The management team behind German-hailing digital distributor Zebralution has sent a message to the UK business as the pioneering firm steps up its international plans.
Tina Jürgens and Konrad von Löhneysen have led the company as co-CEOs since its co-founder Kurt Thielen, who also established and led Rough Trade Germany/Zomba, stepped down at the end of 2023.
Having largely operated under the radar in the UK up to this point, the pair are keen to spread the word about their capabilities.
"The message is we're open for business," label veteran von Löhneysen told the August edition of Music Week. "Germany has always been a very open market. It's a key territory for continental Europe at least, so we can also offer UK clients a door into Europe. And over here, we're one of the big players, so if you work with us we can also guarantee you that we'll give it a crack in Germany."
Von Löhneysen is founder and MD of independent label Embassy Of Music, formerly Ministry of Sound Germany, which Zebralution signed as one of its earliest clients. He is also one of three independent representatives on the IFPI board and previously served for German trade body Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
In the UK, the audiobook section has evolved enormously and the podcast industry is huge, and those two businesses are interesting for the music sector
Tina Jürgens
He continued: "How many artists out of the UK have broken through Germany in the last five years? Lewis Capaldi, Rag'N'Bone Man, George Ezra, etc. So it's not only interesting from a business point of view, but also from an artist development point of view.”
The "first music-only digital distribution company in Europe”, the Zebralution business is now split 50/50 between music and audiobooks and has offices in Germany, the UK, Mexico, Brazil, Netherlands, France, Spain and the United States.
“In the UK, the audiobook section has evolved enormously and the podcast industry is huge, and those two businesses are interesting for the music sector because so many things are intertwining," said Jürgens. "There is so much growth and opportunity.”
It released Nxdia’s 2024 breakout track She Likes A Boy (44,474 sales, OCC), with other key projects of late including Felsmann + Tiley, Gerry Read and his 8 Head label, and Nils Frahm’s new label Leiter. Clients also include Röyksopp, WhoMadeWho, The Whitest Boy Alive, Charlotte OC and Anoushka Shankar.
“Zebralution is primarily a label distributor, but we also work directly with artists who tend to be slightly more established and rights-holders who own their masters,” added William Hallström, Zebralution’s head of international development and SVP UK, Ireland & the Nordics. "We've grown alongside a lot of labels and artists who have stuck with us over a long time,. That’s a testament to our partnerships, but it now grants us the scale and bandwidth to support this international growth.
"We've hired more people in our international teams and that foundation has been laid by the work of Kurt and our long term partnerships with labels, not just in Germany, but now also internationally. With all of these announcements and major acquisitions within the distribution space, I think it's important now for us to put our name out there and ensure the community is aware there is still a fully independent distributor with a global footprint out there."
Recorded music is a $30 billion-plus business now. It doubled in six years and there aren’t many businesses like that
Konrad Von Löhneysen
Hallström, who served stints at Universal Music Sweden and Sony Music UK, said a key part of Zebralution's promotional push is to refute the idea that it is purely a German business.
“That may be our roots, but we’ve laid a foundation that now supports our international growth," he said. "We have a track record of working campaigns globally with concrete results. We are now very much a global business.”
Von Löhneysen stressed the firm needed to have a bigger international reach, adding that it is on track to become a €100 million business in the near future. He has his sights set on enhancing Zebralution's visibility in France and the UK, in particular.
"As a distribution company, you’re a service company," he said. "We don’t make music, so we need to be best-in-class and keep up with technology and the development of the market.
"Of course, recorded music is a $30 billion-plus business now. It doubled in six years and there aren’t many businesses like that. What is exciting is the way you can work records and the way artists can find their audience. There are a lot of different possibilities now and that is very exciting. The days of the gatekeepers are definitely over.”
Subscribers can read the full interview with Von Löhneysen, Jürgens and Hallström here.
