AWAL

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British music distribution subsidiary of Sony Music

title: "AWAL" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["online-music-stores-of-the-united-kingdom", "record-label-distributors", "companies-based-in-london", "british-independent-record-labels", "record-labels-established-in-1997", "2011-mergers-and-acquisitions", "2021-mergers-and-acquisitions", "sony-music", "1997-establishments-in-california"] description: "British music distribution subsidiary of Sony Music" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AWAL" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British music distribution subsidiary of Sony Music ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox record label "]

FieldValue
bgcolor#000000
name
image[[File:AWAL Logo.svg
parentSony Music Entertainment (2021–present)
Kobalt Music Group (2012–2021)
founded
founderDenzyl Feigelson
Kevin Bacon
Jonathan Quarmby
defunct
statusActive
distributorProper Music Distribution (physical)
genreVarious
countryUnited Kingdom
locationLondon
website
::

| bgcolor = #000000 | name = | image = [[File:AWAL Logo.svg|frameless|class=skin-invert]] | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = | parent = Sony Music Entertainment (2021–present) Kobalt Music Group (2012–2021) | founded = | founder = Denzyl Feigelson Kevin Bacon Jonathan Quarmby | defunct = | status = Active | distributor = Proper Music Distribution (physical) | genre = Various | country = United Kingdom | location = London | website = AWAL (an initialism of Artists Without a Label) is a global recording business that serves as an alternative to the traditional record label, offering deal structures that provide artists with the resources and expertise of a global label while allowing them to retain ownership and control of their music.

Since 2021, AWAL has been owned by Sony Music, following its acquisition from Kobalt Music Group for $430 million.

Services

AWAL's services include global marketing and creative services, A&R, playlist and radio promotion, publicity, sync licensing, brand partnerships, and access to comprehensive real-time music data and insights. In March 2017, AWAL introduced its music analytics app, designed to collect and display data from an artist's Spotify and Apple Music presence. In November 2018, Billboard published an article titled "Can Kobalt Disrupt the Label Game With AWAL", outlining the company's approach and noting that it pays out as much as 80 percent of streaming revenue to its artists.

History

AWAL US was originally founded in 1997 by Denzyl Feigelson in Ojai, California, with mentorship help from founding member Andrew Ungerleider, and then joined forces in 2004 with record producers Kevin Bacon and Jonathan Quarmby. In December 2012, AWAL UK was acquired by the Kobalt Music Group and operated as the company's digital music distribution arm.

In January 2018, Lonny Olinick was named CEO of Kobalt's recording division. By March 2018, Kobalt announced it was investing $150 million into AWAL and that all of Kobalt's recording business would be combined under the AWAL brand. AWAL acquired In2une Music in June 2018, which provides multi-format radio promotion to independent labels and artists. AWAL announced a strategic partnership with independent label Glassnote Records in November 2018. Other notable announcements from the company include signing artists such as Steve Lacy, Finneas, Little Simz, Girl in Red, deadmau5, JVKE, Jungle, Disclosure, Rex Orange County, Tom Misch, and Laufey.

In November 2018, AWAL was named on Billboard's 2018 Digital Power Players - Music Groups list. In April 2023, AWAL was named on Billboard's 2023 International Power Players list. Later that year, Billboard named AWAL's Lonny Olinick, Pete Giberga, and Paul Hitchman to their 2023 Indie Power Players list.

AWAL has offices in London, New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, Stockholm, Mexico City, Madrid, Mumbai, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Paris and Toronto.

On September 7, 2021, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the United Kingdom's antitrust regulator raised concerns that Sony's purchase of AWAL would reduce competition from other distributors. The CMA gave Sony and AWAL five days to address the CMA's concerns and offer legally binding remedies, or else the CMA would enter a Phase 2 investigation. The phase two investigation was launched on September 16, 2021. Following a consultation that ended on March 4, 2022, the CMA officially cleared the deal on March 16, 2022.

Notable artists

Record labels

Albums released

References

References

  1. (2 September 2010). "Behind the music: Awal keeps digital royalties from going awol".
  2. (31 March 2020). "Denzyl Feigelson: Once you help an artist build a robust business, a lot starts to happen for them".
  3. (5 June 2019). "AWAL Signs Global Physical Distribution Agreement with Proper Music Group". Digital Music News.
  4. "Can Kobalt Disrupt the Label Game With AWAL?".
  5. (February 1, 2021). "Sony Music Acquires Kobalt's Label and Neighboring Rights for $430 Million".
  6. (May 20, 2021). "Sony Music Completes Acquisition of AWAL and Kobalt Neighboring Rights; U.K. Initiates Post-Mortem Probe".
  7. "How it works - AWAL".
  8. "Kobalt's AWAL Releases New App That Simplifies Streaming Data for Artists".
  9. (23 January 2012). "Kobalt Expands Into Label Services With Major Acquisition".
  10. "Kobalt Appoints Lonny Olinick to Recording Division CEO".
  11. "Kobalt Boosts Its AWAL Brand With $150M Investment, Seeks 100 New Hires".
  12. (2018-06-07). "Kobalt's AWAL acquires radio promo company in2une".
  13. "Glassnote Music Announces Partnership With Kobalt Music's AWAL".
  14. "The Internet's Steve Lacy signs to Kobalt's AWAL".
  15. ""There's huge opportunity for her globally": AWAL announces worldwide partnership deal with Little Simz".
  16. (2019-12-03). "AWAL signs worldwide recordings deal with girl in red".
  17. Mercuri, Monica. (2018-07-26). "deadmau5 Signs New Worldwide Deal With AWAL: Exclusive".
  18. (2021-03-24). "AWAL signs British electronic duo Jungle to global recordings deal".
  19. Bain, Katie. (2023-07-12). "Disclosure to Release New Album This Week".
  20. (2019-09-19). "Rex Orange County's new album, Pony, to arrive next month via Sony Music".
  21. (2021-04-26). "AWAL extends deal with Tom Misch for forthcoming album".
  22. "Revealed: Billboard's 2018 Digital Power Players".
  23. Duffy, Thom. (2023-04-25). "Billboard's 2023 International Power Players Revealed".
  24. Rys, Dan. (2023-06-12). "Billboard's 2023 Indie Power Players Revealed".
  25. "AWAL launches in India and South Asia".
  26. "AWAL - Company".
  27. (2018-12-11). "AWAL expands into Canada with new Toronto office".
  28. Smirke, Richard. (September 7, 2021). "U.K. Watchdog Finds Sony's AWAL Deal Raises 'Significant Competition Concerns'".
  29. "CMA launches in-depth phase two investigation of Sony Music's AWAL acquisition".
  30. (16 March 2022). "SONY MUSIC'S $430M ACQUISITION OF AWAL OFFICIALLY CLEARED BY UK COMPETITION WATCHDOG".
  31. Moore, Sam. (March 13, 2020). "Finn Wolfhard on new band The Aubreys: "We wanted to mix the craziness of Flaming Lips with the earnestness of Wilco"".
  32. (8 October 2021). "Lauren Jauregi broke up with Sony and became completely independent". Pennsylvania News Today.
  33. Major, Michael. "VIDEO: Lizzy McAlpine Releases 'All My Ghosts' Music Video".
  34. (2019-09-24). "Simon Fuller's Global Pop Group Now United Signs Worldwide Deal With AWAL".
  35. "Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away". AWAL.
  36. (August 27, 2021). "US Open Champ Sloane Stephens Shares the Music That Keeps Her Energized".
  37. (November 16, 2018). "Glassnote Music Announces Partnership With Kobalt Music's AWAL".
  38. (April 2, 2019). "AWAL signs worldwide deal with UK-based independent label B-Unique".
  39. (April 29, 2019). "SideOneDummy Records Signs Worldwide Distribution Deal With AWAL".
  40. (2019-12-03). "AWAL signs worldwide recordings deal with girl in red".
  41. (March 14, 2019). "Chess Club Records Gets Investment From Coran Capshaw, International Distribution From AWAL".

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online-music-stores-of-the-united-kingdomrecord-label-distributorscompanies-based-in-londonbritish-independent-record-labelsrecord-labels-established-in-19972011-mergers-and-acquisitions2021-mergers-and-acquisitionssony-music1997-establishments-in-california