Music and movie distribution specialist The Orchard has signed a new strategic partnership with Membran Entertainment Group, an established independent music services company based in Germany.
Effective immediately, The Orchard’s Germany / Switzerland / Austria (GSA) and Eastern Europe operations will now be run by Hamburg-based Manlio Celotti in a dual role: Membran CEO and The Orchard GmbH Managing Director.
Celotti has over 25 years of experience from including running indie distributor EWM. He helped launch the careers of major German artists such as Fettes Brot, Tobi und Das Bo, Die Sterne, and Tocotronic, and started MCC (NEO), his own label services company, among other successes.
Celotti and his team will coordinate key releases on a pan-European and global basis at Membran/The Orchard.
The Orchard’s core distribution service will now tap into Membran’s direct physical distribution muscle in Europe, using its sales team and direct retail relationships.
“Partnering with Membran and bringing real leadership to bear in market puts The Orchard in a strong strategic position to support the growth of Germany’s still developing digital music share,” said Brad Navin, The Orchard’s CEO.
“We are thrilled to welcome Manlio Celotti to our management team. His experience will help us meet our clients’ evolving needs in one of the most important music markets of the world, and further bolster The Orchard’s global offering.”
“The Orchard has been a long-standing and reliable partner for Membran for many years and I am absolutely excited to be working even more closely with Brad, Colleen [Theis, The Orchard’s COO] and their team,” said Manlio Celotti.
“I firmly believe that the constellation we have created provides exactly what the industry needs today and the combination of The Orchard’s technological systems and global network together with Membran’s international label services and music passion is rare in today’s industry and will certainly be a force to be reckoned with — not only in Europe but worldwide.”
Membran controls over 300,000 musical works with an active catalog in excess of 5,000 titles and a worldwide distribution and marketing network for its physical product.
It has been providing a full pan European Label Service operation since 1997, offering services including:
- Product & Label Management
- Worldwide Physical & Digital Distribution
- Physical & Digital Sales and Marketing
- Rights Management – Licensing, syncs for Film & Advertising
- Manufacturing & Mechanical Licensing Admin.
- Promotion coordination to: Radio, Press, TV, Online & Mobile
- Media Buying and Advertising design and conception
- Full In-house production facilities for video & web
Membran has successfully launched and/or marketed newcomers as well as established stars ranging from Joss Stone, Gregory Porter, Dave Stewart, Glen Campbell, Brian Setzer, The Airborne Toxic Event, Blue October, Chris Norman, Cassandra Wilson, Macy Gray, Marc Cohn, Johnny Winter and more.
[Pictured L-R: Manlio Celotti, Doris Wehser, Colleen Theis, Brad Navin]Music Business Worldwide
