ONErpm and its commitment to the future of music

In the rapidly changing world of music, there is a boutique record label that is making its mark and changing the game. This hallmark is ONErpm, a forward-thinking company that has embraced the “work local, but think globally” philosophy.

ONErpm CEO Emmanuel Zunz tells how it all began in 2006 with his first project, Verge Records. This company had a strong social orientation and sought to discover musical talents in developing countries around the world, to sign record contracts. “The idea was to create a virtuous circle, and in that sense it was a success. We did social projects, released music and reinvested it in communities, but it wasn’t a financial success,” Zunz explains. But he learned that to succeed in the music industry, he needed to integrate technology into his business model.

An example of this approach is ONErpm’s expansion into the Dominican Republic in 2018, where the company found talented urban artists with international potential. However, they also faced technology gaps and a lack of digital literacy.

It was common to find high rates from local distributors and corrupt companies with artists’ royalties. To remedy this situation, ONErpm stepped up and started signing local artists, providing support and development.

After three years of work perfecting the required technology, ONErpm burst into the Latin American arena with its brand. Their gaze has been fixed on emerging markets, and so they began their journey in Brazil before conquering Colombia in 2015.

Flavor Systema Solar was the first Colombian talent to catch the brand’s attention and with it opened a door that would lead to a symphony full of musical promise and discovery. According to Emmanuel Zunz, Colombia is a very interesting music market. Although it does not have a high consumption of music like Brazil, it offers high quality music productions. This allows the country to export its talent to places like Chile, Argentina and Mexico.

“This is how ONErpm evolved, working with hundreds of thousands of artists and helping them monetize their music,” adds the CEO.

Zunz mentions the case of Nanpa Básico, who has been successful in the international hip-hop field before in Colombia, demonstrating the great potential for exporting talent that the country possesses.

“If you’re an emerging artist, we’re not going to offer you a traditional record deal. Instead, we’ll give you a deal that helps you develop to the next level, and then the next, and the next. We build artists in a staggered way, which allows us to manage resources efficiently,” explains the CEO.

Their step-by-step approach ensures that quality of service and the success of the artists they represent are not sacrificed, which becomes a competitive advantage. Also, they manage to offer affordable prices compared to the major record labels.

In the wide world of music consumption, ONErpm is considering a scenario full of transformations. While broadcasters and digital service providers will continue to innovate and innovate, regional broadcast platforms are also likely to emerge. In places like Russia, Asia, Africa and even Brazil, these platforms are focusing their attention on local markets, leaving aside the search for global.

However, for the CEO of ONErpm, a vision looms: deepening interdependence. Platforms, record companies, artists and songwriters, whether they are global giants or small industry gems, all need each other to reach the pinnacle of success. But to achieve this, it is necessary to establish a strong economic balance and a way of doing business that exceeds expectations.

For ONErpm, the vision is clear towards the future. The companies that are able to continually generate value are the ones that invest in their artists and provide them with opportunities, the ones that will make a difference. The key is finding that healthy balance between service and price, an ecosystem where boutique and indie record labels like ONErpm can unleash their full potential.