Believe has raised $60.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Believe's investors include Alven.
Believe (Believe SAS, also known as Believe Music) is a global digital music company headquartered in France, focused on empowering independent artists and labels through technology-driven solutions for audience growth, distribution, and promotion.[1][2][3] With over 2,000 employees across more than 50 countries, it operates a portfolio of brands like TuneCore, Nuclear Blast, Naïve, Groove Attack, AllPoints, and Sentric, generating over 800 billion streams in 2024 and supporting artists at every career stage with services in audience development, publishing, marketing, and distribution.[1][3][4] Publicly listed on Euronext Paris (Ticker: BLV), Believe reported €760 million in sales for 2022 and exceeded €1 billion in digital music sales that year, reflecting strong growth in streaming, particularly in emerging markets like Asia.[3]
The company serves independent musicians, labels, and publishers worldwide, solving challenges in the digital music ecosystem such as fair distribution, transparent monetization, and global reach amid dominance by major labels.[1][2][4] Its growth momentum is evident in high streaming volumes, industry awards (over 70 in recent years), and strategic expansions via acquisitions in publishing and live events.[3][4]
Founded in 2005 in France, Believe started as Believe Digital, evolving from a digital distribution service into a full-service global platform for independent music stakeholders.[1][3] Key early moves included building a tech platform to advise, distribute, and promote music, expanding internationally to over 50 countries by leveraging local expertise.[2][4] Pivotal moments include the 2019 acquisitions in India (e.g., Venus Music, Entco, Canvas Talent) to enter Bollywood and live events, a 49% stake in French label 6&7 SAS, and the 2023 $51 million purchase of Sentric Music to enter publishing—signaling a shift toward comprehensive artist services.[3]
This evolution humanizes Believe as a champion of independents, growing from a Paris-based startup to a hyper-scale player with 1,610–2,223 employees, driven by a mission of respect, fairness, and transparency in a label-dominated industry.[1][2][4]
Believe stands out in the digital music space through:
These elements create a developer-like experience for music pros: fast, data-driven tools with strategic partnerships to DSPs (digital service providers).[4]
Believe rides the explosive growth of music streaming and independent artist economies, where platforms like Spotify and TikTok democratize access but majors capture most value—Believe fills the gap for indies with tech-enabled fairness.[3][4] Timing is ideal amid post-pandemic live-digital hybrids and Asia's streaming boom, where its investments (e.g., India partnerships like Panorama Music) capitalize on market forces like 20%+ global streaming growth.[3]
It influences the ecosystem by acquiring publishers/tech platforms (Sentric), boosting indie streams to billions, and innovating IT for efficiency—shaping a more fragmented, artist-centric industry while challenging majors through scale and transparency.[2][3][4]
Believe is poised for continued dominance in indie music tech, with publishing expansions and Asia focus driving revenue beyond €1B DMS amid AI-personalized streaming and Web3 monetization trends.[3][4] Expect more acquisitions in live/events/publishing, tech upgrades for hyper-scale ops, and deeper DSP integrations to sustain 20%+ growth.
As a digital music pioneer since 2005, Believe exemplifies how technology develops independents—positioning it to amplify even more artists in a streaming-dominated world.[1][3]
Believe has raised $60.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $60.0M Series B in June 2015.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2015 | $60.0M Series B | Alven |
