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WMG CEO Robert Kyncl Says ‘Building’ an Indie Distributor ‘Might Be Better’ Than Buying One


Robert Kyncl says the company is not willing to "grow [indie distribution] at all costs."

Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl says the major is willing to forgo buying an indie distributor if it can achieve the same long-term gains by building in-house what would likely cost hundreds of millions to acquire. Under Ariel Bardem, who joined WMG in February 2023 as president of technology, the company has been working to fix the “boring things” in its core tech and digital supply chain to “ensure the stability of systems and [make] sure they could handle much higher volume for the future” without adding staff. The company reported in February that these moves freed up money for investments — such as the$450 million acquisition of Tempo Music‘s catalog — and helped Atlantic claim a half-a-percentage point market share expansion.

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