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Dallas Austin partners with Symphonic to launch a Distribution company with a tech forward approach.
June 17, 2021 - Quick off the heels of its expansion into the Africa and Mexico territories, leading full-service music distributor Symphonic Distribution announces its exciting new partnership with award-winning musician and record producer Dallas Austin. Led by Symphonic’s Senior Client Manager and Hip Hop / R&B A&R Octavius Crouch, the partnership with DAD takes the company’s collaborative ethos to new heights as they open up an opportunity funnel for Hip Hop artists within the Atlanta area and beyond. Having partnered with Dallas Austin’s Rowdy Record’s for a number of years, Symphonic has steadily helped to build a foundation with Austin’s team that they’ll now use as a springboard for the new platform. With both companies focused on the future of the music industry, they’ve found a synergy set-up for success.
"Working with Dallas Austin and Symphonic has been rewarding as we strive to bring Dallas' vision of music distribution to life. We are designing some incredible content with the DAD platform. As I continue to grow our Hip Hop and R&B base in Atlanta, we will usher in a new wave of technology and strategies to support our rapidly growing clientele; not just locally but worldwide."
- Octavius Crouch, Senior Client Manager and Hip Hop / R&B A&R
Dallas Austin’s production credits with notable artists like Boyz II Men, TLC, Pink and Gwen Stefani have solidified him as a sought after figure in the music industry. Now, Austin is uniquely positioned to pursue another passion of his - to help emerging artists build sustainable and long-lasting music careers. Having come from an era in the music industry that never would have dreamed of artists owning their own masters, Austin has dedicated himself to launching a distribution company that prioritizes transparency and trust. By incorporating elements from the Blockchain, he is able to deliver clear and efficient financial and demographic information to all of the artists on his roster. Ahead of his upcoming digital biography release, Austin is set to reveal one of DAD’s first NFT’s on 6/21 which will include both stems and a digital track entitled “Voyage Drop”. The NFT will release ahead of his autobiography “VOYAGE TO DALLAS AUSTIN”. The book will include never before seen memorabilia including everything from multi platinum plaques to the famous horn from TLC’s “Creep” as well as a behind the scenes glimpse into Austin’s journey through the music industry.
Launching the non fungible token will mark the beginning of many NFT’s that Dallas Austin Distribution plans to supply their signed artists in an attempt to make music more valuable. And the timing couldn’t be better; the events of 2020 shined a light on how volatile music can be - and without the presence of concerts and LIVE events, the most profitable industry asset left artists scrambling to financially stay afloat. That’s why finding new and creative ways to make music-itself more valuable is top of mind as Dallas Austin and the Symphonic team prioritize strategies built for long-term sustainability.
Having very recently partnered with college creative network Quadio, Symphonic is committed to supplying creatives with advanced analytics and royalty payment services so that artists can best equip themselves with the tools that they need to remain successful. Now, the company introduces a reach to over 200 DSP platforms including partnerships with SoundExchange, YouTube, Sirius XM and SoundCloud as well as playlisting opportunities and copyright protections for the DAD platform. Their cutting-edge technology seamlessly aligns with Dallas Austin’s commitment to leveraging tech in the music space.
“Working with Symphonic has been really exciting and culturally innovative.” - Dallas Austin
Adding fuel to artists, Dallas Austin approaches his industry pursuits with a unique perspective. Having also been an artist himself, he understands the need to provide more than just a service. Now, dedicated to elevating the careers of artists in the Atlanta area and beyond, he works with standout artists like rapper Johnny Apollo and E Chapo, introducing incredible talent to the airwaves. Culturally aligned, both DAD and Symphonic maintain a diverse roster of artists from all over the world. The two companies dedicate themselves to building a digital music community that is long-lasting, forward-thinking and artist-focused for years to come.
ABOUT Dallas Austin:
No matter what he does, GRAMMY® Award-winning producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, entrepreneur, DJ, philanthropist, and film producer Dallas Austin always tells a story. His ability to place audiences inside of an everlasting moment cemented him as one of the most-celebrated creatives of the past two decades with over 50 Billboard Hot 100 smashes and 17 Top Tens to his credit and a multitude of awards. Not only does he stand out as a 2019 inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, but he has also been honored by Urban League of Atlanta at the “Equal Opportunity Day Dinner,” the 2018 Black Music Honors, The Recording Academy during the Annual Heroes Awards, and by the Georgia Music Hall of Fame as a 2006 inductee and 2011’s “Most Influential.” Additionally, he garnered a coveted GRAMMY® Award in the category of “Best R&B Album” and the “Beacon Award” from the Independent Media Artists of Georgia, Etc. (IMAGE). Austin received the Trailblazer in the Arts Award at the 2019 NBAF (National Black Arts Festival) Gala – Imagine Afrofuturism: A Celebration of Art through Technology.
About Octavius Crouch:
Known as Doc Ock, Octavius Crouch was introduced to the music industry as an A&R at Universal Records. Crouch had his first shot of success assisting with Chamillionaire’s debut album “Sound of Revenge” which featured the hit single “Ridin’”. During this time, Octavius Crouch assisted behind the scenes on Lil Wayne’s chart topping albums: “Carter 3”, “Like Father Like Son”, “Rebirth”, “I’m Not a Human Being”, and “Carter 4”. Crouch assisted the Universal Records’ team on releases for Drake’s debut album “Thank Me Later” and his follow-up albums, “Take Care” and “Nothing Was the Same”. Near the end of his tenure at Universal Records, Crouch assisted in the release of Nicki Minaj’s debut album “Pink Friday”. He recently formed a relationship with Symphonic’s CEO, Jorge Brea and was promoted to Sr. Client Manager and A&R of Hip Hop and R&B by the end of 2020. Crouch currently oversees Grammy Award winner Dallas Austin’s Rowdy Records’ partnership at Symphonic. He is working with Brea and Austin to launch Dallas Austin Distribution, known as D.A.D. At Symphonic, Crouch formed a deal with Grammy Award winning Jermaine Dupri and successfully released the charitable record, “CHANGE” featuring Ne-Yo, Common, Johnta Austin and many more. Proceeds of this record went to charity organization, Social Change Fund. He oversees clients Mack 10 and his son District 21, the dance label Deep Root, Mathew Knowles’ label Triniti Records, legendary Hip Hop group Onyx, upcoming artists Grace Guastad, IAMJOSHSTONE, Isaiah Huron, Blaze Bar$, Dionni6x and many more.
ABOUT Symphonic:
Symphonic Distribution is a 100% independent music distribution and marketing company headquartered in the USA and internationally in Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Spain and more. Founded in 2006 by music producer Jorge Brea, Symphonic provides global digital music and video distribution, marketing planning and strategy, including playlist support, and a comprehensive suite of services for artists, record labels, managers, and distributors. Symphonic has worked with clients such as Surf Mesa, Stick Figure, CloZee, El Alfa, Juan Luis Guerra, Doechii, Curtis Roach, ALOK, Nick Murphy aka Chet Faker, La Ross Maria among many others across a wide variety of genres.
