Berlin, Germany, where FUGA has opened a new office. Photo Credit: KP Ivanov
FUGA has officially opened a new office in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin after achieving a 30 percent increase in clients throughout Germany, Switzerland, and Austria (GSA) during the last year.
Downtown’s FUGA announced the Berlin office’s debut and a series of related moves today, via a formal release that was shared with Digital Music News. The just-minted division is set to serve as FUGA’s “GSA regional hub” moving forward, according to the Amsterdam-headquartered distributor.
Additionally, 16-year-old FUGA relayed that it’s inked “global distribution partnerships” with Unique Vibes (a “German electro-pop label”) and Psyfeature Records (a “Swiss trance imprint”). Unique Vibes boasts some five million YouTube subscribers, FUGA elaborated, whereas Psyfeature has “one of the world’s largest psytrance-related social media followings.”
Next, FUGA communicated that it has likewise kicked off GSA’s inaugural “Audience Engagement project,” which will promote a single next week (as well as other releases down the line) from Munich-based artist Diana Goldberg.
Lastly, regarding the nuances of FUGA’s multifaceted expansion within Germany (home to north of 83 million individuals and the world’s fourth-largest music industry), the company has promoted Curt Keplin to head of business development for GSA. In the role, the former Kobalt higher-up Keplin “will focus exclusively on FUGA’s business development and client relations efforts in the region.”
Meanwhile, FUGA has also named Bernd Harbauer digital accounts and marketing strategy manager for GSA, and the role will see the former Universal Music Germany marketing consultant “lead relationships with key digital partners while overseeing release campaigns and strategies.”
Addressing her deal with FUGA’s Audience Engagement project in a statement, singer-songwriter Diana Goldberg said: “Working with FUGA alongside my label CloudKid for the release of my first ever EP is amazing!! I love the energy of the whole team and that everyone helps make my vision become reality. It’s fun discovering audiences in places I haven’t known of before. Can’t wait to see where the next months will take us.”
In December, Warner Music Group launched Atlantic Records Germany, indicating at the time that the Berlin-based division would “be dedicated to discovering and promoting German hip-hop, with a special focus on underground rap.”
Building upon the point, Sony Music Germany (SMG), promoter Boldt Berlin, and Live Nation one month ago unveiled a 25-act “German rap festival” called BASE!, following SMG’s Q4 2021 rollout of DopeClass, a recording project “in which artists and hip-hop producers combine classical and hip-hop culture.”