Jamen Capital and Merlin completed their acquisition of Curve Royalty Systems from Virgin Music Group on August 18, 2026, following final European Commission approval.
The transaction establishes Curve as an independent, standalone business. Leadership, team, brand, products, services, and client relationships remain unchanged. Richard Leach continues as CEO, supported by the existing management and day-to-day teams. Clients retain their usual contacts and the same levels of service, support, and data security.
Under the new ownership, Curve plans to accelerate innovation, expand existing services, and develop new products for record labels, publishers, distributors, and other music businesses worldwide. The deal pairs Merlin’s knowledge of and connection to the global independent music community with Jamen Capital’s long-term investment approach and experience in music technology and infrastructure.
Richard Leach, CEO of Curve Royalty Systems, said: “Completing this transaction gives Curve the independence, stability and backing we need for the next stage of our development. For our clients, it is very much business as usual: the same team, products, service and commitment to protecting their data and interests. What changes is our ability to invest more ambitiously in the future. With the support of Jamen and Merlin, we can accelerate innovation, develop new products and continue building the elite-level infrastructure that music businesses need to manage increasingly complex royalty flows.”
Leach added that Downtown believed in Curve, invested in the team, and supported growth from the 2022 acquisition, thanking the Downtown team for their work throughout the process while noting the friendship and mutual respect remain strong.
Matt Spetzler, Founding Partner of Jamen Capital, said: “Curve has earned the trust of music businesses by combining sophisticated technology with genuine sector expertise and outstanding service. Our priority is to protect everything that has made the company successful while giving Richard and his team the resources to move faster, innovate and create even greater value for clients.”
Charlie Lexton, CEO of Merlin, said: “Curve is vital infrastructure for independent music businesses around the world. Completing this acquisition secures its independence and ensures it remains neutral, trusted and closely connected to the community it serves. We are proud to back the team as it expands the platform and develops the next generation of products and services for the sector.”
Curve provides royalty processing services across recorded music and publishing for thousands of labels, distributors, publishers, and other rightsholders globally. Clients include Armada, Defected, Epitaph, Exceleration, Reservoir, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Virgin Music Group, Netflix, and BBC/Demon.
Primary sources for audience velocity, roster disruption, catalog valuations, operational arbitrage, or additional infrastructure signals tied to this exact announcement are nonexistent. The company newsroom statement constitutes the sole official record of the transaction.