Paris-based music company Believe has acquired a 15-percent stake in Viva Music and Artists Group (VMAG), the current leading music label in the Philippines and touted as one of the biggest labels in Southeast Asia today.
That 15 percent is approximately worth around $26 million and the Del Rosarios are elated over the sealed partnership.
“It is with great pleasure and honor that I welcome Believe’s entry into Viva. Being one of the world’s leading digital music companies, Believe brings with it its unparalleled track record in music technology advancements and superior industry-leading label and artists services. With this partnership, opportunities will become boundless as the Viva Music and Artists Group will be definitely be pulled higher to the next level,” remarked Vic del Rosario, the top honcho at Viva Holdings Inc.
He added, “With Viva’s 50 strong years in local entertainment, the entry of Believe will solidify our stronghold in the music scene and escalate our roster of very talented artists to a more competitive level, making their dreams of being internationally renowned closer to reality.”
For his part, Sylvain Delange, managing director for Asia Pacific of Believe, is excited with the many possibilities this acquisition will bring to the table of the world’s leading digital music company.
“I am extremely happy to establish this long-term partnership between our company and the Viva Music group, touted as the most established and most innovative music company in the Philippines. I am very confident that leveraging each other’s expertise, this joining of forces will enable both Believe and Viva to seize all the available opportunities in the Philippine market and contribute to the steady rise of your exceptionally talented artists.”
VMAG is controlled by Viva Holdings, the family-owned media company that owns the oldest and the richest back catalogue in the Philippines. Among its esteemed roster of music artists are Sarah Geronimo, Regine Velasquez and Sharon Cuneta.
The Asian continent is the fastest-growing digital music market and experts say that it will become the largest recording music market globally by the end of the decade. Believe started investing in the region as early as 2013 and is now the leading digital player in 14 territories.
We learned that Believe has been collaborating with VMAG since 2019 on the regional development of its artists and this timely and well-planned partnership will expand the existing alignment and reinforce the many strengths of VMAG’s unique catalogue.
Vicente Eduardo “Verb” del Rosario, Vic’s grandson, is a major player in VMAG. As the president of Viva Records, he has been calling the shots to continue searching for avenues so that local artists will be able to penetrate the international music scene faster. “This partnership with Believe is very exciting. It will definitely push Viva artists, Filipino artists, further up in the international music arena.”
