Believe’s founder and CEO, Denis Ladegaillerie, highlighted creativity as the key to future artist development at Believe UK’s 15th anniversary celebration.
Addressing partners, clients, and colleagues at NTs Loft in East London on Thursday (September 19), Ladegaillerie said Believe UK’s next phase would be focused on “creativity and strong partnerships.”
“Firstly, I think creativity is going to go back to being at the centre of how our teams bring music to fans, much more than it has in the past 15 years,” Ladegaillerie said.
He added: “The way we develop artists is about partnering. It’s about partnering with people who allow the music of our artists to be discovered by audiences.”
Believe UK claims that, since its launch 15 years ago, it has handled over 312,000 audio releases and 177,000 video releases, with more than 165 billion streams.
The UK company also reports having partnered with over 2,500 artists and labels across 300 genres, including Bastille, Public Service Broadcasting, Lizzo, Novo Amor, Razorlight, Queen, Spandau Ballet, Orbital, Feeder, Knucks, Don Broco, and James Morrison.
Reflecting on the company’s growth from its beginnings in 2009 with a team of three, Ladegaillerie said last week that the company had spent the past 15 years laying its foundation. “In the past 15 years, we built the bricks. The next 15 years will be much more about creativity,” he said.
“FIRSTLY, I THINK CREATIVITY IS GOING TO GO BACK TO BEING AT THE CENTRE OF HOW OUR TEAMS BRING MUSIC TO FANS, MUCH MORE THAN IT HAS IN THE PAST 15 YEARS.”
DENIS LADEGAILLERIE, BELIEVE
Ladegaillerie also highlighted the importance of partnerships, particularly with digital music platforms. “The relationships we’ve been able to build with our digital music partners are getting deeper. In the next 15 years, they will enable us to be much more efficient in artist development compared to where we are today.”
Since opening its first UK office in Parsons Green, led by Managing Director Stephen King, Believe UK has grown into a 65-strong team based in King’s Cross, London.
Some of its earliest success stories include James Vincent McMorrow, who signed a four-album deal with Believe in 2010, earning multiple awards for his releases.
Also speaking at the company’s 15th birthday party last week, Believe UK MD Alex Kennedy said: “I feel like we’re the leading champion now for independent music in the UK and our team are the core reason for that.”
“the artists and labels that we work with are the lifeblood of our business.”
Alex Kennedy, Believe
He added: “We are building an increasingly successful and influential business that we are super proud of. And we are incredibly proud to support the artists and labels that we work with – they are the lifeblood of our business, many of them are here tonight.
“The last 15 years have been a hell of a ride and we truly believe we’re just getting started. We’re excited to continue working with everyone in this room and we want to make the next 15 years even more remarkable.”
Believe’s partnership portfolio also includes independent labels such as Future Classic, Black Butter, and Communion. In 2024 alone, the company signed key deals with fabric, Mahogany, and Bella Union.
Believe UK has received messages of congratulations from key DSP partners, plus label and management clients.
Spotify’s Global Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, described Believe as “a great partner to Spotify and to the artist community.”
Dan Chalmers,YouTube Music‘s Head of YouTube Music, EMEA, said Believe’s “innovative solutions are brilliantly executed; they are a gold standard partner,” while Laura Lukanz, Amazon Music‘s Head of Music UK/ANZ, said, artists and labels at Believe are “served by a dedicated team that leads the industry and nurtures creativity, resulting in unforgettable campaigns and experiences.”
Apple‘s Head of Music UK & Ireland, GeorgeErgatoudis, also congratulated Believe on its 15th anniversary, saying Believe “[delivers] the very best experience for Apple Music subscribers with motion artwork and Spatial Audio on key releases.”
Jamie Emsell, MD, Communion Music Group, said: “Believe continues to be a wonderful partner to Communion Records. A future focused and progressive distributor, and never anything less than an engaged and passionate supporter of – and believer in – our artists and our label.”
Mark Brown, founder and owner, Cr2 Records, added: “We’ve worked with Believe now for over three years and in that time we’ve achieved unparalleled success together. Knowing we have the support of their experienced team to supplement our own A&R means that our records consistently achieve strong playlist placements and DSP support around the world. In particular, our track Give It To Me by Matt Sassari has been certified Gold and Platinum in over 20 countries worldwide, achieving over half a billion streams. We couldn’t have achieved this without the global reach of the team at Believe.”
Craig Dawson, Finance Director, Hospital Records: “Believe, particularly their dance division B:Electronic, has been a tremendous asset to Hospital Records. Their innovative, tech-driven approach, paired with a deep knowledge of dance music, has significantly enhanced our operations. Since the beginning of our collaboration in early 2023, their customized strategies and insightful analytics have been pivotal in driving our label’s growth. Their outstanding work with rising stars like Anaïs and Hoax exemplifies their dedication to nurturing talent and advancing the Drum & Bass genre.”
Georgie Goldsmith, Head Of Music, Ditto Mgmt: “Working with Believe on Niko B’s debut album has been nothing but a pleasure. They provided the perfect balance of guidance & support but also free reign to let him execute all of his creative ideas throughout the campaign. Happy 15th Believe!”
5000mgmt: “Believe are the most efficient, diligent, supportive, thoughtful and understanding label or artist services company we’ve worked with since we got into this business in 1990.”
Back in June, Ladegaillerie’s consortium took control of a 94.99% stake in Believe at EUR €15 per share, or a total of EUR €1.43 billion (around USD $1.59 billion at current exchange rates). Shortly after, Ladegaillerie said Believe is planning to spend €200 million to €300 million per year on acquisitions to grow its global business.Music Business Worldwide
