Smith Entertainment

Smith Entertainment, operating publicly as Smith Music Group, is an independent music distribution, publishing administration, and live-recording company based in Fort Worth, Texas. It was founded in 1998 by Rick Smith Sr., a Fort Worth native and music executive who saw that many iconic country artists were between record deals yet still selling out venues. Partnering with Billy Minick at Billy Bob's Texas, the world's largest honky tonk, Smith outfitted the venue with professional recording gear and launched the Live at Billy Bob's Texas series. The first session, with Pat Green on December 4, 1998, was followed by a historic New Year's Eve performance from Merle Haggard, marking the birth of one of country music's most respected live catalogs. Over the following decades, Smith Music Group released more than 50 live albums featuring artists such as Willie Nelson, Gary Stewart, John Conlee, Eddy Raven, Asleep at the Wheel, and Red Dirt stars like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Stoney LaRue, Randy Rogers Band, and Kevin Fowler, as well as Texas rock legends The Toadies. After Rick Smith Sr.'s passing in 2004, the company remained in the family and expanded into festival production, curating and promoting major events including Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic, Cross Canadian Ragweed's Red Dirt Roundup, and the Stockyards Stampede, drawing well over 100,000 fans to the Fort Worth Stockyards and throughout Texas. As the industry shifted digital by 2014, Smith Music invested in scalable infrastructure, leveraging AudioSalad for distribution and Curve Royalty Systems for royalty accounting. Today the company provides global distribution, royalty collection, and publishing administration for independent artists and labels, with direct partnerships with streaming platforms, worldwide collection, and dedicated account representatives. It has distributed more than 1,000 artists and labels across 100+ platforms since 1998, with past and present clients including Cody Johnson, Parker McCollum, Whiskey Myers, Maren Morris, Aaron Watson, Randy Rogers Band, Josh Abbott Band, Reckless Kelly, Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Wade Bowen, Kevin Fowler, Tanner Usrey, Micky & the Motorcars, and Roger Creager. The company emphasizes that artists keep 100% ownership of their masters and copyrights, and it collects from streaming, downloads, YouTube and social Content ID, digital performance, and international collection through Merlin.

Smith Entertainment, publicly known as Smith Music Group, was founded in 1998 by Rick Smith Sr. (1956–2004), a Fort Worth native and seasoned music executive. Smith observed that many iconic country artists were between record deals yet still selling out venues and delivering unforgettable performances. He saw an opportunity to preserve those moments and give fans something lasting: a definitive live recording capturing an artist's greatest hits in one powerful set. He brought the idea to Billy Minick at Billy Bob's Texas, the world's largest honky tonk. Together they outfitted the venue with professional recording gear, launching what would become the Live at Billy Bob's Texas series. The first session, featuring Pat Green on December 4, 1998, was followed by a historic New Year's Eve performance from Merle Haggard, marking the official birth of one of the most respected live catalogs in country music history. Over the following decades, Smith Music Group released more than 50 live albums, featuring legendary artists such as Willie Nelson, Gary Stewart, John Conlee, Eddy Raven, Asleep at the Wheel, and Red Dirt stars like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Stoney LaRue, Randy Rogers Band, and Kevin Fowler, as well as Texas rock legends The Toadies. After Rick Smith Sr.'s passing in 2004, the company remained in the family and continued to evolve. Smith Music Group expanded into festival production, curating and promoting major events like Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic, Cross Canadian Ragweed's Red Dirt Roundup, and the Stockyards Stampede, drawing well over 100,000 fans to the Fort Worth Stockyards and throughout Texas. As the industry shifted digital by 2014, Smith Music invested in scalable infrastructure, leveraging AudioSalad for distribution and Curve Royalty Systems for royalty accounting. Today, Smith Music Group provides global distribution, royalty collection, and publishing administration for independent artists and labels. It has distributed more than 1,000 artists and labels across 100+ platforms since 1998, with direct partnerships with streaming platforms and worldwide collection through Merlin. The company emphasizes that artists keep 100% ownership of their masters and copyrights, and it provides dedicated account representatives for every client.

• 2014

  Invests in scalable digital infrastructure, leveraging AudioSalad and Curve Royalty Systems.

• 2004

  Rick Smith Sr. passes away; company remains in the family.

• 1998

  Founded by Rick Smith Sr. in Fort Worth, Texas.

• 1998

  First Live at Billy Bob's Texas session with Pat Green on December 4.

• 1998

  Historic New Year's Eve performance by Merle Haggard marks the official birth of the live catalog.

Independent music distribution and publishing administration with a focus on artist ownership, direct platform partnerships, and personal service.

• Live at Billy Bob's Texas series

  Live albums recorded at Billy Bob's Texas, featuring over 50 releases.

• Digital and physical distribution

  Global distribution to 100+ platforms.

• Publishing administration

  Administration of publishing rights and royalties.

• Royalty collection and accounting

  Collection from streaming, downloads, YouTube Content ID, and international sources.

• Sync licensing

  Licensing music for visual media.

• Catalog management and migration

  Management and migration of music catalogs.

• Content ID and UGC monetization

  Monetization of user-generated content.

• Release planning

  Planning and coordination of music releases.

• Jukebox and retail delivery

  Delivery to jukebox and retail channels.

1. 1Smith Music Groupsmithmusic.com
2. 2About | Smith Music Groupsmithmusic.com
3. 3Smith Entertainmentwikidata.org