Downtown-owned B2B distributor FUGA is opening an office in Berlin.
This follows a period of growth for FUGA in the GSA region, it says, including a 30% increase in clients in the last year.
Based in Kreuzberg, FUGA’s Berlin office will serve as the GSA regional hub.
Curt Keplin, who joined FUGA in December 2020 as Business Development & Marketing Manager, has been promoted to Head of Business Development GSA.
Keplin will focus exclusively on FUGA’s business development and client relations efforts in the region, while continuing to shape and represent FUGA’s brand in the German-speaking markets.
Joining him is Bernd Harbauer, who has been appointed as Digital Accounts & Marketing Strategy Manager – GSA, with plans to further expand the Berlin team in the coming months.
Harbauer will lead relationships with key digital partners, and will oversee release campaigns and strategies to maximize artist revenues and exposure across DSPs.
He previously ran his own consultancy, and has held positions with Clouds Hill Music, earMUSIC, Universal Music Germany, and EMI Music Germany.
Elsewhere, FUGA is also entering into global distribution partnerships with German electro-pop label and YouTube music channel Unique Vibes, and Swiss trance imprint Psyfeature Records.
Psyfeature holds a psytrance-related social media following, while Unique Vibes’ YouTube channel has over five million subscribers.
Upcoming single So Afraid by Unique Vibes signee CRÈME, and collaborative track Boom Shakalaka by Psyfeature’s Memento Mori, Gonzi and Massivebass, will be the first releases to be distributed by FUGA. Both are set to be released on April 8.
Signed to FUGA client CloudKid, German alt-pop artist Diana Goldberg becomes the first to benefit from FUGA’s Audience Engagement services in the region, says the company.
The Audience Engagement team will work closely with CloudKid and Diana Goldberg’s manager, Willy Ehmann, to drive engagement ahead of her upcoming single release, FOCUS…, on 8th April, as well as her debut EP, BLOSSOM IN THE DARK on July 8.
“FUGA’s expansion across the GSA region has been exciting to watch.”
Bernd Harbauer
Bernd Harbauer, said: “FUGA’s expansion across the GSA region has been exciting to watch and I look forward to joining the global marketing team and Curt in the new Berlin office.
“It’s clear that FUGA has become an important player in the region, and the expanded suite of marketing services that it now offers will be very beneficial to music companies across GSA.”
“Working with FUGA’s artist engagement services on Diana Goldberg has been an absolute pleasure.”
Yiannis Karavassilis, CloudKid
Yiannis Karavassilis, CloudKid COO, added: “Working with FUGA’s artist engagement services on Diana Goldberg has been an absolute pleasure.
“Their team is extremely professional, resourceful and is perfectly complementing all our efforts as a label and allowing us to focus on our core strengths, which is being a creative partner for the artist and being able to maximise and focus on our influencer strategy.”
“Working with FUGA alongside my label CloudKid for the release of my first ever EP is amazing!”
Diana Goldberg
Diana Goldberg, said: “Working with FUGA alongside my label CloudKid for the release of my first ever EP is amazing!!
“I love the energy of the whole team and that everyone helps make my vision become reality.
“It’s fun discovering audiences in places I haven’t known of before. Can’t wait to see where the next months will take us.”
In January, FUGA inked a deal with independent music company Mascot Label Group, home to artists such as Black Stone Cherry, Beth Hart, Shaman’s Harvest, Vola and Dragged Under.
In November, the company also struck a global delivery platform services deal with Beggars Group, one of the world’s leading independent music rights firms.
The UK-headquartered Beggars owns 50% stakes in labels such as XL Recordings, Matador and Rough Trade. It also owns 100% of 4AD, runs its own publishing company in Beggars Music, and is home to indie label, Young.Music Business Worldwide
