Hey Music Mag - Issue 4 - February 2019

UPFRONT INTERNATIONAL NEWS
THE BEAT GOES ON
Photo_ Kaori Tempel
Beatport co-founder Jonas Tempel
has returned to the online music store as
creative advisor.
The move was engineered by Beatport
CEO Robb McDaniels, who said that
Tempel’s knowledge of comprehensive
marketing campaigns and belief in the brand
would help Beatport achieve its goals for
2019 and beyond.
“Jonas has a unique perspective on DJ
culture and knows what it takes to work
with our community to introduce a new DJ
experience,” said McDaniels.
Tempel served as Beatport CEO from
2003 to 2010. He resigned after “a heated
fight with the board”. The company, which
focuses primarily on electronic music, was
bought by Robert Sillerman’s dance media
conglomerate SFX Entertainment in 2013
for almost $59 million. After that Beatport’s
fortunes changed. It posted a $5.5 million
loss in 2015. SFX filed for bankruptcy in
2016. It emerged from bankruptcy as a
private company, renamed LiveStyle, and
retained ownership of Beatport, which is
located in Denver and Berlin.
Last year, Tempel told Electronic Dance
Magazine: “Beatport became a toxic and
misguided company. Even before Sillerman
and SFX took over, the company was
hemorrhaging and headed in the wrong
direction.”
Tempel, who worked with Beats by Dre after
his departure from Beatport, is also behind
Moody Recordings and venture capital
company Rokk3rFuel. He said Beatport was
“thriving again” under the leadership of Rob
McDaniels. “I’m honoured to play a small
part in a brand I co-founded and love so very
dearly,” he added.
The company is planning to launch
Beatsource, an “open format” music brand
serving hip-hop, pop, R&B and Latin music
genres, later this year.
14 FEBRUARY 2019