DIY Media Group announced it has acquired Disc Makers from AVL Digital Group.
For more information visit: www.discmakers.com ; www.diymediagroup.com
Unedited press release follows:
“Why we bought a CD factory in 2019”
Disc Makers acquired by DIY Media Group in management buyout.
PENNSAUKEN, N.J. — April 02, 2019 — “There will always be demand for physical media,” states Tony van Veen as he proudly announces the acquisition of the assets of the physical media businesses from AVL Digital Group by the Disc Makers executive team.
The recent announcement of the acquisition of AVL Digital by Downtown Music Holdings quietly involved a second transaction: a management buyout of the company’s physical media assets, including Disc Makers, BookBaby, and Merchly, by a newly created entity, DIY Media Group.
The new DIY Media Group is much more than just a CD factory. The company offers today’s content creators—musicians, labels, authors, publishers, and filmmakers—a full suite of high-quality physical media solutions including CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, vinyl records, USB cards, books, eBooks, and printed garments. “Physical media remains one of the best ways to legitimize an artist and drive artist income in the streaming era,” states van Veen. “While optical disc volume continues to slowly wane, other types of media like books, merch, and USBs are seeing strong double (and in some cases triple) digit growth to make up for those declines. As a diversified media platform, we do all our own manufacturing in-house and can provide the highest quality media products to independent content creators.”
Van Veen, the CEO of DIY Media Group, is joined as owner by a seasoned exec team that averages close to two decades of company and industry experience each. “This is the original team that acquired CD Baby back in 2008 and helped transition AVL Digital from a leader in physical media to a leader in digital distribution. As we evolve into the premier media manufacturer for physical media for all types of creators, including musicians, authors, and filmmakers, don’t bet against this team,” mentions David Olinsky, EVP of Sales & Business Development.
“The recent vinyl and cassette revival and the robust growth of printed books for independent authors show the sustaining market demand for products you can touch and hold,” mentions van Veen. “How could a surge in CD demand not be next?” he asks tongue in cheek.
Disc Makers was founded in 1946 as a manufacturer of 78 rpm discs, and the company has migrated through every audio technology format since, from vinyl to cassettes, CDs, downloads, and streams. In 2010 the company launched BookBaby to service the burgeoning independent author market, and in 2017 it expanded into printed T-shirts and other custom garments with its Merchly imprint. The company also offers creative services like cover design and post-production mastering, and will continue to offer artists a one-stop experience for physical and digital distribution through its exclusive ongoing partnership with CD Baby.