Your music built a brand and a legacy. That brand equity is worth more than merch and streams. I turn it into businesses that generate income for years — whether you're the artist or the manager looking for ways to grow your artist's income.
I work with a handful of people in the music industry on the business side — the stuff that isn't the music. I'm not your manager. I'm not your agent. I'm not the guy posting tour dates. I'm a startup founder in a box, from the idea through revenue traction.
I only take on a few of these at a time. It's hands-on, and I actually give a shit.
You focus on the music. I build the business. You're creative director; I make it happen. The numbers, the deals, the costs, the opportunities — I sort through the noise so you don't have to. I'm easy to work with. This stuff isn't. That's the point: I make the hard part easy, and you keep making tunes.
Equity Share Only
I only make money when you do — a cut of what we build together.
Without Me
The goal is a business that runs on its own. I'm not trying to be a permanent fixture.
A Few at a Time
I only take on a handful of these. It's personal, not a portfolio play.
Most artist ventures are built to throw off cash. That's fine. But a brand built to be sold is a different — and usually bigger — outcome.
Here's why. A business that earns $500K a year in profit pays you $500K a year, as long as it keeps working and you keep showing up. Sell that same business at a 6x profit multiple and you get a $3M check on one day. That's six years of profit, paid up front, with the buyer taking on the work and the risk. Consumer brands with a real story, real customers, and clean numbers can trade higher than that. Your name is what gives the story its weight — and buyers pay for weight.
That's the play: build businesses that are attractive to acquirers from day one. Clean books. Real margins. Customers who buy because of the brand, not because of a discount. Systems that don't depend on you or me being in the room. Then, when the time is right, sell it — or keep it and let it cash flow. Building for a sale gives you both options. Building for cash flow only gives you one.
Beverage, apparel, consumer products, experiences, licensing — whatever fits your name and your audience. The category matters less than the discipline: a brand a buyer can pick up and run without you.
Someone who's been in the rooms, counted the costs, and sat where the decisions get made.
Artists whose name carries weight, and the teams looking for additional income streams for the artists they represent. The name is the secret ingredient; only you bring it.
Your name is the brand. We build the business around it.
Most of the best fits come through the team around the artist.
If your audience trusts you, there's a business in that trust.
No pitch deck required. No formal process. Just an honest conversation about whether it's a fit.
Connect for updates on Kirby Ventures and the occasional thought on building something durable.
New Revenue Streams for Musicians — Beyond Touring and Streaming