AI-driven music funding platform beatBread has appointed Julian Dunn as Director of Business Affairs.
In his new role, Dunn will provide legal and business affairs support across all facets of beatBread’s operations, according to a press release on Friday (May 17).
Dunn brings a wealth of experience from the B2B software sector. He played a role in establishing go-to-market legal operations at Segment, a company acquired by Twilio, and Hightouch. Before his tenure in the Bay Area startup ecosystem, Dunn spent four years as a corporate attorney at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, where he specialized in public sector debt financings.
“As we deliver against our mission to empower artists, labels, and publishers, we continue to increase legal governance and complexity. Julian will help us navigate ongoing growth in customer touchpoints, and ensure that we continue to protect the interests of our clients and the organization,” said beatBread CEO Peter Sinclair.
“Julian will help us navigate ongoing growth in customer touchpoints, and ensure that we continue to protect the interests of our clients and the organization.”
Peter Sinclair, beatBread
Dunn added: “As a music lover, I’m excited about the opportunity to bring my expertise to a company that is advancing opportunities for independent artists and labels. This is a fast-moving space and I’m looking forward to helping the company establish its in-house business affairs capabilities.”
Since its inception in late 2020, beatBread has made significant strides in the music funding landscape. The platform says it has provided financial support to artists, songwriters, independent labels, and distributors across six continents, with funding amounts ranging from $1,000 to $5 million.
beatBread offers advances on both existing catalog and new or unreleased music, furnishing working artists and songwriters with growth capital.
Through beatBread’s funding model, advances are repaid through a share of an artist’s streaming and airplay revenues over a period of the artist’s choosing. These agreements do not touch revenues from touring, synch or merchandise sales, nor do they impose restrictions on how the funds are used. This approach allows artists to retain autonomy over their marketing and distribution partnerships, said beatBread.
“As a music lover, I’m excited about the opportunity to bring my expertise to a company that is advancing opportunities for independent artists and labels. This is a fast-moving space and I’m looking forward to helping the company establish its in-house business affairs capabilities.”
Julian Dunn, beatBread
In 2023, songs by beatBread’s funded artists and indie labels were streamed over 10 billion times, the company said in December.
Dunn’s appointment came about a month after beatBread expanded its services to include offering publishing administration to clients via new partnerships with Kobalt and AMRA.
beatBread now offers artists publishing administration services in the US through Kobalt, and in 200 territories outside the US via Kobalt-owned AMRA (formerly the American Mechanical Rights Agency).
Dunn joins a team of industry veterans at beatBread including Spencer LeBoff, a former BMG executive, who was appointed General Manager of Publishing at beatBread in November. In June 2023, former Walt Disney Company executive Troy Skabelund joined beatBread as Chief Financial Officer.
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