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Alliance acquires Audiolife

By | Published on Wednesday 23 May 2012

Audiolife

US-based distribution company Alliance Entertainment has acquired Audiolife, an American direct-to-fan fulfilment company that is utilised by more familiar names like Topspin and Reverbnation to get product sold via D2F websites to fan’s homes.

Both Topspin and Reverbnation have welcomed the acquisition and say they will continue to work with Audiolife, with the former’s CEO Ian Rogers telling Billboard: “This is a tremendous step towards bringing world-class fulfilment to the direct-to-fan world. Now artists using Topspin’s customised marketing and commerce platform will continue to get the benefits of a boutique fulfilment solution along with Alliance’s operational sophistication and their vast retail distribution network. It’s a win-win for our clients, putting artist-created products in front of millions more potential customers worldwide”.

Confirming the takeover, Alliance Entertainment’s top man Mike Davis told reporters: “Audiolife will be an ideal complement to Alliance’s expanding business model as we seek to diversify and deepen the range of services and products we offer our customers. Since launching in 2009, Audiolife has made its mark in the exploding e-commerce marketplace thanks to superlative direct-to-consumer technology, and a savvy understanding for what artists need and fans desire”.

Meanwhile, Audiolife CEO and co-founder Brandon Hance added: “The affiliation with Alliance Entertainment will allow Audiolife to significantly increase its resources, logistical capacity and distribution reach – and ultimately re-define direct-to-fan fulfilment and retail distribution for the industry at large”.

Alliance provides entertainment stock to a plethora of online and high street retailers, and the acquisition of Audiolife in theory offers opportunities for smaller labels and self-releasing artists who primarily sell direct to fan to get some key stock onto more traditional retail platforms. Earlier this month Alliance also announced a partnership with CD Baby which again offers artists selling their music via the independent music distributor opportunities to get some products stocked by bigger retailers.

Following the acquisition, Audiolife will continue to operate an HQ in LA with its existing management team still in place, though fulfilment operations will be moved to Alliance’s distribution centre in Kentucky.



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