London-headquartered indie music and entertainment company The Other Songs has struck a deal to manage Andrew Lloyd Webber’s catalog in partnership with Sony Music’s The Orchard.
The deal with Webber’s company LW Entertainment covers the legendary musical theatre impresario and composer’s back catalog as well as future releases. The Orchard will oversee distribution.
“I am thrilled that we will now have an exclusive long term relationship,” Webber said in a statement.
“The Other Songs’ mission to doggedly champion songwriters, at a time when they have and are being treated as second class citizens in the music industry, has hugely resonated with me. I am really looking forward to working with the new artists the collaboration will bring me at a time when I am writing as much if not more than I ever have.”
Webber is arguably the world’s most famous contemporary composer of Broadway plays, with a catalog that includes The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita, Sunset Boulevard and Starlight Express.
His catalog hit an all-time single-day streaming peak last month, driven by a Halloween season Phantom of the Opera viral trend on TikTok that saw over 200,000 fan creations and hundreds of millions of impressions across social platforms.
“The Other Songs’ mission to doggedly champion songwriters, at a time when they have and are being treated as second class citizens in the music industry, has hugely resonated with me.”
Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Other Songs and The Orchard have already been working with LW Entertainment on recent releases, including a UK No. 1 single of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina from Evita, featuring Rachel Zegler, and a UK No. 1 cast album of Sunset Boulevard, featuring Nicole Scherzinger.
The Other Songs recently released the cast album of Evita, which clocked 1 million streams in 24 hours.
“Andrew is experiencing a remarkable renaissance with the success of SUNSET BLVD, EVITA, and Masquerade, among many other projects,” said Brad Navin, CEO, The Orchard.
“The Orchard is committed to maximizing this momentum, leveraging our global infrastructure to bring both his iconic, era-defining works and new creative endeavors to an even wider and more diverse audience worldwide, ensuring his legacy continues to thrive across all media and territories.”
Founded in 2018 by Webber’s sons Alastair and Billy Webber, The Other Songs is a record label and publisher, as well as a management, live events and animation company.
Its label’s roster includes SUPER-Hi’s Following the Sun (500 million+ streams) and Ren’s UK No.1 album Sick Boi. Its dance imprint, Another Rhythm, is behind breakout records like Raffa FL’s Platinum-certified Ritmo (250 million streams).
In 2024, The Other Songs entered into a global publishing partnership with Universal Music Publishing Group, which includes singer-songwriter Bruno Major (2 billion streams), Ren (1 billion streams) hip-hop/jazz producer CXSPER (TKANZ’s Now Or Never) and indie-dance-pop songwriter Julia Church (500 billion streams).
“Over the past year, over 4.5 million people have seen an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, reflecting the sheer scale and global cultural impact of his work.”
Alastair Webber, The Other Songs
“Over the past year, over 4.5 million people have seen an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, reflecting the sheer scale and global cultural impact of his work,” Alastair Webber said.
“Our focus now is to ensure Andrew’s recording catalog connects with new generations, while also giving him the tools to collaborate with today’s leading songwriters, producers and artists.”
“Musical theater’s reach is broader than it’s often given credit for, and the opportunity to unlock its full potential is significant,” Billy Webber added.
“Our focus is careful guardianship and bold growth, bringing these works to new audiences with the innovative teams at LW Entertainment and The Orchard.”
LW Entertainment, which is owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber, rebranded from The Really Useful Group earlier this year. The company has been managing Webber’s works since 1977.
“Building on decades of strong record sales all over the world, we have reshaped our relationships with our music partners,” LW Entertainment CEO James McKnight said.
“With one of the largest and most engaged fan bases in the world, we know the opportunities are limitless and we are excited to work with these innovative organizations to realize our shared, global ambitions.”Music Business Worldwide
