CTM Outlander Strikes Worldwide Publishing Deal w/ Sam Hunt

Concluding a significant year for the publishing powerhouse, CTM Outlander today announces the acquisition of five-time GRAMMY nominated, multi-platinum-selling, award-winning singer/songwriter Sam Hunt’s publishing catalog and signing of Hunt to a go-forward publishing deal for his future works. Hunt is widely cited as one of the most innovative writers in country music.
 
Global superstar Sam Hunt has quickly assumed recognition from both inside and outside the country music community for his blending of genres, incorporating the use of R&B and pop into the production and songwriting of his songs. Hunt has been honored with numerous awards including multiple Academy of Country Music Awards, an American Music Award, CMT Music Award, and multiple nominations for the GRAMMYs, Country Music Association Awards and Billboard Music Awards.  
 
CTM Outlander is a partnership between the innovative and disruptive Dallas, Texas-based Outlander Capital, led by Les Ware and Mike McKool, and the Dutch-based leading independent music entertainment company CTM, led by industry veteran André de Raaff.
 
“Discussing the sale of some of my catalog took a while and I am glad that it did, as I got to know André and his CTM Outlander team better and better. They continued to meet with me and my team over the last several months to discuss what working together might look like. I appreciate their diligence and belief in what I am doing as an artist, and more importantly, as a songwriter. I believe we will have a productive partnership both internationally and here at home,” said Hunt.
 
André de Raaff (CEO, CTM Outlander): “Sam has been on our radar for a long time, and we were very eager to work with him. Since we landed in Nashville, we signed some of the most prolific songwriters like Shane McAnally, Natalie Hemby, Ross Copperman and Michael Tyler. By adding Sam to our roster, who is not only one of the most respected songwriters in town but also a global superstar and touring artist, we feel we can service the community even better. 
 
We are truly honored that Sam, after being in talks with us for a long time, decided to sign with our company. Sam is an example of an artist and songwriter that we can help move forward in the international market; his body of work doesn’t only dominate the U.S. radio waves and streaming world but also travels throughout the world. We look forward to supporting Sam in his endeavors and expansion, and are excited to work with him in the country music space and international scene.”
 
Mike McKool (Director, CTM Outlander): “We’re thrilled to add a singer-songwriter with the stature of Sam Hunt to the CTM Outlander family. Not only is he the type of artist that we want to be in business with, but more importantly he’s the type of person that we want to invest in. Sam has clearly experienced an immense amount of success, and our goal at CTM Outlander is to provide Sam with the resources he needs to achieve all his future endeavors.”
 
Hunt’s debut studio album, Montevallo, broke several chart records with five singles, including three consecutive Hot Country Songs chart and four Country Airplay chart number ones. The lead single from the album, “Leave The Night On,” peaked concurrently on the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, making Hunt the first country artist since Billy Ray Cyrus 22 years ago, to reach the top of three country charts simultaneously in the Nielsen SoundScan-era. 
 
Hunt released his GRAMMY-nominated, Triple-Platinum-selling sophomore album titled Southside in 2020, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and in the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 200 all-genre chart. The album was also named one of the Best Albums of the Year by The New York Times and US Weekly.
 
The Georgia native has nine No. 1 hits including: “Body Like a Back Road,” “Kinfolks,” “Hard to Forget,” “House Party,” “Leave The Night On,” “Take Your Time,” “Make You Miss Me,” and “Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s.” Hunt also has success as a songwriter with several top artists. Some of his No. 1 hits as a songwriter include “Come Over” by Kenny Chesney, “Cop Car” by Keith Urban, “I Met A Girl” by William Michael Morgan and “We Are Tonight” by Billy Currington. Hunt has continued his success with the release of his No. 1 hit “23” and his current radio single “Outskirts,” which is currently Top 40 and climbing on country radio.
 
Hunt’s single “Body Like A Back Road” recently obtained RIAA Diamond-certification (10x platinum), becoming the 8th country artist ever to reach this status. The single has since surpassed that status, and currently sits at 11x Platinum-certification.

Derek Crownover, Willie Jones, Megan Pekar and John Rolfe of Loeb and Loeb handled the transaction on behalf of Sam Hunt.

(Pictured L to R: Derek Crownover (Loeb and Loeb), Van Hunt (Between the Pines Music), Mike McKool (Co-Founder Outlander Capital Management), Erin McKool, Sam Hunt, André de Raaff, (CEO, CTM Outlander), Thomas Deelder, (Creative Director, CTM Outlander); Jitze de Raaff, (President, CTM Publishing), Willie Jones (Loeb and Loeb)). | Photo Credit: Weatherly Photography

About Outlander: 
Outlander Capital is a Dallas-based company focusing on Rights Management including music and patent royalty streams and Intellectual Property Development, as well as leading brands and properties to innovate using blockchain technology. Outlander Capital is led by Les Ware and Mike McKool. Les is also co-founder and chairman of Marconi, a multi-platform patent management firm that manages the licensing of tens of thousands of patents globally for dozens of Fortune 500 companies and other major IP holders around the world. Mike is also founder of McKool Smith Law Firm and earned a reputation as one of the country’s most prominent trial lawyers and IP litigators, and has vast experience representing musicians, composers and producers throughout his career. www.ctmoutlandermusic.com 
 
About CTM:
CTM is one of the strongest independent entertainment firms of the world, with its headquarters in The Netherlands and foreign offices in Los Angeles, London, Miami and Brussels. CTM’s activities are leading in music publishing, representing world famous writers and catalogs. Next to that, CTM is active as a record label and management firm for local top artists and actors and is successful as a TV and Film producer. CTM is owned by André de Raaff (former owner and founder of Imagem) and Jitze de Raaff. www.ctm.nl  

CTM Outlander Acquires Shane McAnally Catalog + A Global Deal for SMACKSongs & SMACKBlue

Deal Sees Acquisition of 3x GRAMMY Award Winner Shane McAnally’s Catalog of Over
150 Songs, Including McAnally’s Writer’s Share Plus an Exclusive 4-Year
Go-Forward Co-Publishing Deal, Inclusive of Non-Dramatic Rights to Certain Music
Featured in Tony-Nominated Broadway Musical Shucked

Acquisition Also Includes Works by Josh Osborne, Matt McGinn Alongside
Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey and Trevor Rosen.

Strategic Move Also Sees Global Admin Deal for SMACKSongs & SMACKBlue Publishing

L to R ID: Thomas Deelder, Creative Director, CTM Publishing; Les Ware, CEO, Outlander Capital; Shane McAnally; Mike McKool, President, Outlander Capital; André de Raaff, CEO, CTM Outlander; Robert Carlton, President, SMACK; Jeff Chown, COO, Outlander Capital; Jason Turner, Counsel, McAnally & SMACK | Photo courtesy of Emilio Madrid

A major move in the Nashville music publishing scene, CTM Outlander has acquired the publishing catalog of GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter and producer Shane McAnally alongside other works of SMACKSongs’ Matt McGinn, Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey and Trevor Rosen.
 
The deal also includes certain elements of McAnally’s royalties from his catalog of 200+ master recordings as a producer, plus an exclusive 4-year go-forward co-publishing deal, inclusive of non-dramatic rights to certain songs featured in the 9x Tony-nominated Broadway musical Shucked.
 
As a part of the new agreement, McAnally’s publishing companies SMACKSongs and SMACKBlue - including works by Walker Hayes, Kylie Morgan, Josh Jenkins and others - will now be administered on a global basis by CTM Outlander.
 
CTM Outlander is a partnership between the innovative and disruptive Dallas, Texas-based Outlander Capital, led by Les Ware and Mike McKool and the Dutch-based leading independent music entertainment company CTM, led by industry veteran André de Raaff.
 
Since launching two years ago, CTM Outlander has signalled its ambition to invest over a billion U.S. dollars in acquiring music publishing and master rights with notable moves, including the acquisition of TEN Music’s publishing assets in 2021 and the catalogs of Natalie Hemby, Ben Burgess and Michael Tyler in 2022.
 
McAnally is among Nashville’s elite, with over 50 No. 1 songs and two Songwriter of the Year awards by the Academy of Country Music to his credit. In 2022, he also became the most nominated songwriter in Country Music Association history. His cuts include songs recorded by Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Halsey, Sam Hunt, the Jonas Brothers, Miranda Lambert, John Legend, Old Dominion, Reba, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, George Strait, Keith Urban and Morgan Wallen, among many others. 
 
As a producer, McAnally’s work includes superstars Kelsea Ballerini, Kelly Clarkson, Walker Hayes, Sam Hunt, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Carly Pearce.
 
“I am very excited to start this new partnership built on a mutual passion for all things music, along with the global reach of this incredible team” shares McAnally. “Andre is a visionary and understands the importance of managing music rights, as he has shown over the course of his career. As I continue to expand my creative work to new areas, Andre and his team recognize the passion I have, not just for creating music in the traditional sense, but also in areas of film, TV, Broadway and beyond. I am thankful to the CTM Outlander team for partnering with me to manage my catalog copyrights and am eager to see what we are able to accomplish together over the next several years.”
 
SMACKSongs President Robert Carlton adds, “SMACK is thrilled to be working with CTM Outlander for all of its administration needs. Their passion for music, combined with their independent and innovative spirit makes them a great match. I am excited to see what we can accomplish together in this next chapter!”
 
“It is very rare to come across such a talented and gifted songwriter, producer and creator of music entertainment like Shane McAnally,” adds CTM Outlander CEO André de Raaff. “His successes are countless, from pop to country and from musical theatre to developing TV shows. It is a privilege to look after a great part of his legacy and to work with him and the rest of the SMACK team in the future on all the new projects ahead, which period we expect to become more successful than ever!”
 
“We believe in Nashville’s creative community and are proud to help amplify the stories that are a biproduct of an environment that cultivates ingenuity,” shares Outlander Capital Principal, Mike McKool. “With CTM Outlander’s integration across multiple disciplines, it’s exciting to see the integrity of these catalogs preserved and amplified while also providing this security to the writers.”
 
This is the latest move by CTM Outlander to solidify their commitment to the Nashville creative community with McAnally joining the previously acquired catalogs from Natalie Hemby (Lady Gaga, Miranda Lambert, Alicia Keys), Ben Burgess (Morgan Wallen, Tyler Rich, Dierks Bentley, Diplo) and Michael Tyler (Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Blake Shelton). Notably, Hemby helped pen “I’ll Never Love Again,” sung by Lada Gaga in the smash hit movie A Star Is Born, and Burgess co-wrote three songs on Wallen’s 2021 album Dangerous: The Double Album (Big Loud/Mercury/Republic Records) – which has notched historical chart status as Billboard’s longest running Top 10 album in history for a solo artist (with 123 total weeks spent in the Top 10, eclipsing Adele’s 21 and Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The USA). Burgess also co-wrote the No. 1 and 7x Platinum hit single “Whiskey Glasses” for Wallen. 
 
McAnally, SMACKSongs, SMACKBlue and SMACK Productions were represented in the sale by Jason Turner, Sarah Smith, Dustin Kovacic and Matthew Jafari of Keller Turner Andrews & Ghanem, PLLC.
 
About Outlander: 
Outlander Capital is a Dallas-based company focusing on Rights Management including music and patent royalty streams and Intellectual Property Development, as well as leading brands and properties to innovate using blockchain technology. Outlander Capital is led by Les Ware and Mike McKool. Les is also co-founder and chairman of Marconi, a multi-platform patent management firm that manages the licensing of tens of thousands of patents globally for dozens of Fortune 500 companies and other major IP holders around the world. Mike is also founder of McKool Smith Law Firm and earned a reputation as one of the country’s most prominent trial lawyers and IP litigators, and has vast experience representing musicians, composers and producers throughout his career.
 
About CTM:
CTM is one of the strongest independent entertainment firms of the world, with its headquarters in The Netherlands and foreign offices in Los Angeles, London, Miami and Brussels. CTM’s activities are leading in music publishing, representing world famous writers and catalogs. Next to that, CTM is active as a record label and management firm for local top artists and actors and is successful as a TV and Film producer. CTM is owned by André de Raaff (former owner and founder of Imagem) and Jitze de Raaff.