Big Loud Records, the Nashville company behind artists including Morgan Wallen, is officially going deeper into the music-catalog acquisition business.
Big Loud has appointed Dusty Miller as its new President of Catalog Acquisitions, giving him responsibility for finding, evaluating and acquiring music catalogs and other music-related assets.
This is significant because Big Loud isn't a traditional investment fund. It's a successful independent music company now essentially building the infrastructure to become a major buyer of music rights.
And Big Loud already knows what these assets can be worth. In 2025, the company sold a substantial minority interest in Morgan Wallen's master-recording catalog to Chord Music Partners in a transaction reportedly valued at more than $200 million.
Chord itself has attracted serious institutional money: Universal Music Group invested $240 million for a 25.8% stake, valuing Chord at approximately $1.85 billion.
Why it matters: Catalog M&A is spreading beyond traditional publishers and private-equity firms. Record labels themselves increasingly want to own (and profit from) the long-term value of music copyrights.
