Shore Fire Media


Seeker Music Announces Global Distribution Deal with Virgin Music Group

Partnership marks the next phase of expansion for the creator-led music company’s catalog of over 19,000 copyrights & recordings

 

 

From left to right: Michael Cantor, SVP Business and Legal Affairs, Virgin Music Group; Steven Melrose, Chief Creative Officer, Seeker; Evan Bogart, Chief Executive Officer, Seeker; Jacqueline Saturn, President, Virgin Music Group North America, and EVP of Global Artist Relations; Cindy James, General Manager, Virgin Music Group, North America. Photo by Rich Polk. 

High Resolution Version HERE.

(LOS ANGELES, CA - June 9, 2026)  Seeker Music Group, the creator-led music rights, publishing, and record company led by award-winning songwriter and creative executive Evan Bogart - with backing from international savings and investment business M&G - has announced a global distribution partnership with Virgin Music Group, the world’s leading partner to independent labels, artists and entrepreneurs. The deal builds on years of collaboration between Bogart, Seeker Chief Creative Officer Steven Melrose, and Virgin Music Group, and will expand Seeker’s global reach and scale across its growing $400 million catalog of more than 19,000 copyrights and recordings.

Under the new agreement, Virgin Music Group will serve as Seeker’s global distribution partner for its catalog of recordings and new project releases, amplifying Seeker worldwide and bringing enhanced strategy, marketing, and infrastructure to unlock new audiences for Seeker’s catalog artists.

Since launching in 2020, Seeker’s creator-led team has built a unique strategy around acquiring music they genuinely love, identifying that music’s untapped potential, and extending its cultural and commercial legacy through high-touch creative catalog management. That approach spans everything from innovative sampling and interpolation strategies, to collaborative songwriting and producer partnerships aimed at creating fresh IP, proactive sync & creative licensing, a proprietary short-form content amplification strategy and bespoke catalog marketing campaigns with artist-forward storytelling.

This creative philosophy helped power one of the biggest hits of 2024 – Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which interpolates Seeker’s catalog cut “Tipsy” by J-Kwon – and has also shaped other major releases by MarioCoco JonesTeyana TaylorMegan Thee StallionChris BrownPop Smoke, and more. Seeker has also paired that approach with targeted catalog campaigns, such as its work with Christopher Cross’s catalog, which has grown his Spotify monthly listeners from roughly 2.5 to more than 8 million, alongside a steady pipeline of catalog-driven new records: reissues, rarities, demos, and new remixes and covers.

In the past few years, Seeker has put out reissues and never-before-publicly-heard music from the likes of Run the Jewels and Christopher Cross, and worked with artists ranging from Allen Stone and Benny Sings (covering Cross), to Tayla Parx and Say She She (covering SWV hits written by Brian Alexander Morgan) to reimagine and release catalog music in fresh new ways. Upcoming reissue and remix projects this year are in the works with key catalog artists such as Joan Jett, Christopher Cross, and Nu Shooz - more details to come.

Through its work with Virgin, Seeker will now further expand and accelerate its proven playbook globally, on the heels of a period of significant overall growth - last month, Seeker announced the closing of its inaugural $267 million asset-backed securitization (ABS).

“Seeker represents the kind of forward-thinking, creator-driven company we love partnering with at Virgin Music Group,” said Cindy James, General Manager of Virgin Music Group North America. “Steven, Evan, and their team have a unique ability to reimagine catalog and artist partnerships in ways that feel fresh, relevant, and culturally impactful. With our global infrastructure and their creative vision, we see a tremendous opportunity to amplify this music and connect it with new audiences around the world, and we’re incredibly excited about what we can build together.”

“This partnership is a game-changer for Seeker in how we elevate our catalog and artists,” said Evan Bogart, Seeker Music CEO. “We are so excited about the cultural impact and importance of the records we have the opportunity to support, and Virgin is the best at championing independent catalogs and artists on a global scale. Whether it is Nu Shooz, Run the Jewels, Joan Jett, or Christopher Cross, we are now in a position to celebrate our music with more energy and resources than ever before. Seeker is here to build, preserve, and extend legacies, and Virgin is the perfect partner to help us scale that mission.”

“We’ve been good friends with, and huge admirers of Nat, JT, Jacqueline and Cindy for a while, so it made all the sense in the world for us to team up with them and their great extended global family" said Seeker Chief Creative Officer Steven Melrose. “They bring the same creative passion and forward-thinking spirit that defines Seeker, and together we’ll unlock new opportunities for our artists and catalogs worldwide!”

About Seeker

Led by CEO and award-winning songwriter Evan Bogart (“Halo”), with backing from M&G Investments, Seeker Music has taken a creator-first, creator-led approach to records, rights management, and music publishing since it was established in 2020. Their over 19,000+ copyright-strong catalog includes everything from the work of Joan Jett, Christopher Cross, Run The Jewels, Jon Bellion and Charlotte Caffey (of the Go-Go’s), to Mozella (“Wrecking Ball”), John Ryan (One Direction), Plested (Lewis Capaldi), Mark Morrison (“Return Of The Mack”), Future Cut (Lily Allen), Jay Sean (“Down”) and J-Kwon’s “Tipsy,” which has been interpolated into the longest-running Billboard #1 song of all time, the GRAMMY-nominated “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” and many more.

Seeker was named #2 on Fast Company’s list of Most Innovative Music Companies 2025. Alongside Bogart, the company is led by an executive team consisting of Chief Rights and Royalties Officer Jennifer Blakeman, Chief Creative Officer Steven Melrose, General Counsel Dan Stuart and Chief Financial Officer Todd von Mende, and works with a Board chaired by John Smith (BBC, Burberry), and including key investors M&G Investments.

For more information, visit Seekermusic.com

 

About Virgin Music Group

Virgin Music Group is the world’s leading partner to independent music companies and artists who require a standalone team with global infrastructure and local expertise in every major music market around the world. Virgin Music Group offers compelling, efficient, and highly flexible global solutions with the most advanced marketing technology available for independent record labels, artists, and entrepreneurs who want to succeed.

For more information, visit www.virginmusic.com

 

Media Contact for Seeker: 

Hannah Schwartz at Shore Fire Media, hschwartz@shorefire.com

 

Media Contacts for Virgin Music Group:

Liz Morentin, liz.morentin@virginmusic.com

John Vlautin, jv@spinlab.net