FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROBB MCDANIELS ANNOUNCED AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF BEATPORT
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 17, 2017 – It was announced today by LiveStyle, Inc., Beatport’s parent company, that music industry executive and media and technology entrepreneur, Robb McDaniels, has been named CEO of Beatport. In his new role at Beatport, McDaniels will focus on strengthening the company’s position as the leading online music store for DJs and the global dance music community.
LiveStyle President/CEO Randy Phillips commented, “Beatport is in a period of resurgent growth and has recently returned to profitability. We are excited to have Robb take the reins of Beatport during this time and look forward to his innovative leadership to continue Beatport’s upward user trends, including the company’s increased visitors, users, and track sales.”
Chuck Ciongoli, Executive Vice President/CFO of LiveStyle, said, “We are proud to welcome Robb to the LiveStyle family. I’ve known Robb for many years, since a previous investment in INgrooves while at Universal Music Group. He is an extremely capable and dynamic senior executive who will help Beatport continue to grow as the DJ destination of the future.”
McDaniels commented, “I have known Beatport since its birth in 2004 as the preeminent DJ download store in the world. Ever since they easily convinced me to sign up INgrooves as a content partner, I have worked closely with many of the talented executives and passionate employees at the company. I know that Beatport, in partnership with its parent company LiveStyle, has the ingredients to dramatically increase the positive impact it can have on the dance and DJ community. We are looking forward to reigniting both innovation and value creation for our partners and customers at Beatport in 2018 and beyond.”
Since recommitting to its core mission as the world’s premier music store for DJs, Beatport has returned to profitability in 2017, with registered users, visitors, and track sales growing significantly over 2016. Beatport also embarked on a comprehensive genre cleanup this year, recategorizing more than 1.5 million tracks. This initiative led to the successful launch of the Leftfield House & Techno category, plus three new bass genres: Trap/Future Bass, Garage/Bassline/Grime, and Leftfield Bass. Additionally, Beatport launched the unique Beats In School Producer Scholarship, in collaboration with top labels Circus Recordings, Anjunabeats, Dirtybird, and Hospital Records.
Most recently, as McDaniels served as a Venture Partner for Dubai-based investment company TechInvest, his focus turned to the world of talent management. In early 2016, he launched Faction Entertainment, a forward-thinking, technology enabled management services business with a client list including Thievery Corporation, Bonnie McKee, Slightly Stoopid, Youngblood Hawke, Jamestown Revival, Vassy, and Phantoms. While serving as Beatport CEO, McDaniels will continue to serve as Venture Advisor at TechInvest and Executive Chairman at Faction, which will be expanding its presence with the dance & electronic community.
Previously, McDaniels was the founder and CEO of INgrooves where, since 2002, he built the company into a full-service distribution and artist services operation. Under his leadership, INgrooves managed North American digital distribution for Universal Music Group, as well as more than 4 million songs for thousands of artists and labels.
About Beatport
Founded in 2004 as the principal source of music for DJs, Beatport today is the worldwide home of electronic music for DJs, producers, and their fans. The Beatport Store offers music in premium digital formats and provides unique music discovery tools created for and by DJs. Each week, Beatport’s music collection is refreshed with hundreds of exclusive tracks by the world’s top electronic music artists. Beatport has offices in Denver and Berlin. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram.
About LiveStyle, Inc.
Positioned to be the world’s largest electronic music event producer, LiveStyle boasts a wide variety of leading live electronic music properties. LiveStyle produces and promotes single and multiday electronic music festivals across North America, Europe, South America, Australia and Asia. North American key operating entities include Made Event, React Presents, Disco Donnie Presents, Life in Color, and MMG, along with festivals and brands such as Electric Zoo, Spring Awakening, Sensation, and Life in Color. In Europe, the company boasts key operating entities such as Monumental, B2S, ID&T, i-Motion, and Q-Dance, and festivals and brands including Decibel, Mysteryland, Awakenings, Back-To-School, Air, Qlimax, Nature One, Sensation, as well as the innovative ticketing service Paylogic. In Brazil, LiveStyle owns PlusNetwork which has produced the enormously successful Tomorrowland Brasil festival and tours by internationally acclaimed DJs and artists. Further, LiveStyle has a 40% participation in Rock in Rio, held biannually in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with spinoffs in Lisbon and Portugal. Together with the Belgian Tomorrowland organization, LiveStyle launched TomorrowWorld, the first international version of the Tomorrowland festival, and also promoted the first South American Tomorrowland festival. LiveStyle continues to work with the Belgian Tomorrowland organization as its international partner to bring Tomorrowland to new territories outside Europe and to return to the USA and Brazil. LiveStyle also owns and operates Beatport, the trusted global home of electronic music where fans, DJs, and creators connect, discover and participate in the evolution of dance music culture.
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CONTACT:
Scoop Marketing for LiveStyle, Inc.
Larry Solters, [email protected], 818-761-6100
Erik Stein, [email protected], 818-761-4645
