Munich, March 1, 2021. Sonoton Music, the world’s largest independent music production company, has appointed Alex Black as the newly created CEO.
Black, who was previously the Global Director at EMI Production Music, will oversee the day-to-day operations of the family-owned and long-standing business, which owns exclusively over 130,000 works from all genres and represents a roster that includes more than 2,400 composers. He will take up the role immediately and will be based in Munich.
Alex Black
This appointment marks an important step forward for Sonoton Music, which will expand its focus by adding new forms of music publishing to its production music business. It will launch a major rebranding and website redesign on March 24.
Sonoton Music was founded by composer, choreographer and conductor Gerhard Narholz and his wife Rotheide in Munich in 1965. As executives, they have transformed the business into one of a number of production libraries. world’s most successful music with more than 100 new albums covering all types of music, styles, instruments and genres produced every year. This is an addition to 150 albums from its international catalogs.
Over the years, Sonoton’s music has been featured in countless Hollywood films, including Fantastic Four, Finding Dory, Greyhound, Manchester By The Sea, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Snowden. The category has also appeared in many popular TV shows such as Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Stranger Things and Unorthodox, and has been used in global advertising campaigns and sampled by recording artists. superstar sound.
Rotheide and Gerhard Narholz said: “We have spent the last 50 years building Sonoton with a lot of love and care. “It is a difficult prospect to consider transferring management of the company to a new CEO. We were really surprised to hear that Alex Black will be the one to take on the role. Over the years we have had a working relationship with him, he continually impresses us with his great business acumen, creativity and passion for music. We could withdraw from management now, knowing that Sonoton would be in the perfect hands for a successful future. Welcome, Alex! ”
Black said: “I am honored that the founders have trusted me to take the business forward. I first worked with Sonoton as a sub-publisher 15 years ago and Mr & Mrs Narholz made a huge impression on me. Through their passion for music and travel, they have empowered thousands of people to compose, building a portfolio of hidden treasures waiting to be discovered by filmmakers and music producers. . They are business innovators, at the forefront of music search technology; launched their first search system, SONOfind, in 1993 and now entrust me with the responsibility of launching the latest incarnation later this month. Sonoton’s new brand and new studio complex are also testament to their progressive leadership. Since 1965, Mr & Mrs Narholz has developed a truly global business accumulating not only an incredible array of film, television and advertising credits, but also generating commercial publishing rights. through sample collaborations with artists like Drake and Chance The Rapper. ”
Black previously spent seven years as Global Director at EMI Production Music for Sony Music Publishing, where he worked with management teams worldwide and managed the growth of the company’s brands, including legendary music producers like KPM, MusicHouse and Juice. He also manages its side publishing interests. Prior to joining EMI Production Music in 2013, he was the chief executive officer of Imagem Production Music and oversaw the brand transition from Boosey & Hawkes Production Music; created the classic library label Boosey & Hawkes and managed the growth of the company’s media portfolio. This includes BBC News and Dance Come Dancing / Dancing With The Stars theme tunes.
Before joining Imagem (now Concord), Black ran his own PR agency, Rocketscience Media, working with artists such as Basement Jaxx, Carl Cox and Radiohead. He also produced music for music production start-up West One and worked for legendary record producer Trevor Horn at the world-renowned Sarm Studios in west London.
About Sonoton Music
Sonoton Music was founded by Rotheide and Gerhard Narholz in Munich and is today the largest independent music library in the world. The company owns exclusively more than 130,000 works from all genres. Hundreds of composers, musicians and producers around the globe ensure that the library grows with more than 100 albums of all musical genres, styles, instruments and genres each year. In addition, more than 150 albums are added each year from international catalogs. More than 35 dealers worldwide license their music for television, film, advertising, internet production, and sampling. Sonoton’s music can be found in the Netflix series Unorthodox, feature films such as Greyhound and Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, as well as countless other works.
Click contact
Kruger Media GmbH
Torstraße 171 I 10115 Berlin I Germany
Richard Pelzer
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone number: +49 30-30 64 54 8-0
