Empire Founder Ghazi Launches Supply Chain, New Rights Management/ Distribution Company for Independent Music

Ghazi, founder of the indie label and distribution giant Empire, has announced the launch of his newest company, Supply Chain, an independent B2B cloud-based distribution company for the global music industry, which encapsulates technology, distribution, operations, and commercial connectivity.

Alongside the launch, the company announced two senior leadership appointments, with Craig May joining as SVP of marketing and Kristy May as SVP of business affairs. Supply Chain’s international headquarters are based in Amsterdam, one of Europe’s most-connected music and technology hubs.

According to the announcement, the company’s goal is a huge one: to build the infrastructure that independent music runs on. “Its mission is to deliver the technology, expertise and commercial access needed to operate, grow and compete globally, in service of a broader vision of a world where independent music has the power to shape its own future,” the announcement reads. “The platform gives independent music businesses neutral, enterprise-grade infrastructure without requiring them to give up control of their catalog, data, client relationships or commercial choices.” Supply Chain launched in beta in 2025 and is now operational globally. Supply Chain is working with a variety of clients across the industry ecosystem, including a launch partnership with Beatport-owned Ampsuite, to power infrastructure expansion.

“There needs to be a fully fleshed-out rights management system that is also culturally nuanced,” Ghazi tells Variety. “The needs of an independent label in Brazil are not the same as an artist in India, which are not the same as a private equity company that’s invested $500 million in catalogs. Supply Chain can manage contracts, master royalties, publishing royalties, merch royalties, split payments and more.

“It’s been a labor of love for five years,” he continues. “I wanted to build something as scale-able and as future-proof as possible. It introduces a lot of operational efficiencies and reduces tech friction, and when you do all that, you’re allowing creativity to flourish. Our software is built for independents and it’s designed to connect and serve the independent community.”

Beatport CEO Matt Gralen says, “Ampsuite offers the most complete set of tools for the labels that power Beatport, but we are always looking to provide more and respond to evolution in the industry. In Supply Chain, we have a partner that offers advanced features out of the box and the ability and ambition to build for the future of the business.”