Kakao Entertainment teams up with Atlantic, aims to write a second “APT.” success story

A global pop powerhouse joins forces with K-pop expertise

Kakao Entertainment is partnering with Atlantic Music Group (AMG), a Warner Music Group subsidiary in the United States, to accelerate K-pop artists’ expansion into global markets.

Kakao Entertainment said on the 7th that it had signed a “strategic partnership” with Atlantic Music Group and would pursue broad cooperation spanning the development of global growth strategies for K-pop singers, music production, distribution and marketing.

From the early stages of a K-pop singer’s overseas expansion, the two companies will closely analyze the artist’s musical identity and “competitiveness in global markets” and develop joint strategies. Their cooperation will expand substantially to include “music production,” such as song camps and featured appearances; “music distribution” through global streaming platforms and social media; and appearances on local television and radio, as well as fan communications.

Atlantic Records is a prestigious label that has produced global pop stars including Bruno Mars, Coldplay and Charlie Puth. More recently, it demonstrated its unrivaled “global network” by helping spark a worldwide phenomenon with “APT.”, the megahit collaboration between BLACKPINK’s Rosé and Bruno Mars.

Through the partnership, Kakao Entertainment will bring its core capabilities across the K-pop business, including the planning and production of music intellectual property (IP) and artist management. Atlantic Music Group, in turn, will provide A&R (artists and repertoire), promotional capabilities and a robust global infrastructure.

Atlantic Music Group said it expects an explosive synergy from combining Kakao Entertainment’s “expertise in the K-pop business” with its own artist-development capabilities. Kakao Entertainment said it plans to use the companies’ combined expertise to broaden K-pop’s points of contact with its “global fandom” across multiple fronts and continue expanding its influence in the global music market.