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Artone Acquires Townsend Music for D2C, Superfan Potential

Townsend Music, a distributor and direct-to-consumer retailer, has been acquired by Artone, which caters to the physical music marketplace.

Townsend Music founder Steve Bamber called the acquisition “a clear opportunity to push its European expansion strategy forward quickly, with Artone’s well established sales, distribution and manufacturing facilities already in place.” With vinyl sales continuing to rise and streaming growth slowing, the music industry is putting increased focused on reaching “superfans” willing to pay more for premium experiences and tangible products. “We’re creating and monetizing new ways to meet the superfans pent up demand for products, experiences and access that brings them closer to the music and to the artists that they love,” said CEO Lucian Grainge.

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