MUMBAI: In a move to further empower the independent music community, digital distributor INgrooves has acquired Universal Music Group’s distribution arm Fontana Distribution.

Through the acquisition, Fontana will enable INgrooves to offer a complete suite of distribution services, both physical and digital. The announcement was made by INgrooves founder & CEO Robb McDaniels and Universal Music Group president & COO Zach Horowitz.

McDaniels said, “Through this acquisition we are now able to offer the independent music community a fully integrated physical and digital distribution marketing solution in North America. We believe that a successful relationship between distributor and label is, at its root, a flexible structure with a transparent flow of information.”

The new entity, INgrooves Fontana will be run by INgrooves president Dave Zierler and Fontana president Ron Spaulding.

Horowitz said, “The combination of INgrooves and Fontana creates one of the strongest, most innovative companies in the business today, uniquely positioned to superserve it’s distributed labels with some of the most sophisticated executive talent in this genre of music, cutting edge technology, and enhanced marketing services.”

INgrooves has provided UMG with digital delivery services for Fontana’s catalogue in North America since 2008. The two companies have also collaborated on many successful projects over the past few years including releases from ‘The Crystal Method’ and rapper Mac Miller, whose debut release entered the Billboard charts at number one.

The combined companies represent clients including Fat Possum, Rostrum Records, ESL Music, Metropolis, Om Records, Vagrant Records, Downtown Records and Music World among their many independent label partners.