EMI Music Signs Worldwide Licensing Agreement With Petrol Records

NEW YORK (EMI) - EMI Music, the world's largest independent record company and Petrol Records, an independent label with critically acclaimed, internationally themed music collections, today announced a new partnership through which EMI will license Petrol's repertoire and provide sales, marketing and distribution support for physical and digital releases on a global basis. As part of the deal, the companies will share in revenues from new compilations, new artists signed by the label, DVDs, synchronization and the existing Petrol catalogue.

Petrol was launched in 2001 by CM (Chris) Murphy, who has been on the cutting edge of numerous music movements, including Punk, Dance, and Grunge. Prior to founding Petrol, Murphy discovered Australian group INXS, who he personally managed for 15 years. Murphy recently has been acclaimed for his role in discovering and promoting the hottest new music trends and genres in the world, including Reggaeton. More information about Petrol is available at https://www.petrolrecords.com/announcement.html

"What Chris Murphy has done with Petrol is merged culture, music and lifestyle into one beautifully and stylishly produced, exciting product," said David Munns, vice chairman of EMI Music. "EMI is going to help further develop the Petrol brand and expose it to more music fans around the world to make this amazing collection very successful."

Petrol Records has had great success and has received critical acclaim for the label's diverse, culturally astute music series and genre and region-specific titles aimed at globetrotting tastemakers, jet-setters and lovers of authentic music from around the world. Prior to partnering with EMI Music, the Petrol catalogue was distributed via various partners in physical formats to traditional retailers such as Virgin Megastore, and directly to non-traditional channels such as the iTunes Music Stores in the digital format.

Petrol has enjoyed extraordinary success on legitimate digital services, and ranks as one of the world's most successful independent labels at iTunes, amassing more than 180 #1s, more than 700 Top 10 positions, and more than 1,600 Top 100s.

Petrol's partnership with EMI Music brings the label's sales, marketing and distribution support for physical and digital releases under EMI's global roof, centralizing these efforts around the world.
"Petrol has scoured the globe looking for the music that no one else has discovered, and we're making it available globally thanks to our new venture with EMI," said Murphy.

To launch the new partnership, EMI Music will globally market and distribute a range of physical and digital Petrol titles beginning this summer. Among the first releases will be a multi-configuration project focused on the discovery of the music sensation that is Reggaeton, entitled "Reggaeton - The Cuban Revolucion," and Petrol's inaugural compilation series, "The Greatest Songs Ever," an acclaimed musical exploration of the artists and genres native to exotic destinations around the world.