Artist marketing platform un:hurd has acquired IndieKnow, an educational resource for musicians based in Bangkok, Thailand.
The deal brings together two companies with the same goal of democratizing access to music industry knowledge and tools, according to a press release on December 5.
Alex Brees, Founder and CEO of un:hurd music, explained the motivation behind the acquisition. He highlighted a specific stage in an artist’s release cycle where musicians often struggle, noting that IndieKnow’s services address this challenge and will integrate seamlessly into un:hurd’s new workflows launching in early 2025.
“This acquisition is a natural alignment and allows us to provide even more value to our community. IndieKnow is a cornerstone of knowledge and empowerment for artists, and un:hurd has always been about helping artists cut through the noise more effectively,” said Brees.
Andy Haggerstone, Founder and CEO of IndieKnow, welcomed the acquisition, saying, “IndieKnow has always been a rich repository of educational content and nuanced industry guides. We have always sought to share knowledge and lay out easy to follow steps for emerging artists.
“IndieKnow is a cornerstone of knowledge and empowerment for artists, and un:hurd has always been about helping artists cut through the noise more effectively.”
Alex Brees, un:hurd music
“Being based in Bangkok we are focussed on global reach, and being acquired by un:hurd is a huge win for us as a business and we are excited our content will benefit and reach more artists than ever through the un:hurd platform.”
Paying users of IndieKnow will be contacted directly and onboarded to un:hurd’s platform. Current un:hurd users can expect no immediate changes to their experience or subscriptions. IndieKnow’s content will become accessible on the un:hurd platform in early 2025, providing learning resources for new artists building their careers.
Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. “We are not publicly revealing the deal price at this time. We can say both parties were very happy with the transaction,” the two companies said.
The acquisition includes the IndieKnow platform, its technology, all stock and proprietary assets, including the brand. However, the companies noted that IndieKnow personnel have not been acquired in the process.
For un:hurd, the acquisition comes as the company continues to expand its offerings. In September, it expanded its partner network and launched two new membership tiers to provide artists with an enhanced suite of marketing and promotional tools.
Its new partners include CD Baby, SoundCloud, Audiomack, Amazon Merch on Demand, EmPawa, feature.fm, beatBread, Laylo, Rotor Videos by LyricFind, masterchannel, RoEx, RepostExchange, Chartmetric, GEMA, MusicHub, Gotobeat, UD Music, Fave, Mogul, loop.fans, Volta VR, Warm, Lounges.tv, elasticStage, Music Industry Mentor, and The Featured Artists Coalition.
Earlier this year, un:hurd completed a “six-figure” strategic funding round that included investments from Nigerian artist/record exec Mr Eazi, Dutch DJ/producer Sam Feldt, and Kobalt founder and Chairman Willard Ahdritz, who led a “seven-figure” funding round for un:hurd last year.
Music Business Worldwide