Show Notes
What happens when an ABBA icon and a private equity titan build a music investment company together? At Pophouse, the answer is a value-creation model that treats music catalogs not as passive royalty assets, but as the foundations for larger entertainment brands. In this episode, we’re joined by Natalia Fontecha, Partner and Head of Capital Raising & Investor Relations, and Per Sundin, President of Music & Artist Relations, to unpack how that model works in practice. From ABBA Voyage to KISS, we discuss the brand and narrative diligence Pophouse applies alongside the usual financial and legal work: the scope of the rights package, the strength of the fan connection, and whether there is a credible path to build an entertainment business around the artist. Per shares the creative thesis for the model, while Natalia explains what makes it investable: underwriting the cash flows song by song, stress-testing the downside and managing portfolio risk. Brought to you by Standard Innovation. ► Stay up to date Newsletter: https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd ► About Standard Innovation Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure. ► Episode Links Pophouse Entertainment: https://pophouse.se Standard Innovation: https://standard-innovation.com ► Credits Guests: Natalia Fontecha & Per Sundin, Pophouse Entertainment Hosts: Tom Mullen and Emma Griffiths, Standard Innovation Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records
More from Music Moneyball
There are billions of dollars looking for a way into music. So where are the opportunities to put that capital to work? In this episode, we’re joined by Fred Davis, Partner at The Raine Group, to explore where he sees growth, what makes a business worth backing and why capital doesn’t always find its way to the right opportunities. His work spans advising on major acquisitions and capital raises, alongside investments through Raine’s own funds. We get into the firm’s bets on the independent artist ecosystem, including Firebird, Duetti and SoundCloud, and what he sees in the entrepreneurs behind them. Fred also helped Spotify and Napster co-founder Shawn Fanning secure music licenses during a period of enormous disruption. We explore the parallels with AI today and what it takes to make new business models work for rights holders, technology companies and consumers. Brought to you by Standard Innovation. ► Stay up to date Newsletter: https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd ► About Standard Innovation Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure. ► Episode Links The Raine Group: https://raine.com ► Credits Guest: Fred Davis, Partner, The Raine Group Host: Tom Mullen and Emma Griffiths, Standard Innovation Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records
Sync income can be unpredictable, but there is plenty music rights investors and operators can do to improve their odds. In this Music Fastball episode, Tim Hayes draws on over 13 years in sync, including at Recognition Music Group, formerly Hipgnosis, to explain how better data and processes can help funds get more from their catalogs. We start with diligence: what to look for when assessing a catalog’s sync potential, what income you can reasonably forecast, and whether the upside you’re planning for is actually achievable. We then move into day-to-day operations: tracking sync requests through to payment, using data to prioritise catalogs and inform pricing, and working more closely with administrators and their local teams to develop sync opportunities. We finish with practical advice on where to start and how to build on the sync data you already have. Brought to you by Standard Innovation. ► Stay up to date Newsletter: https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd ► About Standard Innovation Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure. ► Episode Links Turn Music: https://www.turnmusic.co ► Credits Guest: Tim Hayes, Founder, Turn Music Host: Emma Griffiths, Standard Innovation Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records
Raising capital and putting it to work are two different challenges. What does it take to build a music investment business that can consistently execute at scale? In this episode, we’re joined by Lior Tibon, CEO and co-founder of Duetti, to explore the engine behind its music investments, from its capital structure and technology to the people and processes supporting more than 80 deals a month. Lior explains why Duetti was built as a company rather than a fund, and how that decision allowed it to invest in data infrastructure, engineering and operations from day one. We discuss how its underwriting models and portfolio approach give it the confidence to acquire catalogs as young as six months, and why making sense of the data still depends on deep industry knowledge and relationships with artists and their teams. The conversation also gets into the practical choices that make the model work: keeping agreements simple, building local expertise and earning repeat business from creators. Together, these offer a look at what it takes to turn a music investment strategy into an operation that can deliver it. Brought to you by Standard Innovation. ► Stay up to date Newsletter: https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd ► About Standard Innovation Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure. ► Episode Links Duetti: https://www.duetti.co Standard Innovation: https://standard-innovation.com ► Credits Guests: Lior Tibon, CEO and Co-Founder of Duetti Hosts: Tom Mullen and Emma Griffiths, Standard Innovation Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records
The catalog gold rush brought a wave of new capital, buyers and acquisitions into music rights. But as the market consolidates around larger platforms, what happens next, and who is best placed to win? That’s the question Standard Innovation CEO Tom Mullen and NYU Steinhardt professor Larry Miller explore in the first collaboration between Music Moneyball and Musonomics. Larry begins by tracing the history of the major music companies, from the independent entrepreneurs who built businesses in overlooked genres and markets to the shared infrastructure and vertical integration that helped create the majors we know today. Tom then looks to the film and TV industry for a more recent parallel, using A24 to show how smaller players can find opportunities alongside the largest companies through clear positioning, agility and a better understanding of underserved audiences. Drawing the parallels together, they consider where the next opportunities could emerge, why larger platforms can leave parts of the market underserved and how smaller players can compete through focus, specialisation and execution rather than capital alone. ► Stay up to date Newsletter: https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd ► About Standard Innovation Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure. ► Episode Links Musonomics: https://musonomics.com Standard Innovation: https://standard-innovation.com ► Credits Hosts: Larry Miller, host of Musonomics, NYU Steinhardt professor and inaugural Executive Director of the Sony Audio Institute for Music Business and Technology; Tom Mullen, CEO of Standard Innovation
Catalogs are often treated as passive streaming assets, but there is more room to move the needle than many people realize. In this Music Fastball episode, streaming strategist Camille Jamet draws on 18 years in the industry, including roles at Sony Music and Amazon Music, to explain what can actually be done to increase visibility and consumption across a catalog. For larger catalogs, that starts with knowing where to focus. We explore why the biggest tracks do not always offer the greatest growth potential, and how engagement signals such as save rate and tracks per listener can reveal opportunities that total streams alone miss. Camille then breaks down how to build a streaming growth flywheel for your own catalog: test different approaches, identify what gains traction, invest behind what works and repeat the process at greater scale. Brought to you by Standard Innovation ► Stay up to date Newsletter: https://standard-innovation.com/subscribe/music-moneyball LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-innovation-ltd ► About Standard Innovation Standard Innovation is the data consultancy that helps music investment funds unlock higher valuations and exit multiples through better infrastructure. ► Episode Links Camille Jamet: https://www.camillejamet.fr/en/ Standard Innovation: https://standard-innovation.com ► Credits Guests: Camille Jamet, Music Streaming Strategist Hosts: Tom Mullen and Emma Griffiths, Standard Innovation Theme: “Meet Me” — Outlines (Written by Sam Cox) — Courtesy of Bespoke Records