May 16, 2024 (Nashville, TN) – Symphonic Distribution, a leading music technology and services company for independent labels, managers, and artists, is proud to announce that its Founder & CEO, Jorge Brea, was selected as the recipient of the #NEXTGEN_NOW One to Watch Award at the Music Business Association’s third annual Bizzy Awards, which were presented last night as part of the Music Biz 2024 conference at the JW Marriott Nashville.
The #NEXTGEN_NOW One to Watch Award recognizes an executive under 40 whose work (professional and/or volunteer) has been exceptional, innovative, and stands out as a contribution to the industry. Brea was selected from a strong field of crowd-nominated finalists that also included Andrew Batey (Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Beatdapp), Alex Mas Cepero (Marketing Director, TIDAL), and Morgan McKnight (Executive Director, Production Music Association). Past winners include Emilio Morales (Rimas Publishing) and Shauna Alexander (then with Soundcloud).
The 2024 Bizzy Awards Dinner was hosted by Gina Miller (SVP & GM, MNRK Music Group) and featured a special performance by Country-Latin star Angie K. Additional awards presented over the night included the 2024 Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement, which went to Cameo Carlson of mtheory, and the 2024 Impact Award for Technological Excellence, which went to The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), as well as six additional crowd-nominated categories. The full list of winners is available here.
“My thanks goes out to the Music Business Association for choosing me for this honor from among such an incredible group of finalists,” said Brea. “Over the past year, we’ve made huge strides forward on behalf of our artists, providing global opportunities for growth and ensuring those opportunities are monetized. We’ve also worked hard to innovate new technologies that make it easier for independents to stay organized and informed, and are making it a priority to bring people from all walks of life together through music. I couldn’t have done any of this without my amazing team at Symphonic, so this award is really for them!”
Brea has led Symphonic to over $100 million in total revenue and growing, with $1 billion in payments made to record labels, artists, and more. He also raised $37 million in Series B funding for Symphonic, a testament to his vision and the company’s robust trajectory. This funding round, led by NewSpring Growth and supported by Ballast Point Ventures, was recognized as “Deal of the Year” by the Tampa Bay chapter of AM&AA. In addition, Brea led Symphonic’s acquisition of Streaming Productions, a Nashville-based marketing agency, in 2023. This acquisition – along with Symphonic’s expansion into new territories including Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Ireland, South Africa, and Nigeria – demonstrates Brea’s strategic vision and Symphonic’s growing influence in the music industry.
Brea also worked closely with Symphonic’s tech team to continue innovating on the company’s proprietary platform, which includes advanced features on par with major labels. New features introduced in 2023 included TikTok Analytics, SplitShare, and TransferTrack, the latter of which has been patented, underscoring significant technological progress.
Brea’s dedication to diversity and inclusion also showed through in 2023 through the launch of the Women’s Mentorship Program. This initiative matched 340 women in the music industry across Africa, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. with mentors from prestigious companies like Spotify, YouTube, and TikTok, empowering them to advance in their careers. Furthermore, Symphonic’s networking events across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Nigeria drew over 5,600 participants just in 2023, exemplifying Brea’s commitment to nurturing global musical talent and fostering cross-cultural collaborations.
About Symphonic
Symphonic is a leading music technology and services company, offering a proprietary content management and distribution platform, global royalty collection and split payments, and robust label services to independent labels, managers, and artists. Founded in 2006 by music producer Jorge Brea, Symphonic is 100% independent and proud to be “by artists, for artists.” Headquartered in Tampa, FL, and Nashville, TN, Symphonic also has a significant presence in Los Angeles, Miami, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Ireland, and Africa.
Symphonic’s current artists and alumni include Imogen Heap, Tokischa, Doechii, Surf Mesa, DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill, Daddy Yankee, Nicky Jam, Ozuna, El Alfa, Juan Luis Guerra, Onyx, Pi’erre Bourne, Nick Murphy/Chet Faker, Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation, CloZee, and Freddie Gibbs, among many others. For more information, visit symphonic.com.