The state51 Music Group Restructures, Wins LSE ‘ELITE’ Place

30 January 2018 - Press release

Independent powerhouse The state51 Music Group today announces a restructure of its component businesses that sees them coming together as a unified entity under a new operating board.

The group’s businesses are: OpenIMP, the world’s most advanced supply side music platform; Consolidated Independent, the iconic market leader in managed services for the digital music industry; The state51 Conspiracy, a risk-taking and innovative recorded music company with a global reach.

The three companies will now operate under a new state51 Music Group board of founder Paul Sanders, Paul Curran (Former COO Sony Music UK & Ireland, Chairman CI since 2011), and Andy Heath (Director, Beggars Group).

Founder Paul Sanders says, “When I started out in digital music in 1991 I realised that a 21st Century music company would need to be radically different to the old model. We now operate in a digital market, but the music industry needs scale and brave new thinking to meet the challenges of the 2020s. This restructuring configures us to deliver our massive technology advantage with an unmatched depth of music industry knowledge and state51’s legendary creativity.”

The state51 Music Group was recently accepted onto the London Stock Exchange’s prestigious ELITE programme, winning through in an extremely competitive application process. ELITE supports ambitious global companies with high growth potential.

state51 has engaged Eagle Owl Communications, set up by former Sony Music Director Of Communications Paul Bursche, to handle its Group communications.

Paul Curran says:
“This is a very exciting time for state51.
Scaling up to the challenges and opportunities of the future global music industry requires, on top of deep music and technology knowledge, world class business skills, and we have been planning accordingly. It’s rewarding to see that this depth of preparation is now being recognised by bodies such as the LSE as state51 becomes the first music company to be accepted into its ELITE programme which also notes our ambitions for the business. Having been Chairman of CI since 2011 I have watched state51 develop . It has been exciting to have helped with the consolidation of the businesses and I am positive that the group is now perfectly placed to offer a very distinct route to market for artists and labels.”

Andy Heath says:
“In a landscape where the lines are being deliberately blurred by some on what constitutes an "independent" music company, The state51 Music Group has proven itself as an important and trusted partner to the true independent music community over many years and it continues to evolve its capabilities. Its mix of robust business systems tied to leading edge telco-grade technologies more than level the playing field for its stakeholders and I'm also an admirer of the maverick spirit that permeates every corner of the business.“