social engagement.
“Collaborative, artist-centric, super fan-focused innovation like this is essential to the future of our industry.”
As part of the merger, David Rappaport, former head of Mellomanic and previously Chief Operating Officer of Global Touring at AEG Presents, becomes CEO of Stationhead.
Stationhead co-founder and recording artist Ryan Star takes on the role of Chief Creative Officer, while Sterling Partners Co-Founder and Chairman Steven Taslitz will serve as Stationhead’s Chairman.
“This merger creates the ultimate direct-to-fan platform the industry needs.”
David Rappaport
“This merger creates the ultimate direct-to-fan platform the industry needs,” said Rappaport.
“Even as far back as when I was an artist attorney, I felt that copyrights and artist businesses were substantially under-monetized and that an all-encompassing solution could be created for the industry that allowed all industry stakeholders to win.
“By bringing Stationhead and Mellomanic together, we’re building an additive, ecosystem-wide solution that drives real business and data for artists, record labels, music publishers, and streaming services.
“As pre-release engagement and fan participation become increasingly central to the fan experience and the music economy, we’re creating destinations where creativity and commerce work in tandem—and where our unique position allows us not just to capture value, but to expand the overall opportunity for everyone.”
“By merging with Mellomanic, we’re scaling that vision into the definitive home for fan communities, where listening becomes participation, fans organize with purpose, and artists know exactly where to reach their most engaged audiences.”
Ryan Star
Star added: “Stationhead was built from the ground up to bring artists and fans together in real time, around the music itself.
“By merging with Mellomanic, we’re scaling that vision into the definitive home for fan communities, where listening becomes participation, fans organize with purpose, and artists know exactly where to reach their most engaged audiences.
“Through live listening parties that have already driven billions of streams on premium streaming services, we’ve demonstrated the commercial power of fandom at scale. This is the next evolution of music fandom, and it’s the future we’ve been building toward from the very beginning.”
“We’re excited to take the lead in building what we believe is a truly transformational company.”
Steven Taslitz, Sterling Partners
Taslitz, Chairman of Stationhead and Co-Founder and Chairman of Sterling Partners, said: “We’re excited to take the lead in building what we believe is a truly transformational company.
“Sterling has a four-decade track record of scaling community-driven businesses across technology and music, including software platforms designed to foster engagement and participation at scale.
“Stationhead represents one of the most compelling opportunities of my career, an independent, industry-wide platform with the potential to drive meaningful incremental value for record labels, music publishers, artists, and fans by bringing artists and their communities closer together in powerful, new ways.”Music Business Worldwide
