Community Music Hires VC Heavyweight to Fund Artists In-House

Australian independent music company Community Music, a division of UNIFIED Music Group, has appointed Matt Allen as Head of Artist Capital, securing in-house venture capital expertise.

Why it matters:

• The company says the move addresses “a gap in legacy funding models for artists in Australia.”

• Artists will have access to upfront capital, without ceding ownership of their music or business.

• The money will be repaid through future streaming royalties.

• The company says artists will have “flexibility over how much of their streaming income flows to them versus recoupment.”

• They can also choose to top up as it pays down.

• Allen will work with Community Music to expand its funding program, which to date has deployed over $3 million of its $10 million commitment to independent artists.

Backstory:

• Allen is a respected startup investor and capital strategy specialist.

• As Co-Founder of Tractor Ventures and Venture Partner at Side Stage Ventures, he has distributed hundreds of millions in non-dilutive, revenue-based funding at the intersection of culture, creativity and tech.

Growing trend:

• The news comes weeks after Florida-headquartered finance firm Sound Royalties – which also advances money to creators and recoups from future royalty earnings – announced it had distributed $135 million in funded contracts to creators in 2025, a record for the company.

• Meanwhile StrmMusic, which offers upfront capital to independent artists while allowing them to retain full rights and creative control, recently announced it was increasing its advances for North American creators.

What they said:

• Matt Allen: “Artists need – and deserve – access to the same modern funding models that tech founders use so they can reinvest in their own creativity and grow their careers with pace and sustainability – to write, record and tour.”