Big Loud

What does Big Loud own?
Big Loud operates four divisions: Big Loud Records (a country music record label), Big Loud Publishing (a music publishing administration company), Big Loud Management (an artist management firm), and Big Loud Songs (a songwriting and catalog development division). The company owns the master recordings of its signed artists, including Morgan Wallen, Hardy, Jelly Roll, and Ernest. It also administers publishing catalogs for its staff songwriters.

Is Big Loud publicly traded?
No. Big Loud is a privately held company. The founders, Seth England, Craig Wiseman, and Kevin Zaruk, retain majority ownership. Sony Music Entertainment holds a minority stake acquired through a 2017 strategic investment. Big Loud does not publish financial statements or annual reports.

Who founded Big Loud?
Big Loud was founded in 2013 by Seth England, Craig Wiseman, and Kevin Zaruk in Nashville, Tennessee. England brought artist management experience, Wiseman was a Grammy-winning songwriter with multiple number one country hits, and Zaruk had recording and production industry experience.

Where is Big Loud headquartered?
Big Loud is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The company operates from Nashville, which is the centre of the country music industry. Big Loud does not maintain offices in other cities.

How many brands does Big Loud own?
Big Loud operates four divisions under the Big Loud corporate name: Big Loud Records, Big Loud Publishing, Big Loud Management, and Big Loud Songs. The company does not own separate consumer-facing brands. Its commercial value is tied to its artist roster and publishing catalog rather than to brand names.

Who owns Big Loud?
Big Loud is majority owned by its founders: Seth England, Craig Wiseman, and Kevin Zaruk. Sony Music Entertainment holds a minority equity stake acquired through a 2017 strategic investment. The specific ownership percentages have not been publicly disclosed. The founders retain operational and creative control.

What is Big Loud's revenue?
Big Loud does not publicly disclose its revenue. The company is privately held and does not publish financial statements. Based on the commercial success of its artist roster, particularly Morgan Wallen's streaming numbers and tour grosses, industry estimates suggest annual revenue in the tens of millions of dollars. The company generates revenue through recorded music sales and streaming, publishing royalties, and management commissions.

Has Big Loud made major acquisitions recently?
Big Loud has grown primarily through signing artists and songwriters rather than through acquisitions. The company has expanded its publishing catalog by signing established songwriters and acquiring individual song catalogs. Specific acquisition prices have not been publicly disclosed.

Big Loud was founded in 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee, by three music industry professionals: Seth England, Craig Wiseman, and Kevin Zaruk. England had experience in artist management and music publishing. Wiseman was an established songwriter with multiple number one country hits, including "Live Like You Were Dying" for Tim McGraw. Zaruk brought experience from the recording and production side of the industry.

The company started with a publishing focus, leveraging Wiseman's catalog and industry relationships to build a songwriting administration business. Big Loud Publishing quickly established itself as a significant Nashville publisher, representing writers whose songs were recorded by major country artists.

Big Loud Records was launched as the recorded music division. The label's early signings included Chris Lane, whose single "Fix" reached the top 25 on country radio in 2016. The label's breakthrough came with Morgan Wallen, who was signed in the mid-2010s after appearing on the television show "The Voice." Wallen's debut album "If I Know Me" was released in 2018 and produced three number one singles on country radio: "Up Down," "Whiskey Glasses," and "Chasin' You."

In 2017, Sony Music Entertainment made a strategic investment in Big Loud. The investment provided Big Loud with distribution through Sony's RED Distribution (later The Orchard) and access to major label marketing resources. The deal structure allowed Big Loud's founders to retain majority ownership and operational control. Sony's investment was part of a broader strategy of partnering with successful independent labels rather than acquiring them outright.

Wallen's second album, "Dangerous: The Double Album," was released in January 2021 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album spent ten consecutive weeks at number one, a rare achievement for a country album. Despite a controversy in February 2021 when Wallen was filmed using a racial slur, the album's sales increased and it remained on the charts throughout the year. Big Loud temporarily suspended Wallen's contract following the incident but reinstated him within months.

Wallen's third album, "One Thing at a Time," was released in March 2023 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 501,000 equivalent album units in its first week. The album spent 12 non-consecutive weeks at number one and broke the record for the most simultaneous entries on the Billboard Hot 100 by a single artist, with 28 songs charting at once. The album's lead single, "Last Night," reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Wallen's first pop chart topper.

Hardy, signed to Big Loud Records as both a recording artist and songwriter, released his debut album "A Rock" in 2020 and the mockingbird & THE CROW in 2023. Hardy has written songs for Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and Morgan Wallen, among others. Jelly Roll, who joined Big Loud Records in 2022, won the CMA New Artist of the Year award in 2023. His single "Son of a Sinner" reached number one on country radio in 2023. Ernest, another Big Loud Records artist, has written songs for Wallen and released his own charting singles as a recording artist.

In 2025, Big Loud continued to dominate country music charts. Morgan Wallen released new music and embarked on a major stadium tour. The company expanded its roster with additional signings and continued to grow its publishing catalog through acquisitions and new writer signings.

By 2026, Big Loud had established itself as one of the most commercially successful independent music companies in Nashville. The company's artist roster generated billions of streams across platforms, and its publishing catalog included hundreds of copyrighted compositions. Big Loud's success demonstrated that independent companies with major label distribution partnerships could compete with fully owned major label imprints in the streaming era.

Big Loud and its artists have received numerous awards from the Country Music Association (CMA), Academy of Country Music (ACM), and Billboard Music Awards.

Morgan Wallen won the CMA Entertainer of the Year award in 2023. He has also won multiple Billboard Music Awards, including Top Country Artist and Top Country Male Artist. Wallen's album "One Thing at a Time" was the number one album on the Billboard 200 year-end chart for 2023.

Jelly Roll won the CMA New Artist of the Year award in 2023 and was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards in 2024. His single "Son of a Sinner" won the CMA Musical Event of the Year.

Hardy won the CMA Songwriter of the Year award in 2022 and has received multiple ACM nominations for his work as both an artist and songwriter.

Craig Wiseman, Big Loud's co-founder, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015 and has received multiple BMI and ASCAP awards for his songwriting catalog.

Big Loud Records was recognised by Billboard as one of the top independent labels in the United States by market share in 2023 and 2024.

Morgan Wallen racial slur incident (February 2021). Morgan Wallen, Big Loud's flagship artist, was filmed using a racial slur outside his Nashville home in February 2021. The video was published by TMZ. Big Loud temporarily suspended Wallen's recording contract and his music was pulled from major radio networks including iHeartRadio and Cumulus Media. His booking agency, WME, also dropped him. The suspension lasted approximately three months before Big Loud reinstated Wallen. Despite the controversy, Wallen's album sales increased during the suspension period. Wallen apologised publicly and met with civil rights leaders. The incident remains the most significant controversy associated with Big Loud's roster.

Morgan Wallen Saturday Night Live incident (October 2020). Wallen was disinvited from performing on Saturday Night Live in October 2020 after videos surfaced of him violating COVID-19 protocols at a bar in Alabama. He was invited back two months later and appeared on the show in December 2020.

Morgan Wallen chair-throwing incident (April 2024). Wallen was arrested in April 2024 on three counts of felony reckless endangerment after throwing a chair from the sixth floor of Eric Church's Nashville bar, Chief's. The chair landed on the sidewalk near two police officers. Wallen pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment in December 2024 and was sentenced to seven days in a work release program, two years of probation, and mandatory anger management classes.

Sony partnership and independence questions. Industry observers have periodically questioned whether Big Loud's partnership with Sony Music Entertainment compromises its independent status. The company maintains that it controls all creative and A&R decisions. The debate reflects a broader industry discussion about the definition of independence in an era where most independent labels have distribution or equity arrangements with major label groups.

Streaming royalty advocacy. Big Loud has been publicly critical of streaming royalty rates, arguing that per-stream payouts are insufficient to sustain artist careers. The company has supported industry initiatives to increase streaming royalties, particularly for country songwriters and independent publishers. This position aligns Big Loud with broader Nashville industry advocacy on songwriter compensation.