Paris-headquartered music company Believe has officially launched its Believe Music Publishing division across multiple global markets following its 2023 acquisition of Sentric Music Group.
The new publishing arm integrates Believe’s digital-first infrastructure with Sentric’s rights management expertise, aiming to provide songwriters and rightsholders with what the company describes as “one of the most advanced sets of tools and services in the industry.”
Chris Meehan, founder of Sentric, will lead the new division as CEO of Believe Music Publishing. Meehan brings nearly two decades of publishing experience, having established Sentric in 2006 and guided its evolution into a major independent publisher before its acquisition by Believe.
According to the announcement made on Tuesday (October 7), Believe Music Publishing operates with a team of 160 publishing specialists worldwide, spanning creative, sync, and revenue optimisation functions. The company highlighted its “transparent global collection infrastructure” built through partnerships with collection societies and its continued focus on fair remuneration for creators.
The company clarified that existing publishing services within its ecosystem will continue to operate independently. Sentric will remain focused on administration services for self-published songwriters, while TuneCore will retain its publishing administration offering for creators.
As part of the global rollout, Believe has appointed regional heads to oversee key territories:
- Ismaël Kané as Head of Publishing, France, previously at BlueSky, known for his work with rapper R2.
- Alexandra Ziem as Head of Publishing, Germany, former Director of Creative at Sony Music Publishing, credited with signing Ben Zucker and Holy Priest.
- Sunil Gursahani as Head of Publishing, India and South Asia, formerly with Tips Music, and credited with signing Punjabi artist Garry Sandhu.
- Chris Dampier as Head of Publishing, North America, previously VP at TuneCore Publishing and Director at BMI.
- Monthira Tunthagadh as A&R Manager for Southeast Asia, based in Thailand, previously with GMM Grammy, and already working with Thai rapper YOUNGOHM.
Denis Ladegaillerie, Founder and CEO of Believe, said the launch marks a step toward a fully integrated music company:
“With digital now being the biggest driver of collections for creators, and the publishing market exceeding €4 billion after a decade of double-digit growth, we’re uniquely positioned to lead an evolving publishing market.”
Meehan added that the division’s foundation reflects Believe’s global ambitions:
“Our model, expert teams and technology-driven approach will help Believe strengthen its position as a key publishing player worldwide.”
Analysis: A Strategic Move in the Digital Publishing Era
Believe’s expansion into publishing consolidates its status as one of the few global music companies operating across both recording and publishing, a strategic move at a time when digital collections account for a growing share of songwriter income.
For India and South Asia, the appointment of Sunil Gursahani signals Believe’s intention to formalise publishing infrastructure in emerging markets, where awareness of rights management remains limited but streaming revenues are rising.
By leveraging Sentric’s technology and existing CMO partnerships, Believe could become a strong alternative to legacy publishers in markets like India, particularly for independent artists and regional language songwriters seeking transparent royalty administration.
The launch also points to a larger industry trend. Publishing divisions are no longer ancillary, but central to global digital strategy, aligning licensing, sync, and data-driven rights collection under one umbrella.
