Reliant Music has entered a partnership with ADA Benelux, the independent distribution and label services arm of Warner Music Group.
The tie-up, announced on Tuesday (September 8), pairs the Vancouver-headquartered company’s A&R and artist development work with ADA‘s international distribution and label infrastructure.
Reliant said the partnership will support records from early creative development through to international release and growth.
The company describes itself as a “song-first” A&R, song management, and independent dance music business, which it says connects North American pop hit-making with European dance A&R.
Reliant said it works selectively with artists, producers, and songwriters, developing songs and building collaborations around the needs of each record.
Reliant Music is led by John Dexter and Adrian Lock in North America, alongside Mischa Daniëls, its VP of A&R for Europe.
According to the company, the team’s track record ranges from Carly Rae Jepsen‘s Call Me Maybe and Loud Luxury‘s Body to projects involving Armin van Buuren, Timmy Trumpet, KSHMR, R3HAB, Nicky Romero, W&W, Fedde Le Grand, and NERVO.
“We built Reliant around a simple belief: great records still start with great songs,” said John Dexter, President of Reliant Music. “We want to give artists, songwriters and producers real creative attention and offer flexible ways of working together based on what each record needs.
“Our partnership with ADA allows us to maintain that focused, independent approach while creating opportunities to scale successful records internationally.”
“We want to give artists, songwriters and producers real creative attention and offer flexible ways of working together based on what each record needs.”
John Dexter, Reliant Music
Reliant described the partnership as its next phase of international growth.
Reliant Music was founded in 2012 and expanded into Europe in 2021 with the opening of an Amsterdam office.
Reliant has previously said Dexter, who once co-managed Carly Rae Jepsen, has written, produced, or A&R’d 13 Top 10 singles and 17 Top 40 hits.
It later named Mischa Daniëls its VP of A&R in Europe.
Before joining Reliant, Daniëls was Creative Music Director at Armada Music, where he signed Loud Luxury and released the duo’s breakthrough single Body.
At Armada, he also handled A&R for acts including Afrojack.
Reliant is headquartered in Vancouver, with operations in Toronto, Amsterdam, and Berlin.
The company said it recently opened a creative hub within Vancouver’s Armoury Studios.
“At ADA Benelux, we’re proud of our collaboration with Reliant Music,” said Pim Lauwerier, Head of ADA Benelux. “They’re a fantastic team of skilled professionals with a genuine passion for music, who excel at developing a demo into a hit record, all while keeping a sharp eye for detail.
“We’re confident this partnership has even bigger achievements ahead of us, and we can’t wait to celebrate new successes together.”
“We’re confident this partnership has even bigger achievements ahead of us, and we can’t wait to celebrate new successes together.”
Pim Lauwerier, ADA Benelux
ADA Benelux is Warner Music‘s independent distribution division for the Benelux region, and has signed a series of independent labels and artists since launching in 2020.
Those signings included independent labels such as Big Top Amsterdam, which worked on Gamper & Dadoni‘s Bittersweet Symphony.
ADA was founded in 1993 as a joint venture involving Warner Music Group and Restless Records.
ADA now serves as Warner‘s independent distribution and artist services division across a range of international markets.Music Business Worldwide
