PORT WASHINGTON, NY (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Koch Entertainment announced today that its New Media Division is experiencing tremendous growth and has expanded its network of digital labels and partners. This new expansion is comprised of a host of new and exclusive audio, video, and mobile distribution deals as well as an increase of staff and integration of existing field staff to call on digital accounts.
Additionally, Koch employee Bill Crowley has been promoted to VP Digital & Mobile. Over the past 5 years, Crowley has led Koch Records' digital music initiatives, and has most recently launched Koch to the forefront of mobile music. Before joining Koch Crowley helped pioneer the development of online and digital music markets. He launched the first online music store in 1989 on the Compuserve Mall and was a founding music executive for Musicmaker.com.
Since the launch of its New Media division, Koch has been aggressively pursuing a strategies in independent digital music and video distribution. The company is a 'full-service' digital provider in all digital mediums and is one of the few companies offering DRM Free (digital rights management) content which remains at the center of much debate. Koch has been a digital powerhouse recently earning platinum ringtone awards for both UNK and Jim Jones, and Jones' "We Fly High" was the first realtone from an independent to reach Number One on Billboard's Hot Ringmasters chart.
Koch's leading roster of distributed independent audio and video content will now be sold through a wider network of high-profile digital retailers. Newly signed digital retailers to handle audio content include Amazon, Puretracks, Snocap, and Bit Torrent. Exclusive deals have also been signed with digital video retailers CinemaNow, Movielink, Amazon's Unbox, and Netflix. The company has also partnered with mobile industry leader Moderati to deliver content exclusively to the carriers, while also working with Sprint, and Verizon to make available over-the-air full track/dual downloads. Koch continues to investigate and create new revenue streams, most recently through a new partnership with Intent Media to distribute ad-supported audio and video content to the peer-to-peer networks.
The company's digital label roster currently consists of over 125 exclusive music and video labels and continues to grow. Newly added digital label deals facilitated under Koch's recent acquisition of Navarre's music division include Equity, Lofton Creek and Midas Records. Fourth Quarter releases include Platinum country act Little Big Town as well as other high-profile releases from Whiskey Falls, Montana Da Mac, The Alchemist, Styles P, Sheek Louch, Hell Rell and Kafani. Worldwide digital deals recently signed under Koch's existing physical roster include — Taang!, Signature Sounds, Appleseed, Foreign Media Group, and Red House Records. Home video labels include Koch Vision, Koch Lorber Films, Passport, Lifesize and Tommy Boy Films.
"Koch is revolutionizing Indie digital distribution as it has for physical distribution. Unlike the majors, we are able to offer our artists and labels 'quality over quantity' by giving personalized attention while maximizing key marketing and sales opportunities to create new revenue streams. These new labels and partnerships serve as a true testament to what we've accomplished and what lies ahead on our digital horizon." Regarding the addition of Bill Crowley, Eric Lemasters, VP of Business Development, states, "Bill Crowley has been instrumental to bringing unprecedented digital and mobile growth to Koch Records. His experience and knowledge will now be able to complement our overall distributed label content pool." – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
