Private equity firm KKR has been fascinating to watch in the music rights landscape. Just when you thought they were out, they get pulled back in!

In this episode, we break down the past few years of KKR's deals with Chord Music, Kobalt, HarbourView Equity Partners. Why did they sell Chord Music? Why did they partner with HarbourView? What does it say about the broader music rights investing landscape.

Listen to me and Anna Nicolaou from the Financial Times break it all down.

00:00 KKR's $500M debt deal with Harborview

07:24 How rising interest rates affect the valuation of music

14:50 KKR vs other players in the industry

22:15 The role of UMG in the music rights landscape

30:25 Predictions on the current bidding wars

This episode was brought to you by 4se New York, the sports and entertainment event on May 21-22. Learn more here.

Make sure you listen for our Chartmetric stat of the week.

Enjoy this podcast? Rate and review the podcast here! ratethispodcast.com/trapital

Trapital is home for the business of music, media and culture. Learn more by reading Trapital’s free memo.

On April 11, Taylor Swift’s songs reappeared on TikTok despite the platform's ongoing dispute with her record label, Universal Music Group. This move was made in advance of the release of Taylor’s 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department.

On this episode of Trapital, Tatiana Cirisano and I discuss why Swift and UMG don’t see eye-to-eye, competing incentives, who’s in charge at UMG, and more.

00:00 Why we’re not surprised Taylor Swift made this move

07:52 Why Swift and UMG have competing incentives

13:37 What it means for UMG and TikTok moving forward

24:27 Who’s the most powerful person in the music industry?

This episode is brought to you by EVEN, where you buy the art from the artist. Learn more at https://get.even.biz/trapital

Make sure you listen in for our new Chartmetric stat of the week!

Trapital is home for the business of music, media and culture. Learn more by reading Trapital’s free memo.

We've had plenty of conversations on Trapital about Diddy's business success, so we have to keep that same energy when outlook changes.

On this episode, Zack O'Malley Greenburg and I talk about our initial reactions to the allegations surrounding Sean Combs, and we talk about the present state and future of the biggest businesses in his portfolio.

Make sure you listen for our Chartmetric stat of the episode