Kvadro-Disk

Kvadro-Disk (Квадро-диск) is a Russian record label and music company that emerged on the market in 1994, although its founding team had already come together two years earlier. It grew out of the early-1990s wave of Russian music distributors who began with wholesale sales of audio cassettes and compact discs and gradually acquired exclusive rights to release and distribute albums by popular domestic artists. Over time Kvadro-Disk concentrated on the estrada (Russian pop) repertoire, and its leading artists came to include Stas Mikhaylov, Elena Vaenga and Dmitri Hvorostovsky. The label operates both as a publisher and as a full-service music company. Through its official website it offers album release on physical media (CD, MP3, LP), consulting on copyright and neighbouring-rights protection, legal support for music projects, placement and sale of music on digital platforms such as iTunes, Google Play and Yandex, design-studio services, YouTube channel development, digital sales of albums and tracks, and disc replication. Its catalogue spans audio, classical music, video, printed products and vinyl, and its bestseller lists feature artists such as Valeriy Meladze-associated pop acts, Mikhail Shufutinsky, Dima Bilan, Grigory Leps, Vyacheslav Butusov's Nautilus Pompilius-era catalogue, Kino, and many others across pop, chanson, rock, children's and folk genres. In the early 2000s Kvadro-Disk focused on expanding its catalogue, signing contracts with commercially successful Russian performers. Together with Classic Company and Monolit it created a joint distribution structure under the brand "Torgovyy Soyuz" (Trade Union), pooling warehousing and distribution infrastructure. This experience later informed the creation of United Music Group. At the end of 2013 Kvadro-Disk merged with Classic Company and Nikitin Media Digital Content to form United Music Group (UnitedMG), one of Russia's largest record labels and music-content distributors. Each founding company is represented in the combined structure by a managing shareholder: Andrey Brazhkin from Kvadro-Disk, Dmitry Gorev from Classic Company and Alexey Nikitin from Nikitin Media Digital Content. The label continues to operate as part of UnitedMG, maintaining its own brand, website and catalogue.

Kvadro-Disk appeared as an independent label on the Russian music market in 1994, but the team that created the company had already formed two years earlier. Like many Russian music companies of that era, it began in the first half of the 1990s with distribution — wholesale sales of audio cassettes and compact discs. By the late 1990s, such companies were acquiring exclusive rights to release and distribute albums by popular domestic performers, which allowed them to take stable positions in the Russian recording industry. Initially Kvadro-Disk had no genre preferences. One of its first notable projects was the compilation "Pesnya Goda" (Song of the Year), released jointly with Igor Krutoy's company ARS-Records. Over the years the label concentrated on the estrada (pop) direction, while its future merger partner Classic Company focused on chanson. Leading artists of Kvadro-Disk became Stas Mikhaylov, Elena Vaenga and Dmitri Hvorostovsky. In the early 2000s the main task of Kvadro-Disk and Classic Company was to build up their catalogues, and both companies concluded a number of contracts with the most commercially successful Russian performers. Together with Classic Company and Monolit, Kvadro-Disk created a unified distribution structure under the brand "Torgovyy Soyuz" (Trade Union), combining their infrastructure, a common warehouse and a shared distribution network. The experience proved successful and was later used by United Music Group. The Russian music industry underwent revolutionary changes in the 2000s: sales of music on physical media fell sharply, new digital opportunities appeared, and the 2008 economic crisis worsened the situation. Remaining players concluded that they needed to unite to survive and develop. For the Nikitin label, which had lost its Warner Music International licence after Warner Music Russia opened in summer 2013, merging with Kvadro-Disk and Classic Company was logical and timely. At the end of 2013, Kvadro-Disk, Classic Company and Nikitin Media Digital Content merged to form United Music Group (UnitedMG), one of Russia's largest record labels and music-content distributors. Each founding company is represented in the combined structure by a managing shareholder: Andrey Brazhkin from Kvadro-Disk, Dmitry Gorev from Classic Company and Alexey Nikitin from Nikitin Media Digital Content. At the time of the merger all three labels had long operated on the Russian music market, possessed large artist catalogues and their own distribution networks, and entered the alliance as fully equal partners. The founders stated that there were no acquisitions or purchases of a loss-making business by stronger competitors during the creation of UnitedMG. Under the founders' agreement, UnitedMG carries out common management of the catalogues of the companies in the alliance and common acquisition of new projects. Market participants saw UnitedMG as a contender for the role of "the first Russian major". Kvadro-Disk continues to operate as part of UnitedMG, maintaining its own brand, website and catalogue. Its official site offers album release on CD, MP3 and LP, consulting on copyright and related rights, legal support for music projects, placement and sale of music on digital platforms such as iTunes, Google Play and Yandex, design-studio services, YouTube channel development, digital sales of albums and tracks, and disc replication.

• 2013

  Kvadro-Disk, Classic Company and Nikitin Media Digital Content merge to form United Music Group (UnitedMG).

• 2008

  Nikitin obtains an exclusive licence from Warner Music International for physical distribution in Russia and most CIS countries.

• 2007

  Nikitin establishes Digital Access with Warner Music Group, Sony BMG, Soyuz and Access Industries.

• 2000

  Nikitin company is founded.

• 1996

  Classic Company is founded.

• 1994

  Kvadro-Disk appears on the Russian music market as an independent label.

• 1992

  The team that would create Kvadro-Disk comes together.

A major Russian independent record label and full-service music company, focused on estrada and popular domestic repertoire, now part of the United Music Group alliance.

• Pesnya Goda compilation

  One of Kvadro-Disk's first notable projects, released jointly with Igor Krutoy's ARS-Records.

• CD releases

  Albums by Stas Mikhaylov, Elena Vaenga, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and others.

• MP3 releases

  Digital audio compilations and albums.

• Vinyl (LP) releases

  Vinyl editions of popular and rock music.

• DVD music videos

  Concert and music video DVDs.

1. 1Интернет магазин Квадроkvadro.ru
2. 2Наши услугиkvadro.ru
3. 3Kvadro-Disk - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4United Music Group - Wikipediaru.wikipedia.org