Independent music publisher Primary Wave Music has teamed up with direct-to-fan music distribution platform Game My Fan to release artists’ albums as mobile games.
Game My Fan, founded by its CEO Kelly Sumner, described the deal as a “first-of-its-kind partnership” that will see Primary Wave release “artist-personalised classic albums and new music entirely customised as games”.
Game My Fan claims to be “creating an entirely new product category, revenue stream, and fan engagement channel”.
Game My Fan creates mobile games that sync with music playback, adjusting gameplay to match tempo and rhythm. Music purchased through the games remains locked to the platform and cannot be played elsewhere.
The platform uses music personalization technology from Reactional Music for synchronizing audio and gameplay. Game My Fan says it can customize games for new releases within weeks of agreement.
Sumner, former CEO of Guitar Hero publisher Red Octane and Grand Theft Auto publisher Take 2 Interactive, said: “Direct-to-fan engagement is now at the centre of an artist’s relationship with their fans. Reactional’s music personalization technology and distribution platform means games can now be a direct-to-fan community platform tailored to each artist, allowing music fans to collect and play the albums they love in new and creative ways.”
Primary Wave and Game My Fan now join Reactional’s expanding network of over 50 rightsholder partners, including Beggars Group, Defected Records, Cherry Red Records, Hopeless Records, Hipgnosis Song Management, APM and Naxos. Earlier this year, Reactional partnered with UK-based independent music company Ninja Tune for in-game music.
Sumner added: “Critically for artists in the streaming age, innovation in music delivery means new revenue, new data, and a new DLC market controlled directly by the artist with their fan communities.”
“There is no cost to the artist—they make money from unit sale number one. Once on a fan’s device, they can update the game with any album, introduce playlists and tracks as DLC, and continuously innovate with their fan base.”
Kelly Sumner, Game My Fan
Sumner explained: “There is no cost to the artist—they make money from unit sale number one. Once on a fan’s device, they can update the game with any album, introduce playlists and tracks as DLC, and continuously innovate with their fan base.”
Natalia Nastaskin, Chief Content Officer at Primary Wave Music, said: “As a global innovator in music, we know fans want a deeper, more exclusive direct relationship with artists. Our partnership with Game My Fan allows artists to work their catalogues in new ways, using new technology and existing distribution infrastructure to create a new music category direct to fans’ devices.”
The first release under the partnership is a tribute album commemorating rock band Bad Company‘s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Can’t Get Enough: A Tribute to Bad Company features covers from rock acts including Blackberry Smoke, The Struts, Dirty Honey and Black Stone Cherry, with guest appearances from Bad Company’s original members Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke.
“Our partnership with Game My Fan allows artists to work their catalogues in new ways, using new technology and existing distribution infrastructure to create a new music category direct to fans’ devices.”
Natalia Nastaskin, Primary Wave Music
Under the Game My Fan model, revenue is split equally between the platform and artists or rightsholders. Primary Wave maintains control over release dates, timing, marketing, and pricing for its catalog releases through the platform.
The deal also enables what the gaming industry calls downloadable content (DLC), additional tracks or albums that can be sold within games after the initial release. This approach could allow Primary Wave to release catalog material incrementally, testing market response before committing full albums.
The partnership represents Primary Wave’s strategy of exploring alternative revenue sources beyond traditional streaming and radio play. Last month, the company signed a strategic partnership with venue operator and premium hospitality destination provider Venu Holding Corporation to bring “artist-inspired” programming and immersive content to its venues nationwide.
Earlier this year, Primary Wave co-produced an immersive Bob Marley experience at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, marking an expansion for the music rights company. The Bob Marley Hope Road project was a collaboration between Primary Wave and production company FiveCurrents.
The alliance comes as Primary Wave continues to grow its catalog of music rights. Last week, it partnered with Derry Music Company for the music, publishing copyrights, and recording catalog of legendary jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck, whose catalog includes compositions such as In Your Own Sweet Way and It’s a Raggy Waltz, along with recordings featuring the Dave Brubeck Quartet.
Earlier in November, the company entered into a partnership with the estate of Phil Lynott, co-founder and songwriter of iconic Irish rock band Thin Lizzy.
Primary Wave has also struck partnerships for the catalogs of Grammy winner Patti LaBelle, the Estate of legendary English blues rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, Peter Green, and Grammy-nominated band the Cars, Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, Stevie Nicks, and Luther Vandross, Grammy-winning songwriter and performer Jimmy Webb, along with deals with the estate of country and folk singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, Grammy-winning violinist Itzhak Perlman, and Feels So Good composer Chuck Mangione.
In recent months, the company acquired a stake in the Biggie Smalls catalog, which was reported to have valued the artist’s estate at $200 million, and the catalog of Nuno Bettencourt of 90s rock band Extreme.
It has also struck a deal for the recorded, publishing, brand and name and likeness rights of The Village People of YMCA fame; a catalog deal with the estate of songwriter and musician P.F. Sloan; and a stake in the catalog of singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka.
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