The CEO of Downtown Music, Pieter Van Rijn, talks about ‘going down the rabbit hole in the digital supply chain, technology, UGC monetization, or publishing’ in their role as artist partners. “We need to make sure there’s fair pay for artists, whether they’re established or just starting their careers.”
The following recaps an interview with Pieter Van Rijn as part of Downtown Music’s series, The Music Industry Lives Here. Downtown Music is a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.
Pieter Van Rijn’s foray into music began when he was sixteen years old. “It’s always been a big passion of mine to write and to perform; even though I’m not active in that now, it drove me, and I was very passionate about it.”
Throughout high school and university, Van Rijn was actively involved in songwriting and was a part of many bands. “When I finished my studies in Rotterdam, I signed a contract at Sony Music as an artist and as a writer.”
Van Rijn says that was not the best time in music, as digital music had just started taking over. “It was fairly uncharted territory at the time. It was interesting because I learned a lot, and I also learned that it was not the thing I wanted to do later on.”
“I was happy to experience the industry from an artist’s point of view. That’s something that I’m using to this day,” he reveals.
In 2014, Van Rijn met people who were part of FUGA. “It was kind of a scrappy startup back then, but I was immediately impressed by the technology they’d built, the people, and the shareholders.”
Despite being daunted by the opportunity, Van Rijn was excited to join FUGA. “It was clear that we had a good path forward as to what we wanted to achieve, and how we wanted to empower artists and entrepreneurs to be independent.”
“We set out a strategy to become a full-service business that sets itself apart through technology and services.”
FUGA began in Amsterdam and immediately had its gaze set on the global stage. “We didn’t have a big home market, so we had to be scalable, thinking across borders. That vision was part of the success in the US, UK, and markets across the globe.”
Relaying the story of how FUGA eventually became a part of Downtown Music, Van Rijn says, “FUGA was getting larger and larger. For our shareholders and management, it was the right moment to consider a new home, new routes, and a new partner.”
“That was when we sold the company to Downtown Music.”
For Van Rijn, the experience unlocked abundant new avenues for exploration. “It allowed me to cover various interesting areas in the industry across rights, publishing, and neighboring rights.”
In 2021, Downtown sold the copyrights to their music catalog and pivoted to becoming a full-service business. “That [progression] has been in my DNA, but also in many of the businesses that were part of the Downtown Group.”
“It was a very logical and seamless thing for us to do. The world has become much better for artists, creators, and the entrepreneurs who represent them. We’re able to negotiate good rates [for them] with the DSPs. They can start a career on several platforms.”
Van Rijn admits that the industry frequently tends to split itself into two parts — independents and majors.
Even though that divide is ‘logical given the history,’ Van Rijn believes the music industry is moving toward a more united and level playing field.
“It’s important for us to continue to work well with technology companies, the platforms, and the DSPs to make sure that there’s fair pay for artists — whether they’re established [in the music space] or just starting their careers.”
Apart from trying to negotiate good deals for their clients, Downtown Music continues to ‘innovate with [artists’] needs.’ Van Rijn added, “We’re always very close to the needs of our clients, and try to take away their pain points.”
“We’re trying to maximize their income where we can, and make sure that we can be a partner every step of the way. “That means going down the rabbit hole in a digital supply chain, technology, UGC monetization, or publishing.”
What strikes Van Rijn the most about Downtown is how potential clients engage with their experts, and how seamlessly their mutual passion drives the conversation.
“I’m always so proud of that. I’m amazed by the knowledge these [Downtown] people have. It resonates with our clients because they feel heard, and like they have an equal partner.”
“That’s the essence of what we do here at Downtown — really understanding our clients.”
“We don’t tell our clients what we think is best for them. We listen and tailor our offer to their actual needs,” says Van Rijn. “The flexibility we provide with our offering is one of the things that sets Downtown apart.”
As a result of that flexibility, Downtown has developed a broad set of integrable services. “What that means is that a client can come in for neighboring rights and choose to stay with that. Alternatively, they may be interested in distribution, publishing, or another service, such as royalty accounting. We can then build that relationship with them.”
“What excites me about the journey we’re on is that we’ll soon be exposed to an ever-broadened set of capabilities and services, which will ultimately benefit our clients,” Van Rijn says.
“Whether you’re an established artist that requires certain white glove marketing services, or a business that requires a tech solution and broader marketing, or an emerging artist that wants to make sure their music gains access to basic distribution services. We provide all of that.”
What does the statement, ‘The Music Industry Lives Here,’ mean to the CEO? “Whether you’re an artist, a songwriter, an entrepreneur, or a business, at Downtown, you’ll find a home.”
About The Music Industry Lives Here: Downtown Music’s interview series allows powerful conversations with the voices shaping the music industry. To gain weekly access to exclusive interviews with music executives, artists, record label owners, and influential figures who drive the rhythm of the industry, join here.
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