Orchard Yields RED Fruit

The Orchard is broadening its global leadership in music, video and film distribution through a strategic expansion of its presence around the world that will enable it to deliver enhanced levels of service to the independent community. Under the initiative, Sony Music Entertainment will combine its regional independent distribution groups around the world into The Orchard, and its various teams will unite as a single global team managed by The Orchard CEO Brad Navin, (left) who commented, “Our newly merged company is unique in structure, scale and reach. Coming together as one company that is both truly global and locally focused will allow us to take the service we provide to our artist and label partners to… the next level™. The Orchard is the only global comprehensive digital and physical distribution platform with its own delivery, sales, distribution and reporting systems built specifically for independent clients. With a single deal clients have the ability to deliver their music to every leading global and local digital and physical retailer and reach music fans around the world.”

In the U.K., Sony Music’s Essential business will be integrated into The Orchard, as well as in North America, where the distribution division of RED, Sony Music’s U.S. independent services company, will be merged into The Orchard. All current RED distribution label managers and account executives will become part of the Orchard team and relocate to The Orchard’s headquarters in New York. In connection with the creation of the new global structure for The Orchard, RED in the U.S. is being refocused as a dedicated full-service marketing agency and label services company called RED MUSIC, led by President Bob Morelli and will provide ongoing marketing, promotion, product management and label services support to its existing U.S. label client base now distributed through The Orchard, in addition to offering its suite of services to the wider independent community in the U.S.