AceShowbiz - In late 2021, a pivotal conversation took place among three industry veterans: Ryan Tedder, frontman of OneRepublic and acclaimed songwriter-producer; Andrew Sparkler, former chief business officer at Downtown; and seasoned artist manager Ron Lafitte. Their discussion centered on a shared question: Is there room in the music publishing world for a new kind of company?

The trio recognized a gap in the market. Many songwriters were primarily looking for the lowest-cost administration deals, but few publishing companies offered the kind of hands-on, strategic partnership that nurtures talent with bespoke A&R services. They envisioned a company that would stand apart by focusing on personalized creative development rather than chasing market share alone.

“Obviously, every publisher likes to think of themselves that way,” Sparkler said, reflecting on their early intentions. “So we said, we need to meaningfully differentiate ourselves... And make it so if someone is deciding between two places, they can always say, ‘I will get something unique at Runner.’”

By 2023, the vision materialized into Runner Music, an indie publishing company founded by Sparkler as CEO, Lafitte as co-founder and board member, and Tedder as co-chief creative officer. Tedder’s impressive songwriting resume includes hits such as Beyoncé’s “Halo,” Tate McRae’s “greedy,” Maroon 5’s “Maps,” and numerous chart-toppers with OneRepublic, which helped attract talent early on.

To complete their leadership team, they brought in Amanda Hill, a respected Sony Music Publishing A&R executive with a strong track record of talent spotting in Los Angeles. Hill now serves as President and co-chief creative officer of Runner Music, rounding out a powerhouse leadership group committed to a high-touch approach.

Financial backing came through Melody Holdings, an affiliate of Blackstone that also owns SESAC and MNRK, which became an equity partner in the venture. This investment bolstered Runner’s ability to operate on both the catalog acquisition and frontline development fronts.

Just three years into operation, Runner Music has already made significant industry waves. The company secured six songwriting credits on the new BTS comeback album ARIRANG, including tracks like “SWIM,” “Body to Body,” and “NORMAL.” These involved songwriting camps organized in collaboration with HYBE and producer Diplo, illustrating Runner’s commitment to creative collaboration at the highest level.

Beyond BTS, Runner signees have contributed to several major hits. These include Tyler Spry’s involvement with Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl-approved track “DtMF,” Grant Boutin and Tedder on Tate McRae’s “Sports Car,” and Ben Johnson’s work on Jordan Davis’s “Bar None” and Kane Brown’s “Woman.” This roster attests to Runner’s ability to develop and support a diverse range of successful songwriters.

Despite this early success, Sparkler and Hill emphasize a measured approach to growth. “We have great ambitions,” Sparkler said, “but we’ve also seen so many other businesses around us put growth first and figure other things out later. We have been very deliberate in our growth in every sense.”

Currently, Runner remains a relatively small operation with just eight employees and 19 signees. However, its financial footprint is substantial, having invested approximately $70 million to acquire catalogs. Their acquisitions include stakes in hits like Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” and “Physical,” BTS’s “Dynamite,” Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me” and “Boombastic,” DJ Snake and Selena Gomez’s “Taki Taki,” Justin Bieber’s “Ghost” and “Anyone,” Phillip Phillips’s “Gone Gone Gone,” Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up,” and The Lumineers’ “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love.”

“The highest compliment we get paid is that people often assume we have 30 or 40 people on staff,” Sparkler noted, highlighting the efficiency and impact of their lean team.

Ryan Tedder also expressed his pride in the company’s progress: “I’m so proud of the close-knit team of writers and producers we’ve assembled in the last [nearly three] years; as the name says, we have been nonstop running — [or] sprinting... In this industry where great songs are dying for attention 24/7 and virality cosplays as a business plan, I only trust one thing — doing the work.”

When asked about the origins of Runner Music, Sparkler explained that the idea grew from a shared desire to create an indie publisher that was creatively forward-thinking. Initially focused on catalog acquisitions, discussions with Amanda Hill helped expand the vision to include a frontline business dedicated to nurturing songwriters.

Hill, who had been Tedder’s publisher at Sony, said they connected immediately based on a shared competitive spirit and similar views of the music industry. “What I was picking up from songwriters at that time was that people wanted another option. They wanted the reach of a major but something that felt like a family, something smaller and more attentive,” Hill said. “A lot of people were getting tired of being just a number on a piece of paper. So on day one, I knew that’s what I was building — the other option.”

In a market increasingly dominated by administration-only deals aiming to minimize fees, Runner Music positions itself differently. Hill stressed that Runner offers a high-touch publishing experience, with real engagement and partnership. “People want the relationship, they want real work done and they want a true partner. Every single person we work with gets 150% from us,” she said.

Hill emphasized that their approach is highly strategic and customized. “We’re intertwined with their teams and individually engaged on what we’re doing every step of the way, and it’s strategic. I look at it like everyone should have their own plan, and that’s what we’re doing — executing a custom plan for each person and adjusting it quickly because you’re constantly in conversation with them.”

Regarding talent selection, Hill made it clear that signing songwriters isn’t about numbers. “I very much didn’t want to be in the business of just collecting people. The fact that some songwriter is available and we could sign them is not a reason to sign them. The real check marks for me are: How hard do you want to work, and are we aligned on how to get there?”

Financially, Runner balances catalog acquisitions with frontline signings. Sparkler acknowledged he doesn’t have a precise dollar split but praised Melody Holdings as an exceptional partner that values their disciplined capital deployment. “We were a successful business even in the early days, so it makes it easier to get a yes when we’re delivering good returns. I would say Melody is just as invested in the frontline side as they are the catalog side.”

On the catalog front, Runner operates with a debt facility from Bank of America and targets catalog deals generally below $15 million, most under $5 million.

Through this combination of strategic catalog purchases and dedicated frontline development, Runner Music aims to build a unique ecosystem that supports songwriters creatively and commercially. Their early success with major hits and collaborations with global icons like BTS signals a promising future for this indie publisher.

As the music publishing industry continues to evolve, Runner Music stands out by putting creative partnership ahead of scale, proving that a focused, artist-first approach can yield both artistic and financial success.