Concord has acquired the music publishing catalogue of Mojo Music & Media, including the works of REO Speedwagon, Kiss and Cheap Trick.
The Mojo catalogue spans nine decades and comprises more than 30,000 songs including 89 US No.1 hits. Concord’s existing publishing portfolio totals 800,000 songs.
This acquisition comes just days after Concord made a recommended bid for Round Hill Music Royalty Fund and further highlights Concord’s continued strategic growth.
Founded in 2018 by industry veterans Mark Fried, Alan Wallis and Peter Shane, and supported since 2019 by funds managed by Crestline Investors, Mojo established itself as a significant player in music publishing rights. The publisher is based in New York, Nashville and London.
Mojo acquired more than 40 catalogues including those of 30-year Nashville independent HoriPro Entertainment (REO Speedwagon, Kiss, Jerry Reed) and LA-based Emerald Forest (Sophie B Hawkins, Brownstone, Lita Ford).
Mojo built a roster that includes Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Warren Cuccurullo (Missing Persons, Duran Duran), Bob Morrison, Sharon Vaughn and Larry Gatlin, as well as D.L. Byron, Jeffrey Cohen, Earth Wind & Fire’s Al McKay, Dave Wakeling Jordan Reynolds (writer of Dan + Shay hits Tequila, Speechless and 10,000 Hours), producer Jacknife Lee (Taylor Swift, Snow Patrol, and Kodaline) and the estates of Johnny Burke, Bernie Wayne and Johnny Russell.
“My nearly 30-year adventure in music publishing has always been about surrounding myself with the greatest songwriters, getting them paid, keeping them inspired, and elevating the power of their songs in pop culture so they vibrate forever,” said Mark Fried, Mojo’s co-founder and CEO.
“Concord has been on the same mission since its founding, and my partners and I feel like we’ve come full circle working with [Concord’s chief business development officer] Steve Salm, whom I’ve known and respected since his first days in the business, and other old friends at Concord to bring our catalogues together. I feel a deep responsibility to the artists, songs and legacies we represent and I’m excited to see them continue to prosper in the hands of such capable and passionate caretakers.”
I feel a deep responsibility to the artists, songs and legacies we represent
Mark Fried
Michael Guy, chief investment officer of Crestline Europe, said: “We are delighted to have supported Mojo through their successful ramp-up and aggregation of their catalogue. All aspects of our involvement with Mark and team have been outstanding. It is a great example of our desire to use our capital to build valuable asset platforms.”
Steve Salm, Concord’s chief business development officer, said: “Mark Fried is a true original who’s repeatedly seen the value in songs and catalogues well before market trends, always putting songwriters first. Over the last several decades, he’s built two premier independent catalogues with Mojo here and Spirit Music prior, winning the trust of some of the most legendary songwriters and artists. With Mojo, Mark, Pete, and Alan have assembled a stellar collection of incredible hits spanning genres, eras, and territories. The Mojo catalogue is a perfect fit with Concord’s catalogues, and we’re honoured by the trust they’ve now put in us.”
Concord was represented by Ritholz Levy Fields LLP, Adam Ritholz, Cody Brown, John Brill, Gillian Sloane, Amanda Inglesh and Jason Barth, as well as DLA Piper and Rob Sherman. Shot Tower Capital acted as exclusive financial advisor to Mojo. Mojo was represented by Reed Smith as legal counsel.
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