US indie labels Secretly Group and Ghostly combine forces

Secretly Group and Ghostly International have merged operations, giving birth to one of the largest independent music companies in the USA. Under the deal, record label Ghostly International and its music publishing unit Ghostly Songs, have become Secretly Group affiliates, with Ghostly Songs administered through Secretly Publishing.

  The new partnership “addresses the uncertainty of 2020 with a renewed emphasis on ambition, the socialisation of ideas, and greater scale for the artists and international network of employees both companies represent.”

  New York-based Ghostly International was founded in 1999 by Sam Valenti IV who will become a managing partner of Secretly, with Secretly Group owners Ben Swanson, Chris Swanson, Darius Van Arman, and Phil Waldorf become partners in Ghostly International’s music operations. Ghostly has been distributed by Secretly Distribution since 2013.

Ethical and creative labels

  Secretly, founded in 1996 in Bloomington, Indiana, had its highest revenue year in 2019, with releases by Bon Iver, Better Oblivion Community Center, Jamila Woods, Whitney, Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, among others. The company operates three labels (Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans and Secretly Canadian, a publishing unit (Secretly Publishing) and a distribution arm (Secretly Distribution).

   “Since Secretly started distributing Ghostly International in 2013," said Valenti, "it’s been a dream to work alongside an ethical and creative family of labels, not to mention our most productive phase as a label. It has given us the confidence to keep building.” 

   Secretly's Van Arman added, “Our belief is that the most important contributions to culture come from individuals and small and medium-sized businesses. Rather than growing just for growth’s sake, we choose to work with extraordinary artists and creative partners like Ghostly, to help truly nourish their creative works while maximising their impact.”