Warner Chappell Partners with France’s Kidding Aside

Warner Chappell Music (WCM) has entered a strategic global partnership with Kidding Aside, one of France’s most influential independent electronic music companies.

Why it matters:

• The deal comes alongside the appointment of Nicolas Klersy as Partner of Kidding Aside Publishing, the Paris-based company’s newly created publishing venture, where he will serve as strategic lead for Publishing A&R.

• The partnership aligns Kidding Aside with WCM’s international network, amplifying creative opportunities for songwriters and producers and driving the global export of French electronic music culture.

Backstory:

• Kidding Aside was founded in 2015 by Matthieu Jay.

• Its operations span artist management, music publishing, recorded music, live events, and All Night Long, its joint-venture label with Believe.

• The company works with talent such as Acid Arab, Folamour, Nico Moreno, NTO, Romain Garcia, Trinix, and Urumi.

What they said:

• Matthieu Jay, Founder and Director of Kidding Aside: “After more than a decade of helping to develop some of dance’s biggest stars, we now want to make Kidding Aside Publishing one of the leading publishing houses in Europe. With the arrival of Nicolas Klersy, we can now support a new generation of music makers, foster cross-border collaborations and boost the global profile of our repertoire. Aligning with Warner Chappell, leveraging its powerful global network and high quality teams, will allow us to scale up while preserving Kidding Aside’s agility and identity.”