History
SendR was a digital distributor and license exploitation enabler. Thus SendR enabled the non-physical exploitation of appr. more than a million media assets (audio- and video-tracks) at about 140 licensees (including Apple iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, Spotify, YouTube etc.). The services offered covered the entire value chain for the digital media (esp. audio and video) contents. Thereby its affiliate companies were both provider and supplier for artists, record labels, licensed digital services providers and private consumers.In essence, the business model consisted in aggregating license-rights (contracting with rights-holders such as creators, authors, artists and record labels) in prospect to distribute and exploit these licenses and getting a share on that revenue. In this sense SendR (through its affiliates) categorized as an aggregator, digital warehouse and clearinghouse.
The operational business of SendR was mainly and historically carried out through finetunes GmbH, a limited liability company incorporated under the laws of Germany in December 2003. The following are important milestones in the history of the Group’s corporate and operational development:
Incorporation of finetunes GmbH after the founders having works some time “garage-style” on a solution for independent labels to be able to sell their content (music) online. finetunes starts as the first independent download stare for music in Germany. The initial solution for that is based on a client server model (as iTunes still is) and also included a digital rights management system.
Early 2004
Achievement of a proprietary download platform. After having worked with several licensors it appeared that licensors not only express a demand for digitizing their content but also needed to use that digitized content for distribution to other points of sale.
2004-2005
This distribution aspect becomes more and more the main source of revenues making finetunes one of the first distributors of music/ media in Germany also taking in the role of a clearing house for the licensees rights. As an illustration finetunes was one of the first European companies having a direct interface with Apple iTunes back in 2004-2005, before iTunes was even launched in Europe or Germany.
The company built an encoding system to be able to digitize most of Germany’s independent catalogues at that time.
2007
First white-label shops for partners like Shell, Technics etc. have been built. Based on this the first voucher code actions started in Germany for artists and brands like Nokia for example.
2008
Development of possibilities of different configurations of one release due to different digital business models and timelines.
2009
Launch of the intuitive ContentHub and PromoTool.
2010
Start of the “direct-to-fan” bundling service and launch of a real-time sales analysis tool.
Then up until now that business model stayed basically the same:
- a lot of new licensors have been included (to appr. 2.000) in the distribution
- meanwhile the distribution model shifted from “A la carte downloads” to “content to rent” (= streaming) and is still shifting.
2016
Acquisition of Phonofile AS
2017
Sale of the main assets of SendR SE, namely finetunes GmbH and Phonofile AS to The Orchard/SONY
2018
Operating Post-Sale duties and starting to plan/envision for new endeavours for SendR SE
2021
SendR SE decided to explore new endeavours in zero emission drives and alternative energy supplies
2021
SendR SE and Clean Logistics GmbH decided to merge. About Clean Logistics GmbH
MANAGEMENT
Dirk Graszt
Executive Director (Chairman), Member of the Board of Directors (Vice-Chairman)
Dirk Lehmann
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Arne Toedter
Non-executive Member of the Board of Directors
This page/site may contain data which was current as the time of its creation and may be outdated now. Also, please always refer to additional publications, especially those sent out by SendR SE (e.g. here: https://www.pressetext.com/product/pressmap?id=1516445&subId=-1)
