Create Music Group Closes $450M Raise at $2.2 Billion Valuation
Create Music Group has completed a $450 million fundraise of equity and debt capital at a $2.2 billion valuation. Minority equity investors include Ares Management and 2 Mile; Truist Securities and Banc of California served as joint lead arrangers on the debt. The company has invested more than $500 million in acquisitions over the past 12 months, adding Monstercat, !K7 Music, Cr2 Records, the Deadmau5 catalog, and a $300 million strategic investment in Nettwerk. CEO Jonathan Strauss said the capital will support continued acquisitions, strategic investments, technology development, and global expansion. Create Music operates as a hybrid tech platform and music company, not a traditional label or publisher.
Why it matters
Create Music Group at a $2.2 billion valuation is now one of the largest independent music businesses outside the major labels, and they are buying fast. For artists evaluating catalog deals or distribution partnerships, Create is a real alternative to the Sony/Universal/Warner conversation, and the Ares and 2 Mile institutional backing gives them the balance sheet to pay competitive prices. The Nettwerk $300 million investment connects Create to a legacy management and artist services company, suggesting they are building vertically across catalog acquisition, distribution, and artist career management. Any music attorney who has not added Create to their shortlist of catalog buyers is leaving a bidder off the table. The tech-platform framing also means they are competing for streaming data and algorithmic advantage, not just rights ownership.
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