Cutting Edge Media Music

26/09/2025

If you liked the music from Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones or Stranger Things, did you ever wonder who owns the rights and royalties and where the investment opportunity may lie?

In this conversation of an intriguing “alternative investment”, we welcome a founder and CEO who sits at the epicentre of this web, capitalising upon the powerful growth which is changing ways music, film and television are consumed.

Philip explains why there has been proliferation of digital platforms and content, matched by an increase in demand for media music usage, and how digitisation has allowed singers to know and to collect their entitlements.

He describes the forces driving these developments, the interplay between the cogs of the music machine and the opportunity they identified in an addressable market estimated to be worth £30bn. He explains Cutting Edge Group’s path to become a world leading music partner to the film and TV industries.

From the revenue model, the financing, through to the integrated platform they have built, Philip discusses how complexity around the ecosystem creates opportunity. He references why their recent JV with Warner Bros Music significantly increases the assets under CEG’s management and underscores its growth from a niche player into a major partner for Hollywood studios.

The Business Behind the Beat: Monetising Media Music Rights with Cutting Edge’s CEO and Founder, Philip Moross | Money Maze Curated Podcasts

04/09/2025

Cutting Edge, led by CEO Philip Moross, has acquired both the publishing and master rights to AMC Studios’ entire TV music library for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition of AMC Studios’ “full portfolio of TV music rights,” adds compositions from hit TV series including The Walking Dead franchise and Anne Rice adaptations to its media music portfolio.

The compositions and recordings from the latest deal join CEG’s total portfolio of over 400,000 owned and/or managed media music rights, which it says is valued at more than USD $1 billion.

The transaction marks the latest expansion for Cutting Edge following its partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery in January to create a joint venture through which it now co-owns and co-manages the studio’s vast catalog of film and TV music, spanning almost a century.

The company’s latest acquisition covers music from AMC’s original programming over the past decade. Other assets in the deal include Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire, Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, Into the Badlands and Dark Winds.

The deal also sees CEG secure rights to music from future seasons of existing franchises The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, premiering in September, Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat, expected in 2026, Anne Rice’s Talamasca: The Secret Order, premiering in October, and a new Immortal Universe TV series.

According to Cutting Edge, under the deal, AMC Networks will continue to use the music within AMC Studios’ series “in perpetuity.”

Commenting on the latest deal, Tara Finegan, COO of Cutting Edge Group, said: “AMC Studios’ catalogue represents some of the finest storytelling in modern television and we are honoured to become custodians of the remarkable music behind it.

“Being a record label partner to AMC since 2016 through our soundtrack division, Lakeshore Records, and having released the soundtrack album of Bear McCreary’s iconic The Walking Dead score, we have first-hand experience with how valuable and long lasting this studio’s catalogue is and we look forward to carrying this extraordinary body of work into its next chapter.”

Tim Hegarty, Head of M&A at Cutting Edge Group, said: “This investment reflects our unwavering commitment to securing the very best music rights in the media & entertainment industry.

“Our ability to complete deals of this caliber is testament to the reputation we have established within the Film and TV industry over the past decades.”

“We have a deep conviction in this subsector of the music copyrights market, having completed 25 acquisitions in just four years, and are confident we can grow the audience and revenue potential of the portfolio by utilizing our team’s specialist experience and operating expertise.”

Full story available via Music Business Worldwide (MBW):

Under the deal, AMC Networks will continue to use the music within AMC Studios’ series “in perpetuity.”

21/06/2024

Cutting Edge’s White Stork Music division, the publishing company founded by U.K. composer Tom Howe, has entered a partnership with U.K. production company Touchdown Films. White Stork will now provide Touchdown with finance, world-class music services and access to White Stork’s catalog of music for current and future productions. White Stork retains intellectual property rights to its original music composed for Touchdown’s slate of projects.

Full story via Billboard: https://www.billboard.com/pro/spin-doctors-primary-wave-concord-mount-kimbie-publishing-news/

30/04/2024

Cutting Edge has been nominated for Best Television Soundtrack at The Ivors Academy, for Slow Horses: https://ivorsacademy.com/awards/the-ivors/

26/04/2024

Cutting Edge Group completed a $500 million debt refinancing with four banks led by Fifth Third Bank and Northleaf Capital Partners. The new credit facility will be used for corporate purposes as well as the acquisition of music rights from the roughly $1.5 billion pipeline of possible investments already identified by Cutting Edge.

“Cutting Edge has become a world leading music partner to the film and tv industries,” said Philip Moross, CEO of Cutting Edge Group, in a statement. “During that time, the structural trends driving our industries have accelerated exponentially, delivering a proliferation of digital platforms and content, matched by an increase in demand for media music usage. Prior to the pandemic, we identified a similar opportunity in the global wellness market, which is now projected to grow at 10% per annum to a US$7 trillion market by 2025. This refinancing will enable us to execute our growth strategy to take full advantage of these trends in our usual disciplined way.”

TikTok's tickets partnership, Cutting Edge gets $500M and more music deals involving Universal Music Group, ASM Global, Audacy Sony Music and others.

25/04/2024

Cutting Edge Group has secured $500mn from a syndicate of four banks, led by US lender Fifth Third Bank and Northleaf Capital.

CEG will use the additional funds to buy and manage music rights, as well as finance new film and TV scores. The group is already in talks over more than $1bn of potential acquisitions, which could be further funded by bringing in third party investors.

CEG is a specialist in owning and managing music featured in film, TV, theatre productions and video games. Its existing portfolio of more than 2,000 titles includes the publishing rights to films such as Aquaman and distribution rights of The Jungle Book.

CEG, which was founded in 2006 by entrepreneur Philip Moross, also operates a business creating and managing portfolios of “wellness music”, which aids sleep or focus. Majority owned by Moross the company also provides music for spas and hotels around the world.

Moross, who is working with artists such as hip hop producer Timbaland producing wellness music, said the genre was popular on streaming platforms, with some tracks being streamed billions of times.

Music rights have become an increasingly popular investment on the back of rising revenues from streaming — which offers a growing income — with several specialist funds set up to own and manage the rights.

Full article available via Financial Times:

Debt funding will help Cutting Edge Group invest in creating and buying music rights for films, TV, theatre productions and games

17/01/2024

Grammy Award and Tony Award-winning producer Van Dean is launching his new record label, Center Stage Records. The new label already has over two dozen albums scheduled for the coming year, including exciting titles from Broadway, Off-Broadway, London’s West End, concept recordings and major Broadway solo artist recordings.

Most recently, Van Dean has been running Broadway Records under the ownership of Cutting Edge Group, which acquired the premier label from Dean in early 2020. The intention is for Center Stage to collaborate with Broadway Records on selected releases in the future and for Dean to consult for Broadway Records/Cutting Edge to aid in the transition. As part of Dean’s new venture, Center Stage will take over the management and distribution of nearly two thirds of the Broadway Records back-catalog with the remaining one third of titles staying with Broadway Records.

Under Cutting Edge, Broadway Records will continue as a leader in the musical theater album space, supporting its valuable retained catalog of titles, and releasing select new frontline cast albums including with its existing production partners such as The National Theatre in London.

Full article via BroadwayWorld:

Broadway Records Founder Van Dean is set to launch a new label called Center Stage Records, expanding his influence in the entertainment industry.

12/07/2023

BREAKING: Cutting Edge Media Music (CEMM) has acquired a majority interest in White Stork, the publishing company of award-winning UK composer Tom Howe. CEMM’s collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Tom Howe has produced original music for over 80 Emmy and BAFTA-winning dramas and documentaries, including shows such as Ted Lasso, The Great British Bake Off and Daisy Jones & The Six, as well as major motion pictures, such as Warner Bros. Wonder Woman and Legends of Tarzan.

The acquisition of White Stork adds to CEMM’s extensive catalog of music from popular films and TV series, including Hollywood blockbusters such as The King’s Speech and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, as well as high-profile video games like Cyberpunk 2077.

These assets are available for licensing for media and brands through the White Stork team.

CEMM acts as a financier, publisher, record label and has provided a range of music services to over 1,000 feature films, tv shows, musical theatre productions and video games, including such films and television shows including Stranger Things, Bridgerton, The King’s Speech, Drive, Star Trek: Discovery, Fury, John Wick, Sicario, Whiplash, Hacksaw Moonlight Ridge, and The Walking Dead, as well as Broadway shows like Matilda, The Color Purple, Anastasia, and My Fair Lady.

Full story from Music Business Worldwide:

CEMM's acquisition of White Stork follows its eight-figure deal with pop songwriter and producer Jamie Hartman in May…

31/05/2023

BREAKING: Cutting Edge announces an eight-figure deal with pop songwriter and producer Jamie Hartman, who’s written or co-written numerous hits for artists such as Lewis Capaldi, Celeste, Calvin Harris, Rag’n’Bone Man and the Backstreet Boys, among many others.

CEMM says it “will purchase the majority of Hartman’s back catalog royalties”, published through his deal with Reservoir Media, which includes hundreds of songs he’s written and collaborated on with artists including Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, Calvin Harris, Kygo and Lewis Capaldi as well as songs for commercials, TV and film written with artists such as Carole King, Jennifer Hudson and Christina Aguilera.

The deal “represents a key move by CEMM to expand its reach beyond primarily instrumental composers and engage strategically with songwriters in the pop realm and other genres to capitalize on unique opportunities advantageous to both parties,” CEMM said in a statement.

Launched in the early 2000s, Cutting Edge operates as a financier, publisher, and record label. Its divisions include Lakeshore Records (a soundtrack label), Music.Film (a film and TV music licensing platform), Broadway Records (a musical theater label), Cutting Edge Music Publishing (a music publisher), 12on12 (specialty vinyl), White Stork (a custom music house) and CEG Analytics (royalty tracking & analysis). It has so far provided a range of music services to over 1,000 feature films, TV shows, musical theater productions and video games, including the TV shows Stranger Things, Bridgerton, Star Trek: Discovery and The Walking Dead. Films have included Drive, Fury, John Wick and Sicario, while major video games have included Sunset Overdrive, Assassins Creed Valhalla, Red Dead Redemption and Cyberpunk 2077. Its theatrical works have included such Broadway shows as Matilda, The Color Purple, Anastasia, and My Fair Lady.

Full story via Music Business Worldwide: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/cutting-edge-strikes-eight-figure-deal-with-pop-songwriter-and-producer-jamie-hartman/

Celebrated songwriter Jamie Hartman’s career has straddled pop songs and film and TV.

24/03/2023

Continuing coverage of Cutting Edge Media Music's multimillion-dollar deal with the UK’s First Score Music: the transaction is said to encompass both the master and publishing rights behind north of 75 film scores. Featured within the latter is the original music from several movies by Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish’s Imaginarium Productions, the forthcoming animated adaptation of Animal Farm among them, according to CEMM.

The Cutting Edge Group subsidiary – which operates a soundtrack arm called Lakeshore Records as well as a namesake publishing unit – likewise relayed that the buyout includes the scores of Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), Midway (2019), and STX-distributed Greenland (2020).

Additionally, Cutting Edge specified that the play extends to the score of Next Goal Wins. Directed by Taika Waititi (who also directed Thor: Love and Thunder and is married to singer-songwriter Rita Ora), Next Goal Wins is slated to debut this September.

Full story via Digital Music News:

Cutting Edge Media Music has announced a multimillion-dollar deal for the catalog of First Score Music, including the rights to 75+ scores.

23/03/2023

Cutting Edge Media Music has announced the acquisition of a major film music catalog from UK-based media company First Score Music Ltd.

The acquisition gives CEMM full master and publishing rights to more than 75 premium film scores, including the score for director Taika Waititi’s upcoming sports comedy-drama film Next Goal Wins starring Michael Fassbender, and the score for the upcoming animated version of George Orwell’s Animal Farm from Andy Serkis.

Next Goal Wins includes a score by Academy Award and Emmy-winner Michael Giacchino, who composed themes for Up, The Incredibles, The Batman and Lost.

The deal will also see CEMM buying film scores by composers such as Carter Burwell, Christophe Beck, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Volker Bertelmann, John Debney, Benjamin Wallfisch, Andrew Lockington, David Newman, Rachel Portman, Mychael Danna, Craig Armstrong, David Buckley and Harald Kloser.

“This purchase brings Cutting Edge Media Music closer to its long-term goal in becoming the pre-eminent media music publisher and services provider in the world,” said Philip Moross, CEO and founder of Cutting Edge Group, CEMM’s parent company.

Cutting Edge Group COO Tara Finegan added: “Through CEMM and its divisions such as Lakeshore Records, CEMM can continue to invest in productions and provide a range of music services, including publishing the best original scores and releasing the best soundtracks.”

The acquisition marks CEMM’s latest investment since raising $100 million from a group of banks led by Pinnacle Financial Partners last month. In 2022, CEMM invested $125 million in buying film and TV music rights.

Nearly a month ago, the company agreed to form a strategic music venture with Village Roadshow Entertainment Group (VREG), covering the latter’s past and future music publishing assets, soundtrack album releases and music supervision services.

The deals come as music rights companies double down on investments in copyrights for film and TV scores.

Full story via Music Business Worldwide:

Company says acquisition gives it full master and publishing rights to more than 75 'premium'

27/02/2023

Cutting Edge Media Music (CEMM), a division of Cutting Edge Group led by Philip Moross, has agreed to form a new strategic music venture with Village Roadshow Entertainment Group (VREG).

According to a press statement, the deal covers all of the latter company’s past and future music publishing assets, soundtrack album releases and music supervision services.

The deal also spans VREG’s music assets for film, scripted and unscripted television, according to CEMM.

VREG claims to build “premier, content-rich businesses in the entertainment industry”. The company, which says that it “produces, acquires and delivers” IP, is the holding company of Village Roadshow Pictures and Village Roadshow Television.

Private equity firms Vine Alternative Investments and Falcon Investment Advisors acquired a controlling interest in Village Roadshow in 2017.

Brian McNelis, head of Cutting Edge’s TV & video game soundtracks division Lakeshore Records, said the deal with Village Roadshow “is a privilege which allows us to utilize our expertise to build more robust, music-based opportunities that are mutually beneficial to both companies.”

McNelis will oversee the new venture alongside Lakeshore’s Eric Craig, who will provide music supervision and music department support.

VREG Chief Operating Officer Louis Santor will lead in implementing all aspects of the deal between both companies.

Santor said, “Music plays an important role in building a story that connects with audiences across all mediums. We couldn’t think of better partners than the team at CEMM to oversee the implementation of such an important aspect to our film and TV slate and look forward to what’s to come.”

UK-born CEMM serves as a financier, publisher and record label. It has so far provided a range of music services to more than 1,000 feature films, tv shows, musical theatre productions and video games and films and television shows like Stranger Things, Bridgerton, The King’s Speech, Drive, Star Trek: Discovery,” Fury, John Wick, Sicario, Whiplash, Hacksaw Moonlight Ridge, and The Walking Dead.

It has also provided music to Broadway shows such as Matilda, The Color Purple, Anastasia, and My Fair Lady; and triple AAA games like Sunset Overdrive, Assassins Creed Valhalla, Red Dead Redemption and Cyberpunk 2077.

Tara Finegan, COO of Cutting Edge Group, commented on the partnership with VREG, saying: “We are thrilled to work with the company behind some of the most iconic films of the last twenty-five years and we look forward to scaling this new venture, focused on the music intersection of the Village Roadshow Entertainment Group conglomerate, together.”

The partnership with VREG comes just two weeks after CEMM secured $100 million in financing from a group of banks led by Pinnacle Financial Partners.

The funding came over a year after Cutting Edge Music teamed up with affiliates of London-based investment firm Blantyre Capital to acquire music publishing rights owned by composers who write music for film and TV. CEMM and Blantyre affiliates had committed an initial $125 million to the plan.

Full story via Music Business Worldwide:

Deal covers all of VREG's past and future music publishing assets, soundtrack album releases and music supervision services…