MUMBAI: Music label- Sony Music, and Estate and Brand Management- Artist Legacy Group (ALG), have signed an agreement to provide brand management services through a new joint venture which will function under ALG’s name.

The announcement was made by SME's catalogue music division president of Legacy Recordings, Adam Block. The venture will go beyond just licensing, branding strategy and merchandising. Along with focusing on artist estates, the venture will work towards covering various aspects of artist brand management. All these services will be provided to Legacy Recordings and other front line SME labels, while also remaining open to opportunities outside the SME eco-system. Block added, “The venture is particularly exciting for Legacy because it will allow us to offer easy access to a broader, more mutually beneficial menu of services to our artists.”

ALG’s CEO- Ashley Austin, and COO- Scott Austin, will utilise their knowledge and understanding to further grow the New York based joint venture and will operate with a backing of SME's Commercial Music Group (CMG) with SME's interest in the venture being managed by Block.

"SME/CMG's vision for expanding its service offerings to include brand management and development is an incredibly intuitive and forward-thinking strategy," said Ashley. "ALG prides itself on proactive protection and promotion of our clients' unique legacies, and we are thrilled to embark on this joint venture. Working closely with Adam Block and the SME/CMG family will allow for the creation of new and exciting opportunities across the board."

Scott Austin added, "Intellectual property rights management plays an integral role in successful, comprehensive marketing strategies in today's entertainment industry. By working closely with Sony Music affiliates, ALG will provide unparalleled levels of service to our clients and maximise the impact of campaigns surrounding their name, likeness, media and other content."

Further adding to the development, Block said that Legacy will use its 25 years of experience with ALG's growing expertise in the broader brand management space, as well as their in-house merchandise company- Threadshop, and creative agency- Arcade. He believes that with this will create even greater awareness and opportunities for artists and estates they work with. ALG will work with Arcade and Threadshop to provide access to a variety of services as an extension of its core business.

Services provided by ALG will include sourcing and securing merchandising opportunities, social media management, sourcing and securing print (book, magazines, posters) and/or film opportunities (e.g. biopics) and more.

Current ALG clients include legendary music photographer Mick Rock; the estate of The Who's drummer Keith Moon; and Max's Kansas City, the iconic New York music venue which served as the epicentre of pop art, punk, glam rock and underground cultural cool from 1965-1982.