Round Hill Music Royalty Partners has made two key executive appointments as it seeks to capitalize on growing investor interest in music royalties and pursue “strategic capital markets opportunities.”
The firm, which manages about USD $900 million in music rights assets, has appointed Jeff Bunder as Global Chief Financial Officer and James King as Chief Capital Officer.
“The newly created positions further strengthen Round Hill’s executive team against the backdrop of a continuing expansion of the music rights market and increasing appetite among global investors for exposure to its consistent stream of revenues and capital appreciation potential,” Round Hill said in announcing the appointments on March 13.
Josh Gruss, Founder and CEO at Round Hill Music, added, “As the momentum in the music industry continues to build, investor interest in music rights is stronger than ever. We are well primed to respond to this as we embark on the next phase of our strategic journey at Round Hill.”
King, the newly appointed Chief Capital Officer, joins Round Hill from investment bank Cavendish, where he led the Investment Companies division. Based in London, he has over 25 years of corporate finance experience across the UK, Europe, and Africa.
He previously advised Round Hill on its IPO on the London Stock Exchange, subsequent catalog acquisitions, and its $469 million portfolio sale in October 2023. The sale of Round Hill’s Royalty Fund portfolio marked the second successful exit for investors who participated in Round Hill Fund I, which launched in 2011.
In his new role, King will focus on expanding Round Hill’s investor base in the UK and Europe. He will work closely with Katie Kowinski, who joined as Chief of Investor Relations and Business Development in late 2024.
“As we pursue strategic capital markets opportunities and seek to expand our investor base in the United Kingdom and Europe, I look forward to leveraging my experience within the team to identify new avenues for growth and deliver exceptional value to our investors,” King said.
Meanwhile, Bunder, based in Nashville, brings almost four decades of private equity experience to the role, having spent 30 years at EY, where he was one of the founding members of the Transaction Advisory Services practice and served as Global Private Equity Leader.
He also held Partner and CFO positions at New York-based middle-market private equity firm Lindsay Goldberg and Edgelight Capital. At Lindsay Goldberg, he served on the valuation and investment committees and supported a number of portfolio companies in their post-acquisition periods. At Edgelight, Bunder served as Partner and CFO of the telecom-focused investment platform.
At Round Hill, Bunder will oversee finance, accounting, tax, valuation, and investor relations functions. He will also support financial strategy and capital management, and serve on the company’s management, investment, and valuation committees.
“Round Hill, under Josh’s leadership, has built a strong reputation as an investment firm leader in acquiring and exploiting music IP rights. The team has generated a notable track record, having built out a platform that sets it apart from many of its peers,” Bunder said.
“It’s an exciting time for music royalties in its emergence as an attractive investment class. I’m looking forward to helping achieve the growth objectives of this business and to assisting Round Hill in fulfilling its strategic ambitions.”
Founded in 2010, Round Hill says it has raised and deployed more than $1.1 billion since its inception. The company’s portfolio now comprises over 200,000 songs performed by artists including Whitney Houston, Bruno Mars, Chaka Khan, Morgan Wallen, Goo Goo Dolls, Bryan Adams, Matchbox Twenty, The Killers, Meat Loaf, and Madonna.
The value of music copyrights – both recordings and compositions – jumped 11% to USD $45.5 billion in 2023, making music 38% larger than the global movie industry, according to a report from Will Page, the former Chief Economist at both Spotify and UK collection society PRS for Music. In 2024, global music copyright revenues are forecast to have reached $50 billion, double the value since 2014.
Music Business Worldwide