Sound Connections #137: FOUNDER: Music IP Rights — Valuing Catalogs, Due Diligence & The 10-Year Rule: Alan Wallis
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Dec 11, 2025 Join Alan Wallis, a veteran music publishing executive and CEO of Dynamite Songs, as he shares his journey through music catalog valuation and acquisitions. He breaks down what drives private equity interest in music and why many catalogs are currently up for sale. Learn about the importance of sync revenue, how to identify deal red flags, and why a ten-year maturity rule can stabilize investments. Alan also emphasizes the value of building diverse catalogs and managing seller expectations, all while avoiding emotional overbids.
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Financial Rigor Unlocks Music Deals
- Alan Wallis entered music from a valuation background and built Mojo by applying financial rigor to publishing deals.
- Treating music as an investable asset reveals opportunities missed by sentiment-driven approaches.
Supply Shift: More Catalogs For Sale
- The market shifted from too few sellers to many sellers in recent years.
- Older writers started selling to diversify wealth and handle estate planning, increasing supply.
Play The Small-End Sweet Spot
- Focus on the small-end market where big funds can't cost-effectively transact.
- Target catalogs with underlying income between $25k and ~$400k and build expertise in efficient due diligence.