Universal Labels Sweden's Murlyn For Global Output

The founders of Murlyn Music Group have been producing and writing hits for such acts as Jennifer Lopez and 98º since 1997. Christian Wahlberg and Anders Bagge and their team of producers are on call to write new songs for Celine Dion, Sheryl Crow, No Doubt, Jay-Z, Ricky Martin and Whitney Houston. Now, with a new label and distribution deal with Universal Music Group, Wahlberg and Bagge are readying to take their Stockholm, Sweden-based music company global.

The duo have just inked a three-year deal with UMG's Interscope Records for the United States and Polydor for international to launch full-service record label Murlyn Records.

The agreement, which emerged after an extensive major-label bidding war, is worth $15 million-$20 million to start, inside sources said. That price tag does not include company overhead, artist development and recording costs, which UMG also will cover, sources indicated.

Unlike most joint-venture label deals under which the major label takes an equity stake in the company, Murlyn Records remains 100% owned by Wahlberg and Bagge. Additionally, their contract contains no release quota; the two producers have the liberty to sign as many or as few acts as they want. Wahlberg and Bagge will report to UMG chairman and CEO Doug Morris, Interscope Geffen A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine and deputy UMG U.K. chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge.

UMG will handle most of the marketing for the label, and three general managers for Murlyn Records will be put in place for the United Kingdom, the United States and Sweden. Polydor executive Martin Howard has been tapped for the U.K. post, Petra Eriksen has been hired as the Stockholm-based general manager, and the Interscope representative is yet to be named. Additionally, most of the A&R will fall under Bagge and Murlyn's producers, including Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson, Arnthor Birgisson and David Eriksen. Polydor director of A&R Colin Barlow, who put the deal together, will be responsible along with Bagge and Wahlberg for the overall direction of the imprint.

"The stronghold of writers-producers that they are building there is quite sensational," Barlow said. "What I love about them is that they're always open-minded to further develop what they are doing. They are so broad-minded in the things that they do, I think they will always come up with a record that will be fresh. … As a label, they'll have a real broad roster. They will never get cast as being this year's sound because they will always move on."

Murlyn Records has one act signed, 21-year-old Nashville singer-songwriter Ruby Amanfu, whom Barlow describes as a female Prince. Two additional acts are expected to be signed within the next two weeks, including a young Irish band, Barlow said. Murlyn Records' first releases