LOS ANGELES — Stationhead and Mellomanic have merged, creating what the group’s leadership are describing as the “ultimate direct-to-fan platform the industry needs.”
The enlarged company will carry the Stationhead name, and is led by David Rappaport, who becomes chief executive officer. Previously, Rappaport was head of Mellomanic and chief operating officer of global touring at AEG Presents before that.
At the same time, Ryan Star, Stationhead’s co-founder, CEO and a Billboard charting recording artist, is named as chief creative officer of Stationhead. Steven Taslitz, chairman and co-founder of Sterling Partners which, along with Universal Music Group and other organizations, is investing in the company, will now serve as Stationhead’s chairman. Rappaport and Star will additionally serve as board members.
Financial terms of the merger weren’t disclosed.
Stationhead, the global fandom platform which allows fans to host listening parties for their favorite artists, last year boasted a user base of 20 million, with 50% of those aged between 18 and 25. Since then, the platform has added several new features, including the Stationhead Shop, an e-commerce experience that allows artists to offer merch directly by hosting their own “Shops,” an integration made possible with Shopify.
Soon after, Stationhead rolled out Collections, which allows users to show off the physical and digital merchandise that they have bought through the brand.
Mellomanic, formerly known as We Are Giant, closed a $6 million funding round in late 2024, raising its total capital to $13.8 million, with Sterling Partners among its backers.
It too is a community-centric space for artists and superfans to connect, with expertise in presenting exclusive listening parties and digital events. With over 400,000 monthly active users, the platform has attracted partnerships with major labels such as Atlantic Records, Def Jam, Sony Music Nashville and Virgin Music Group.
“This merger creates the ultimate direct-to-fan platform the industry needs,” comments Rappaport. “Even as far back as when I was an artist attorney, I felt that copyrights and artist businesses were substantially under-monetized and that an all-encompassing solution could be created for the industry that allowed all industry stakeholders to win.”
By combined the companies, Rappaport continues, “we’re building an additive, ecosystem-wide solution that drives real business and data for artists, record labels, music publishers, and streaming services.”
Adds Star, “through live listening parties that have already driven billions of streams on premium streaming services, we’ve demonstrated the commercial power of fandom at scale. This is the next evolution of music fandom, and it’s the future we’ve been building toward from the very beginning.”
In addition to its minority investment in the business, UMG nabs more skin in the game through a commercial agreement to use Stationhead’s technology.
“At Universal Music Group, we see tremendous potential in technology innovation that brings artists and their biggest fans more closely together, and Stationhead’s independent platform exemplifies that opportunity,” comments Michael Nash, EVP and chief digital officer at Universal Music Group. “Collaborative, artist-centric, super fan-focused innovation like this is essential to the future of our industry.”
Goldman, Sachs & Co. advised Stationhead on the merger, announced Wednesday, Jan. 28.
