Stationhead and Mellomanic merge to form artist-focused fan engagement platform
New entity backed by Universal Music Group and Sterling Partners, with executives from AEG and Stationhead leading the business
Stationhead and Mellomanic, two US-based music technology companies, have merged to form a single entity under the Stationhead name, bringing together live audio, fan intelligence and monetisation tools in one platform.
The combined company will integrate both platforms’ commerce infrastructure, audience data capabilities and interactive streaming features, aiming to create what it described as the “ultimate direct-to-fan platform”.
David Rappaport, founder of Mellomanic and former Chief Operating Officer of Global Touring at live entertainment group AEG Presents, will lead the merged business as Chief Executive Officer.
Ryan Star, Stationhead co-founder and a recording artist, will become Chief Creative Officer. Steven Taslitz, Chairman and co-founder of private equity firm Sterling Partners, will serve as Chairman of the board.
“This merger creates the ultimate direct-to-fan platform the industry needs,” Rappaport said in a statement.
New funding from Sterling Partners and Universal Music Group will support the merger. Universal has also signed a commercial agreement with the new company.
Michael Nash, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at Universal Music Group, said, “We’re pleased to enter into a commercial agreement and make a strategic investment alongside Sterling Partners as these talented entrepreneurs build a platform that fosters creative new ways for artists to connect with audiences and activate social engagement.”
He added that “collaborative, artist-centric, super fan-focused innovation like this is essential to the future of our industry”.
The merged platform will continue to integrate with Spotify and Apple Music, and plans to add other major streaming services in future.
Related reading
- HBO Max unveils February slate of originals, films and live sports
- MoltBot Explained: The viral AI agent formerly ClawdBot
- Meet-Ting expands AI scheduling tool across Europe amid rapid user growth
Goldman Sachs acted as financial adviser to Stationhead on the deal.
Stationhead, founded in 2016, is best known for its tools allowing fans and artists to host live audio sessions that sync with official streaming platforms. Mellomanic has focused on artist monetisation and fan engagement infrastructure.
The Recap
- Stationhead and Mellomanic are merging under Stationhead name.
- Backed by investments from Sterling Partners and Universal Music Group.
- Goldman, Sachs & Co. advised Stationhead on the merger.
