a 2 i m

Associate Member Spotlight: The ILS Group

Independent Distributor, Label Group, and Label Services Company
The ILS Group Adds New Influential Board Member

The Independent Label Services Group (“ILS”), a leading worldwide independent entertainment distributer and marketing company, today announced the appointment of Charles Phillips to its Board of Directors.

Mr. Phillips, currently the president of a $2.4 billion pharmaceutical distribution business, joins founder Dominique Zgarka and Claude Villani as director and shareholder of ILS, effective immediately.

“I have spent decades successfully managing, maximizing and creating intellectual properties and distribution company revenues in the pharmaceutical industry. I look forward to helping Dominique and my close friend Claude in building one of the most efficient entertainment distribution companies in the world. I love music and the arts in general and feel I can be a great asset to the growth of ILS,” said Mr. Phillips.

Claude Villani, Executive Vice President, ILS, is a seasoned music industry veteran, art gallery owner, music and book publisher who has worked with a who’s who of multiplatinum recording artists. He has brought ILS an invaluable reach into the artistic, financial and entertainment community. Mr. Villani’s music label Sono Recordings Group (“SRG”) employs ILS services to distribute its roster of marquee artists around the globe. Mr. Villani joined the company as a partner and board member in 2014.

“I am very pleased that my friend Chip has joined ILS, his contacts and proven business acumen is second to none. I am confident he will assist us to reach our long term goal of becoming the most significant independent entertainment distributor in the world. While ILS is having a record-breaking 2016 my ILS distributed label SRG will have a stellar year with CD and DVD releases from Take 6, Edisun, Brian McKnight productions, Gino Vannelli, Grammy® award winner Sid Wilson (Slipknot) and many more exciting releases to be announced,” said Mr. Villani.

In 2016 ILS will deliver a strong catalog from its many new labels and artist’s signings including full-length new releases from the following:
• EDM superstar Wolfgang Gartner (Kindergarten Recordings)
• Dada Life (Universal Music Sweden)
• 10 times Grammy® award-winning R&B super group Take 6 (SRG)
• Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Brian McKnight (SRG)
• Singer-songwriter Rachael Sage (MPress Records)
• Singer-songwriter/television sensation Emily Kinney (of The Walking Dead, The Knick, Masters of Sex fame)
• Saukrates (Culvert Music)
• Multi-platinum rock superstar Lee Aaron
• Singer Songwriter and alternative star Heather Nova
• Fender-endorsed guitarist and Grammy® award-winner Eric Johnson (Vortexan Music)

2016 will bring growth for ILS with the launch of its Urban and Hip-hop division with recent signing Drop Pop, fellow Coke Boys Music member and associate of multi-platinum artist French Montana. Further growth in the Gospel category is projected with the release of historic albums from Shirley Caesar, Rev. James Cleveland and the Five Blind Boys of Alabama. Additional projects include an upcoming two-part television series and audio soundtrack with Michel’le (Mainstreams Sounds), as well as numerous releases from independent labels Bomb Shelter, Strega Ent, The Hip Abduction and Mind Over Records, who join ILS in 2016.

If you would like to learn more about joining our growing family of independent labels and artists, please call or email Michael Cusanelli, Director of Sales and Marketing at (203) 895-3924, [email protected]. Also please visit our website for more information; www.theilsgroup.com.

About the Independent Label Services Group:
ILS offers worldwide and/or specific territorial distribution via its sub distribution arrangements with Universal/Caroline. The role of ILS is to provide third party labels and significant self-represented artist a turnkey solution to the best possible distribution, marketing and promotion with optimum results. ILS is closely partnered with top independent radio, publicity, synchronization, and social media agencies worldwide which can be tailored to augment our in-house services on a project-by-project basis.

Our growing family of labels and artists include Randy Bachman, Dada Life, Daniel O’Donnell, Gus G, Heather Nova, Emily Kinney, Mishka, CALLmeKAT, Total Heaviosity Music, Rachael Sage, Eric Johnson, Wolfgang Gardner, Take 6, Gino Vannelli, Lee Aaron, K’s Choice, Sono Recording Group, Detroit Public Television / PBS, Kultur Visual Entertainment, Mishka Music, MPress Records, Culvert Music, Radiata, Frostbyte Media, Blachawk Records, Angel Thorne, Big Big Music, Delta Sounds, Cordova Bay, Dismanic, Bomb Shelter, Strega Ent, Drew’s Entertainment, Ken @ Igor Music, Mind Over Records, Max Recordings, Wanda Music Inc., Makaki Music, Sonorous Records, Factory Underground, The Hip Abduction, Dundas Music, Mainstream Sounds et al.

About A2IM:
A2IM is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization headquartered in New York City that exists to support and strengthen the independent recorded music sector. Membership currently includes a broad coalition of more than 700 Independently-owned American music labels. A2IM represents these independently owned small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community. In doing so, it supports a key segment of America’s creative class that represents America’s diverse musical cultural heritage. Billboard Magazine identified the Independent music label sector as 37.32 percent of the music industry’s U.S. recorded music sales market in 2016 based on copyright ownership, making Independent labels collectively the largest music industry sector.

Learn more about A2IM here.
For information about how to join our community, see here.