Create Music Group

A global pop and R&B sensation, Jason Derulo has been a powerhouse in the music industry since his breakout in 2009 with the chart-topping hit “Whatcha Say.” Known for his infectious dance anthems and emotional ballads, Derulo has delivered a steady stream of international hits, including “In My Head,” “Talk Dirty,” “Wiggle,” “Want to Want Me,” and “Savage Love.”

Born in Florida to Haitian parents, Derulo began his career as a songwriter for other artists before stepping into the spotlight himself. Over the years, he’s become known for his genre-blending sound and high-energy performances, collaborating with artists across pop, hip-hop, Latin, and K-pop.

In 2024, he released Nu King, his long-awaited fifth studio album packed with fan favorites and star-studded features. Now, he’s gearing up for an exciting new chapter — with a brand-new single dropping soon and a global tour on the horizon, there’s so much more to come.

We’re honored to be part of this next phase of his journey.

Aisha Bean, VP, People & Culture, Create Music Group

Aisha Bean is Vice President, People & Culture at Create Music Group. Create sits at the intersections of music, culture, technology, and data. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the firm partners with over 25,000 artists and over 2,500 record labels. 

With over 18 years of experience leading people and culture strategies across the tech, advertising, and entertainment industries, Bean brings a future-focused approach to organizational design and talent development. Recognized by the LA Times as a 2024 DEIA Visionary, she is a passionate advocate for inclusive leadership and building high-impact teams.

Below, as part of Music Business Jobs’ Career Advice section, Bean offers five top tips (plus one bonus tip!) for job seekers based on her own experience as a hirer…

Whether you’re trying to break in or grow, success depends on more than passion—it’s about showing value, being intentional, and understanding how the business actually works. At Create, you don’t always need music industry experience, but you do need a plan.

From data science to A&R, here’s how future leaders are getting hired—and building careers that last:

Tip 1: Lead With Value – Especially If You Work in Data or Tech

Yes, loving music matters. But what’s more compelling is how your skills drive monetization, innovation, or efficiency.
Are you a data analyst spotting fan trends? A product manager who’s built royalty tools? An engineer scaling content platforms? The industry needs builders who understand how systems sustain the ecosystem. Speak to that.

Tip 2: Your Resumé Is a Billboard. Your Portfolio Is the Proof.

Your resumé should pitch your impact. What did you build, improve, or launch? Use metrics when possible. But go further – show your work. A portfolio isn’t just for creatives. A project manager might include workflow maps or sprint recaps. A developer can link to feature demos or code repos. Social marketers can share their favorite campaigns. Use your portfolio to connect the dots between your expertise and how it would drive results for the role you’re targeting. The easier you make it for someone to see your impact, the more likely they are to remember you.

3. Go Beyond the Cover Letter – Make It an Experience

Cover letters still matter – but modern candidates tell their story across mediums. Make your resumé a clickable hub: link to samples, campaign recaps, or a short intro video.

Use platforms like Notion, Canva, or your own site to curate your body of work. Whether you’re in A&R, Marketing, HR, or Legal– show how you think, not just what you’ve done. Great storytelling leaves a lasting impression.

4. In Interviews, Bring Your Vision to the Table

We’re hiring Innovators. The strongest candidates think like entrepreneurs: they challenge assumptions and create value. Share moments where you launched something, solved a problem, or drove innovation. We prioritize candidates who are trend watchers and trendsetters that fluidly demonstrate strategic execution. Show us you’re more than your job title – you’re a driver of what’s next.

Tip 5: Your Soft Skills Will Set You Apart

Music is a relationship-driven industry. Research company culture and demonstrate how you align, authentically. Being technically strong isn’t enough if you can’t build trust and communicate effectively. Show how you lead with empathy, navigate ambiguity, while shifting priorities.Can you turn feedback into fuel, not friction?

Hiring managers are looking for more than cultural fit—they want cultural contributors. Bring examples that show how you elevate team dynamics.

Bonus Tip for A&R: Don’t Just Spot Talent – Spot Opportunity

Modern A&R is more than good ears. Taste matters – but so does data fluency, business sense, and cultural insight. Can you turn early buzz into growth? Guide artists through brand-building and monetization? The best A&Rs are part curator, part entrepreneur. Show how you develop talent, not just find it.

The bottom line is, don’t shrink to conform, differentiate yourself from the competition.

Billboard’s 2025 Global Power Players Revealed

Manu Kaushish – President of International, Create Music Group

In June 2024, Create Music Group reached a significant milestone when it received a received a $165 million investment from Chicago-based private equity firm Flexpoint Ford. The move elevated CMG to “unicorn” status after getting a $1 billion valuation. The capital allowed CMG to acquire the catalogs of deadmau5 and his label, mau5trap. Founded in 2015, CMG includes marketing agency Flighthouse and independent music distribution platform Label Engine, which handled Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s Billboard 200 No. 1 Vultures 1.

“We are poised for continued aggressive expansion in 2025, empowering and onboarding even more international artists and labels,” Kaushish says.

Biggest issue now: “How to adequately and fairly compensate music creators in a world of ever-changing streaming royalties and algorithms, especially with the dominance and power that DSPs and their stakeholders have right now.”

Exciting things are happening at Create Music Group, where momentum continues to build with a wave of new client signings, chart-topping music releases and freshly announced tour dates. As the roster grows and our artists achieve new milestones, Create Music Group remains a dynamic hub at the forefront of independent music. 

New Client Signings

ALLBROOK STATION:

Formed in 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah, Allbrook Station comprises lead singer/guitarist Burke Louis, bassist Jessie Gomez, drummer Nate Smeding, producer/guitarist Randy Slaugh, and Junior Gomez  handling sampling and live electronic production. Their debut album, All We Have Is Pain, is set to release in this year, featuring their latest single “Chimerical” which has recently released as a music video available on their official YouTube channel.

Chimerical Music Video

AVIELLA:

Originally from Rochester, New York, Aviella began her musical journey at age 10, uploading acoustic covers to YouTube that amassed over 5 million views. Her breakout came through collaborations with artists like Slushii, Conro, and Unknown Brain, leading to a series of releases on major electronic labels including Monstercat. Her 2021 single “tell me what you’re thinking” earned her a #1 on the Billboard Dance/Mix Show Airplay Chart and US Dance Radio Mediabase. 

EBK LEEBO:

EBK Leebo is a rising hip-hop artist from Stockton, California, known for his gritty lyricism and street-centric storytelling. His breakout mixtape, King of the 3z, released in 2023, featured standout tracks such as “1,2,3” and “Mr Disrespectful,” establishing him as a prominent voice in California’s underground rap scene. In 2025, EBK Leebo continued his momentum with new singles like “Binary Trigger” and “Thru These Street” With a growing presence on platforms like SoundCloud and Instagram, EBK Leebo is solidifying his place in the West Coast rap landscape.

UPCOMING ALBUMS:

Sevdaliza announces her third album HEROINA which is expected to drop in the Fall of 2025. It is now available for pre-save.

UPCOMING TOURS:

Create Fam Deebaby Joins NBA Youngboy on the MASA Tour which is set to kickoff on September 2, 2025 in Dallas Texas.

Create Music Group has acquired indie electronic label Monstercat.

(Billboard, May 2025)

Founded in Waterloo, Canada, in 2011 and now with offices in Toronto and Los Angeles, Monstercat will continue to be operated by President Daniel Turcotte, VP Orri Sachar and Director of Finance Rob Hill. Monstercat founders Mike Darlington and Ari Paunonen will have advisory roles.

The acquisition will provide Monstercat with access to CMG’s global infrastructure, media portfolio and capital — enabling it to offer more competitive deal structures and better marketing support while expanding its global presence.

Beyond the acquisition, Create plans to invest an additional $50 million into the label over the next two years, with the money specifically going towards artist development, advances, and support for new signees and longtime roster artists.

Since 2011, Monstercat has released more than 8,000 recordings from artists across the electronic spectrum, including Kaskade, Alan Walker, Vicetone, Punctual, Whipped, DJ Diesel (the artist name of Shaquille O’Neal), Koven and more. Monstercat sublabels servicing various subgenres include Uncaged, Silk and Instinct.

“Our mission has always been to build sustainable, long-term careers for exceptional artists,” Turcotte said in a statement. “Create gives us the reach and support to do that at a larger scale, without changing what makes Monstercat special. We’re still artist-first — only now with more tools to serve them.”

“Monstercat is everything an independent label should strive to be — exclusive, globally trusted and capable of breaking artists and songs at the highest levels,” added Create Music Group co-founder/CEO Jonathan Strauss. “Mike, Ari, Daniel, Orri, and the entire Monstercat team have built a culture and community at a scale rarely achieved in the music industry. We are excited to support their mission.”

The news marks the continuation of a recent acquisition spree by Create, with the company announcing in March that it acquired both the deadmau5 catalog and the catalog of the producer’s mau5trap label in a deal valued at $55 million. In April, it announced its acquisition longtime indie electronic label !K7.

In 2024, Create received $165 million in backing from private equity company Flexpoint Ford, with Strauss at the time saying that the money would be used to scale operations, expand services and fund acquisitions.

The company is now aggressively pursuing acquisitions and investments in key indie labels and artists, with a goal of building intellectual property that can be successfully exploited via its platform. A representative for Create says this platform includes distribution and an owned audience that generates more than 200 billion monthly music streams on digital service providers.

Flighthouse launched in 2016, becoming the first-ever TikTok-first media publisher — and quickly racked up 30M+ followers and cemented itself as a defining force in Gen Z culture. By speaking the native language of short-form video, Flighthouse built one of the largest and most engaged youth audiences on the internet. Over the years, the brand has become a go-to destination for music, creators, and pop culture.

(LOS ANGELES, CA  April 24, 2025)

Flighthouse is stepping onto a new playing field.

Introducing Fieldhouse — a sports-first, chaos-forward content brand built for Gen Z competition.

Fieldhouse isn’t about traditional highlights or sideline commentary. It’s built around games, debates, and rapid-fire matchups that turn sports into something participatory. Every post is designed to spark rivalries, rally group chats, and keep fans in the game — even off the field. From GOAT debates to fantasy drafts with a twist, Fieldhouse takes the rules of sports media and flips the playbook.

And the scoreboard so far?

145K followers across platforms. Over 150 million views. Brand partnerships with SeatGeek, PrizePicks, and more in the pipeline

The mission isn’t to play by old media rules — it’s to run the fast break. To meet Gen Z where they live (on their phones), how they engage (through competition), and in the format they love (short-form and snackable). This isn’t just sports content — it’s content as a sport.

Flighthouse built a dominant franchise in Gen Z entertainment. Now, with Fieldhouse, it’s entering a new league.

For brands, creators, and fans ready to join the roster — game on.

Fieldhouse is just getting warmed up.

Fieldhouse On TikTok

Create Music Group has acquired longstanding indie electronic label !K7. The acquisition comes two months after the death of !K7 founder Horst Weidenmueller at age 60.

(Billboard – April 10, 2025)

The acquisition was in motion before Weidenmueller’s death, with a representative for the deal sharing a statement made by the founder before he died: “This transition is a deeply personal one for me, but I know that with Create Music Group, !K7 is in the right hands. Create Music Group shares our commitment to artists, labels, and creativity, and I am confident that this partnership will strengthen !K7’s legacy while opening new doors for the future. I want to thank our incredible team, partners, and artists for being part of this journey — what we have built together will continue to thrive and evolve for years to come.

Founded in 1985, !K7 began releasing artist albums in 1996, putting forth music from across the wide electronic spectrum and beyond. The company now has offices in Berlin, London and New York, with its label group including the in-house labels !K7, AUS, 7K!, Soul Bank and Strut Records. Its longstanding influential DJ Kicks mix series is an influential and globally known platform for a wide range of DJs and producers.

!K7 CEO Tom Nieuweboer says the partnership will allow the label “to scale our vision while staying true to our core values of independent artistry, innovation, and quality.”

This is the second high-profile acquisition Create has made in the electronic space this year, with the company announcing in March that it acquired the deadmau5 catalog, along with the catalog of the producer’s mau5trap records, for $55 million.

!K7 will be an asset to Create with its global brand recognition, ubiquity in and knowledge of the European music industry ecosystem, and its physical distribution network. Meanwhile, !K7’s artists and label partners will leverage Create’s in-house services spanning distribution, marketing and more.

“Horst was a special music entrepreneur who built !K7 over 40 years into a globally renowned brand,” said Create CFO William Smith in a statement. “Long before he passed, we spent many hours discussing ways that we could invest more into !K7 to help the business reach new heights, while also preserving the culture and principles that make the business so unique. We’re proud that Horst has trusted us with his legacy and the next chapter of !K7’s growth, and are excited to partner with Tom and the rest of the team in achieving this shared vision.”

“We are thrilled to welcome !K7 and its iconic DJ-Kicks series to the Create Music Group family,” added Create’s senior vp of global corporate development and M&A Eric Nguyen. “This acquisition not only deepens our footprint in electronic music but also reinforces our commitment to forward-thinking music across a wide spectrum of specialist genres represented by its globally respected imprint Strut Records. We’re proud to support the innovative spirit that defines the !K7 catalogue. We look forward to powering the next chapter for !K7, its exceptional roster of artists, and its visionary label partners around the world.”

Flighthouse Media, the digital powerhouse known for its vibrant presence on platforms like TikTok, has been nominated at the 29th Annual Webby Awards.

The Webby Awards, often celebrated as the “Internet’s highest honor,” acknowledge exceptional work across the digital landscape, including websites, video, advertising, media, and PR. Nominated for The Best On The Internet for Prime Video Ricky Stanicky Only Fans starring  John Cena. This nomination reflects the brand’s ability to shape digital culture through captivating and relatable content.

Webby People’s Voice allows fans to decide who they want to win by casting there vote. Voting is open until Thursday, April 17th.

Vote Here