Apple Acquires British Music Startup Platoon

Apple has acquired UK-based music creative services and artist development startup Platoon.

A new report from Music Business Worldwide explains that the start-up — which describes itself as “platform for the most fearless creatives” — offers a range of distribution, funding and marketing services to emerging and unsigned artists.

The startup was founded in 2016 by 40-year music industry veteran Denzyl Feigelson and venture capital kingpin Saul Klein, who co-founded defunct British video-on-demand service LoveFilm and was an early executive at Skype.

“The Apple deal gives Platoon the backing and resources to accomplish its vision and continue its goal to develop original music and visual content – while leaving artists free to sign with who they want and distribute their music where they want,” reads the report.

Platoon offers a range of distribution, funding and marketing services to up-and-coming and unsigned artists—especially to artists who are wired into modern youth culture.

Platoon works primarily with musicians — but also other creators like writers — to produce, distribute and sell their work, using analytics to source talent, and figure out the best way to target, and market that content. It’s basically the modern-day tech equivalent of A&R services.



Music Business Worldwide quotes a “source close to Platoon” as saying: “The Apple deal gives Platoon the backing and resources to accomplish its vision and continue its goal to develop original music and visual content – while leaving artists free to sign with who they want and distribute their music where they want.”

Co-founder Saul Klein’s movie rental service Lovefilm was acquired by Amazon in 2011, becoming the lynchpin of their Prime Video service. Prior to launching Platoon, Feigelson worked with Apple for over 15 years on their live events and artist relations.

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