Mavin Records, a prominent Nigerian music label, is actively exploring investment opportunities or even a potential full sale, sources have revealed. This has attracted interest from major players such as the Universal Music Group (UMG), HYBE Corporation, and investors from the financial sector.
Mavin Records last secured a substantial investment in January 2019, when Kupanda Holdings poured in multi-million dollars.
The current proposed deal, reportedly orchestrated by Shot Tower Capital, values Mavin Records at over $125 million, with the possibility of reaching between $150 million to $200 million. However, it remains unclear whether music publishing is included in this arrangement.
This strategic maneuver aims to secure the necessary funds for the label’s expansion, aligning with Africa’s increasing prominence on the global music stage, mirroring the success of Latin and K-pop genres.
Regardless of whether UMG, HYBE, or another entity takes the lead, it is expected that the label’s management team, led by Nigerian music legend Don Jazzy, will retain a significant influence.
Currently, HYBE appears to be leading the race for Mavin Records, even though UMG has connections with some of the label’s artists. For instance, Rema’s hit “Calm Down” was distributed by UMG’s Virgin, and other Mavin artists may have ties to Republic, another division of UMG.
Mavin Records boasts impressive achievements, with artists like Rema and Ayra Starr amassing over 1.5 billion global streams. Notably, Rema’s “Calm Down” remix with Selena Gomez has an astonishing 9.07 billion streams, although some collaborations may not be directly credited to him.
While Rema and Ayra Starr have made a substantial impact globally, their presence in the United States is relatively smaller in terms of streams. For instance, Rema’s U.S. collaboration with Gomez represents just 861.2 million streams, a fraction of the song’s 9 billion total streams.
Mavin Records is also home to emerging talents like Ladipoe, Crayon, Boy Spyce, and Magixx, in addition to established artists such as Tiwa Savage, Wande Coal, Iyanya, and Reekado Banks.