Diplo and former Downtown Music CEO Andrew Bergman have launched Bison Music, an independent music publishing company built around songwriters and producers. Bergman will be CEO, working alongside COO Tom Lee, CCO Juba Lee and general manager Jenny Ilibassi. The business will operate from New York and Los Angeles, with additional signings planned in the coming months.
The launch places an established artist-producer and a veteran publishing executive in the same company, but its stated mission is directed at the people behind the songs rather than toward a single performer’s recording career. Bison had already assembled a roster including Picard Bros., Leclair, Maesic, Nitti, Kaien Cruz, BomboCat, Akira Evans and Groupthink. Diplo initially formed the company to bring together writers and producers working across genres; with Bergman joining, the company says it intends to develop that idea into a long-term publishing operation.
That distinction matters. A music publisher’s central focus is the composition: the lyrics and musical work that can be written by one person or several collaborators. That is separate from a particular sound recording, which is the finished recorded performance listeners hear. An artist can be involved on both sides, but publishing is fundamentally about supporting and administering songs and the writers who create them.
What Bison Music is setting out to do
Diplo framed Bison’s purpose around originality and writer development, arguing that its roster is positioned to influence where music goes next. Bergman emphasized the discovery side of publishing: finding a compelling song from an unfamiliar writer and helping that writer’s career move forward. Their combined message is clear: Bison wants to be a home for creative talent that may be less visible than a headline artist but is central to contemporary releases.
The company’s existing names also indicate that it is not being presented as a blank-sheet venture. Bison begins with writers and producers already signed, then adds an executive structure intended to grow the operation. Bergman’s role as CEO puts an experienced publishing executive at the organizational center, while Lee, Lee and Ilibassi fill operations, creative and general-management positions.
There is no announced timetable or list of future signings beyond the promise that more will be revealed. There are also no disclosed deal terms, ownership details, release plans or commercial targets. For now, the meaningful facts are the company’s leadership, its two-city footprint, its existing roster and its declared emphasis on writer development.
Why “music publishing” is not the same as a record label
The phrase can sound abstract because listeners usually encounter a song through an artist name, an album cover or a streaming-service page. But publishing begins earlier, at the creation of the underlying work. When writers and producers create music and lyrics, their contributions can form the composition. Publishing companies help manage the business attached to those works.
In plain terms, a record label commonly works with recorded tracks and artist releases. A publisher works with the songs themselves and the people who write them. The two businesses can interact constantly, but they are not interchangeable. A hit recording may involve an artist, musicians, producers and writers, while publishing concerns can involve several writers and publishers connected to one composition.
Related coverage includes Diplo and Andrew Bergman Launch Bison Music Publishing Company.
That is why a publisher’s creative team is important. It can help connect writers with potential collaborators, identify opportunities and support the development of a catalogue over time. Bison’s language about “genre-defying” writers and producers and a global audience points to a creative strategy rather than a narrow style designation. It does not, however, establish a particular genre focus or reveal which projects its current roster will make next.
Administration and sync, explained
Two recurring terms in the publishing announcements around Bison are worth separating:
- Administration refers broadly to the work of managing a catalogue and its associated rights. In the provided announcements, Debbie Gibson’s agreement includes administration of her current catalogue, including material that had previously been unrepresented.
- Sync, short for synchronization, refers to music used alongside visual media. Gibson’s arrangement also includes TV and film sync representation, meaning her work can be represented for potential screen-related uses.
Those functions show why publishing can matter long after a song’s initial release. A catalogue and new compositions can each require active stewardship, and the same writer may be seeking support for fresh material, existing songs or screen-placement opportunities. That screen-and-music relationship remains a visible part of pop culture; Bruce Springsteen’s recent Spielberg tribute, for example, is another reminder of how often music and film occupy the same cultural conversation.
A busy set of publisher and songwriter moves
Bison’s launch arrives alongside several other publishing developments that underline the range of careers housed in this side of the industry.
Debbie Gibson has signed with Downtown Music Publishing for administration of her current catalogue and TV/film sync representation. Gibson described herself as a songwriter first and highlighted the opportunity to pursue new sync possibilities while having formerly unrepresented work looked after. Downtown’s Bea Koramblyum pointed to Gibson’s four-decade body of work and musical-theater background as the company supports her next career chapter.
Bossy Songs, founded by Records co-founder Barry Weiss in partnership with Sony Music Publishing, has extended that relationship. Bossy Songs will remain supported and administered by Sony Music Publishing, maintaining a New York office with staff in Los Angeles and Nashville. The company cited roster highlights including Austin Corona’s work with Slayyyter and Charlie Ziman’s collaborations with Malcolm Todd. Weiss said the boutique operation will continue looking for new writers while remaining selective about its roster.
In the UK, Sony Music Publishing has signed songwriter-artist Natalie Findlay for all future works. Her listed recent credits include co-writing Suki Waterhouse’s “Good Looking” and Ashe’s “Swan Lake,” alongside a discography that includes work with Remy Bond, Blossoms and Declan McKenna. Findlay said she was looking for a team that understands her interest in artists with a distinctive point of view and music that feels genuine and exciting.
Prescription Songs has signed Los Angeles-based songwriter-producer Phil Leigh. The credits named in the announcement include Le Sserafim’s “Spaghetti,” Twice’s “Hi Hello,” ANOTR’s “Paradise,” and Jason Derulo and Michael Bublé’s “Spicy Margarita.” The announcement also noted collaborations involving Beyoncé, David Guetta, the Chainsmokers and J Balvin, plus forthcoming releases from Marshmello, ANOTR and Purple Disco Machine.
Taken together, those deals illustrate that “songwriter” and “producer” are not narrow job descriptions. The announced writers move between artist projects, collaborative pop, international acts and catalogues built over many years. The common thread is not a single sound; it is the long-term value of writing and producing music.
What is confirmed — and what is still unknown
There is a temptation to treat a prominent name attached to a new company as the entire story. The confirmed details suggest a more practical setup: Diplo brings his creative position and pre-existing Bison roster, while Bergman brings publishing leadership as CEO. Tom Lee, Juba Lee and Jenny Ilibassi complete the announced management group. That is the foundation, rather than evidence of a newly revealed slate of releases or artists.
The company’s two locations may be useful for its operations, but no specific division of responsibilities between New York and Los Angeles has been announced. Likewise, the statement that further signings will follow does not identify who they are, when they will join or what kind of deals will be involved. Readers should be cautious about reading more into the launch than has been disclosed.
Still, the stated emphasis gives Bison a discernible identity at the outset. It is presenting itself as an independent publisher centered on creative discovery, development and durable support for writers and producers. For listeners, that may remain largely behind the scenes. For songwriters, producers and the teams around them, those behind-the-scenes decisions can shape who gets the support to keep making the next song.
