Rise Up Music Group has officially expanded its music distribution operations through Warner ADA, marking one of the biggest recent moves in the company’s history as the independent label continues strengthening its position within hip hop, R&B, and urban music culture.
Warner ADA, the independent distribution and label services division of Warner Music Group, has played a major role behind the scenes for some of the biggest independent artists and labels in music. Over the years, the company has worked alongside artists and labels connected to names like YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Wiz Khalifa, DaBaby, Nipsey Hussle, Rod Wave, XXXTentacion, and many others who helped redefine what independent success looks like in today’s music business.
The music industry has continued shifting heavily over the past decade, with major labels like Universal Music Group, Warner and Sony increasingly investing into and acquiring independent ecosystems, technology, and distribution systems rather than relying solely on signing artists into traditional major-label models. Warner Music Group’s acquisitions and investments into independent-focused systems, including companies like Revelator, reflect how much power independent record labels now hold within the modern music industry. Instead of artists depending entirely on major record labels, more independent labels like Rise Up Music Group have established their own infrastructures through distribution, branding, marketing, artist development, and direct-to-fan growth while still leveraging major distribution power behind the scenes. This result has created a new era where indie record labels are able to compete at a much higher level while maintaining ownership and direction. Rise Up’s new access with Warner ADA elevates its distribution alongside the artist development momentum they have been impacting the music industry with for the last 10+ years.
Originally rooted in Rock Hill, South Carolina, the company’s history goes back more than a decade. In August 2013, Rise Up Music Group’s early movement secured a major deal with both M. Republik Music Group and Believe distribution during a time when independent music was beginning to evolve nationally. At the time, M. Republik Music Group was led by business executive Allen Forrest, recognized by Forbes Next 1000 for his success across entertainment, and multiple business ventures. M. Republik Music Group’s partnership with iHeartMedia also brought national visibility to Rise Up Music Group, with multiple records receiving support and New Artist To Watch placements alongside names such as Schoolboy Q and Tinashe between January 2014 and July 2014.
Believe, formerly known as Believe Digital, became one of the most influential companies in the music industry in recent times Founded in Paris in 2005, Believe grew into one of the world’s leading independent music distributors generating over $1B in revenue within its first 17 years. In 2015, Believe acquired Tunecore providing DIY artists access to a wider digital distribution network with more tools and services to get their music out to the world. Tunecore is now one of the biggest digital distributors in the world. Over the years, the company expanded into more than 50 countries while working with artists, labels, and music companies across hip hop, Afrobeats, Latin, pop, and global music markets. Through its early deal with Believe in 2013, Rise Up Music Group gained firsthand exposure to digital distribution systems, streaming strategy, and the business side of independent music during one of the most important transition periods in the industry’s history.
During that same run, Rise Up Music Group’s executive produced single, “My Dollars” by 808 Jesus generated more than 2 million commercial terrestrial radio listens through thousands of spins nationwide according to RadioWaveMonitor reports. The record remained on the charts for back-to-back months throughout summer 2014 and peaked at #67 on RadioWaveMonitor during its national radio run. Now, years later, the company says the addition of Warner ADA distribution takes things to another level for the artists building within the Rise Up Music Group system. Instead of artists having to piece together separate companies for development, branding, promotion, and distribution, Rise Up Music Group is now able to keep more of that process under one roof.
We reached out to Rise Up’s team for statements on their new distribution relationship with Warner ADA and got to speak with its founder, Kendall Walker.. “This is good timing and a huge pivotal moment for us,” he said… “We really built this company from the ground up through artist development, and helping artists grow independently, so bringing distro through major label systems back into the picture again upgrades the experience for our artists. Warner has a vision for independent artists and that’s what I care about.”
As major labels like Warner continue getting more involved in the independent world, more artists are looking for companies like Rise Up that offer a structured machine instead of just uploads and playlist submissions. Marketing, branding, rollout strategy, development, visuals, promotion, and distribution all play a major role now in helping artists compete at a higher level independently – especially having a team on an everyday basis. At Rise Up, indie artists receive an everyday A&R, a label representative and access to its everyday machine – now adding Warner ADA into the picture creates the perfect system for any artist needing a team. It’s nearly impossible to expect the average independent artist to know what to do without industry relationships or strategy.
Rise Up Music Group says its expansion into Warner ADA distribution is about continuing to build that type of full-service environment for independent artists while still keeping the independent culture and hands-on approach the company was originally built on. With more than a decade of independent history behind it, Rise Up Music Group now enters a new era through Warner ADA as the company continues expanding its purpose throughout the music industry.
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