SANTA MONICA, April 25, 2018 — Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today announced a multi-year global agreement with EMPIRE, the San Francisco-based independent music company founded by Ghazi Shami, to provide strategic distribution services to UMG’s labels and artists to complement UMG’s existing global distribution network.

Under the agreement, UMG and EMPIRE will work together on select artist projects from UMG’s labels that will benefit from EMPIRE’s unique approach to distribution, digital sales, promotion and marketing.

About EMPIRE

Founded in 2010, EMPIRE has grown to become the leading independent distributor and label for urban music in the United States. Its clients include labels and artists, both developing and veteran stars, across hip hop, R&B, Latin, reggae, pop, rock, gospel, and country. The company has provided distribution, label services, and promotion forsingles and albums by artists including Anderson .Paak, XXXTENTACION, Cardi B, Kendrick Lamar, DRAM, Fat Joe & Remy Ma, Migos, Shaggy, Snoop Dogg and many more. Find out more at: https://www.empi.re/

About Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group (UMG) is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. Featuring the most comprehensive catalog of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. Universal Music Group is a Vivendi company. Find out more at: http://www.universalmusic.com.

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