Partisan acquires Firebird’s curiosity in indie pubco OTM Music, merges it with its Left Music publishing arm

OTM Music, the unbiased writer based by Alex Sheridan, has entered right into a strategic merger with Partisan Music, the unbiased music group constructed round Brooklyn label Partisan Information.

The merger follows Partisan’s acquisition of Firebird’s curiosity in OTM, a transaction that, in line with a press launch, makes Partisan the “majority accomplice” within the publishing enterprise.

OTM will develop into the first publishing curiosity of the Partisan Music group, the 2 firms stated in an announcement on Thursday (September 24).

As a part of the merger, OTM will incorporate the group and roster of Left Music, the publishing firm Partisan arrange with Craig Michie in 2022.

The enlarged operation can have workers in London, Los Angeles, New York, and Paris.

Its mixed roster contains Leon Michels, Gianluca Buccellati, Sudan Archives, Tom Brenneck, Andrew Aged, Sub Focus, Elizabeth Fraser, and Metronomy‘s Joseph Mount.

Sheridan continues as Founder and CEO, working alongside Michie, President & Head of North America, and Kate Sweetsur, Head of A&R, on the corporate’s inventive and roster growth. Sweetsur joined OTM in 2024.

Partisan‘s sync group will likely be mixed with OTM‘s to service repertoire from throughout the group.

Michie and Sweetsur beforehand labored collectively at BMG Chrysalis and Huge Deal Music. Michie, who was an A&R supervisor at BMG Chrysalis earlier than changing into VP, Artistic at Huge Deal Music, signed Tame Impala‘s Kevin Parker as a songwriter throughout his time at BMG Chrysalis.

Sweetsur, who spent 9 years at Chrysalis Music earlier than its sale to BMG and later served as co-Head of A&R at BMG Chrysalis, has signed writers together with Fraser T Smith, Labrinth, Pleasure Crookes, Steve Mac, and Wayne Hector.

“Partisan has constructed an distinctive unbiased music enterprise and shares our perception in placing creativity and long-term relationships first,” stated Alex Sheridan, Founder and CEO of OTM Music. “Craig, Kate and I’ve labored collectively at completely different factors all through our careers, so bringing that have collectively once more is especially thrilling.

“We now have a transparent shared imaginative and prescient for the sort of publishing firm we wish to construct and an unimaginable roster to construct it round.”

Alex Sheridan, OTM Music

“We now have a transparent shared imaginative and prescient for the sort of publishing firm we wish to construct and an unimaginable roster to construct it round. I wish to thank Firebird for his or her perception in OTM and want them properly for the longer term. I couldn’t be extra thrilled to construct the subsequent part of OTM with such an thrilling group, and supply a Boutique at Scale choice for our writers, current and future.”

“Our partnership with OTM will enable Partisan to supply high-level inventive companies for music writers and publishing catalogs on the identical caliber as we do for recording artists,” stated Zena White, COO of Partisan.

“Our partnership with OTM will enable Partisan to supply high-level inventive companies for music writers and publishing catalogs on the identical caliber as we do for recording artists.”

Zena White, Partisan

“The reuniting of Craig Michie and Kate Sweetsur to steer A&R is an thrilling proposition, whereas Alex and OTM’s observe report in sync is plain. We will’t wait to be concerned in a lot extra unimaginable music by way of the writers throughout OTM’s roster.”

The businesses stated the merger arrives at “a time of great change throughout the worldwide music publishing market,” pointing to consolidation, new funding, and know-how throughout the sector.

Partisan launched Left Music in March 2022, with Michie as Founder and President, and signed a world administration settlement with Sony Music Publishing UK masking the division’s roster.

At launch, Partisan stated Left Music held a catalog of greater than 1,500 copyrights, together with works by Elizabeth Fraser, Novo Amor, and UNKLE.

Partisan Information was established in 2007 in Brooklyn by Tim Putnam and Ian Wheeler. Its recordings roster contains Cigarettes After Intercourse, Geese, Cameron Winter, Ezra Collective, IDLES, Blondshell, Interpol, PJ Harvey, and Laura Marling, plus the catalog of Fela Kuti.

In November 2024, the label signed a world distribution deal with Common Music Group‘s Virgin Music Group.

Firebird, which is exiting its curiosity in OTM, was based in 2022 by former Ticketmaster CEO Nathan Hubbard and ex-KKR accomplice Nat Zilkha, with Raine Group as lead investor.

The corporate confirmed its funding in OTM – then buying and selling as One Two Many Music – in June 2023, alongside stakes in Mick Administration, Ntertain, Defected Information, and Tape Room Music.

Its portfolio spans administration, labels, and publishing, and in March 2026 the corporate acquired a majority stake in Goodlife Administration, the house of Fred once more.., The Blessed Madonna, and others.

Hubbard informed MBW in March that Firebird had deployed over USD $300 million thus far, and deliberate to deploy “upwards of half a billion {dollars}” in capital into artist partnerships over the next 24 months.

OTM, based by Sheridan in 2017, has constructed its enterprise round a curated roster, with a give attention to inventive companies and sync.

The businesses stated the expanded enterprise will maintain that mannequin whereas including scale, worldwide attain, and sources to OTM.Music Enterprise Worldwide