DENVER, (March 11, 2021) — Royalty Exchange, the world’s first online platform to turn music royalties into an asset class that anyone can invest in, named Anthony Martini as its new CEO, effective immediately. He replaces founding CEO Matthew Smith, who will remain with the company as Chairman.
Martini has a long history of advocating for the financial empowerment of artists, as both an artist manager and indie label exec. He brings that same passion to his role as new CEO.
“I’ve always enjoyed the thrill of finding the next big artist, but this time I’ve found the next big company,” said Martini. “Royalty Exchange is disrupting the financial landscape of the music business in favor of those who actually create the value in this industry—the artists. That’s a mission I can get behind and take to the next level.”
Martini began his career as an artist manager, including a senior role at Crush Management, where he discovered and developed rapper Tyga, among other acts. He later joined pioneering music licensing platform Jingle Punks, where he played an instrumental role in its sale to Canadian publisher Anthem Entertainment.
Most recently, Martini founded the artist-first independent record label Commission Records, signing hit acts such as Lil’ Dicky and MadeinTYO. He sold a majority stake in the company to Big Noise in 2019.
“I’m incredibly happy that we found Anthony and that he agreed to step into the CEO role,” said Royalty Exchange founder and chairman Matthew Smith. “He has the experience, vision, drive, and relationships—not to mention charisma—to lead Royalty Exchange into its next chapter.”
A Solution For All Artists, Not Just The 1%
Martini joins Royalty Exchange at a critical juncture in the pioneering platform’s history. Last year, the company marked 1,000 catalog transactions completed across the marketplace, a stark contrast to investment funds making headlines buying multi-million dollar catalogs from a select handful of superstar artists.
“I joined Royalty Exchange because it’s the only company built to serve all artists, not just the most successful few,” Martini said. “Superstar artists already make plenty of money, so they shouldn’t be the only ones to profit from today’s music catalog gold rush. Our marketplace allows any artist, big or small, to set their own terms and tap into this unprecedented demand for music royalties.”
To focus the demand of its 27,000 registered investors, Royalty Exchange recently expanded its marketplace into a new section called The eXchange. Here, artists set their own price for their catalogs and get offers directly from potential investors. This enables them to select only the best and highest offers.
“I want to give artists the ability to bet on themselves, without interference or going into debt or giving up control of their artistic vision,” said Martini. “It’s a long-overdue disruption to the traditional advance model in this business, and I can’t wait to show the world what we’ve got in store.”
