Chrysalis Records

Operational Structure

Chrysalis Records functions as the recorded-music arm of a wider group that brings together artist management, music publishing, and label activities under one umbrella. Blue Raincoat Music describes three pillars: a management division, a publishing division, and Chrysalis as the record company handling master rights. Reservoir Media reports that its acquisition of Blue Raincoat and Chrysalis adds a large block of recordings to its existing publishing catalog, with leadership from executives who continue to run the label day to day. Public communications consistently present Chrysalis as a standalone label brand embedded in this rights and services network rather than a generic content-upload service.

Within this structure, Chrysalis handles signing and releasing albums, while Blue Raincoat Artists manages live and career affairs for selected clients, and Blue Raincoat Music oversees song rights. This separation allows artists to work with one, two, or all three arms depending on their needs, with some projects involving only recording deals and others integrating management or publishing. Reservoir’s description of the combined entity highlights over 20,000 recordings in the recorded-music portfolio, situating Chrysalis as a key catalog owner alongside a focused frontline operation. The overall setup supports both artist development and long-term catalog exploitation under a coordinated strategy.

Roster & Recent Releases

The modern Chrysalis lineup concentrates on established and emerging artists in indie, folk, Americana, and pop who release full-length projects and EPs rather than one-off singles. Emeli Sandé works with the label for her later-career independent phase, delivering an album positioned as an intimate, self-directed project in partnership with Chrysalis. Liz Phair releases her first studio album in more than a decade through the label, with multiple singles and touring activity built around the campaign. Marika Hackman issues a new album described as dense, emotionally demanding work that the label supports through singles, video content, and physical formats.

Several acts are part of a wave of signings aimed at a coherent roster. BODEGA, Liz Lawrence, The Wandering Hearts, and Gia Ford are announced together, with Chrysalis highlighting album timelines and stylistic positioning for each. Laura Marling releases new studio and live records through the label, including a later album listed in the label’s own store and artist pages. More recently, signings such as Nadia Reid and Hiss Golden Messenger show continued growth in the Americana and singer-songwriter space. Taken together, these roles demonstrate a roster strategy centered on artists with clear artistic identities and album-focused careers rather than a high-churn, volume-driven catalog.

Catalog and Commercial Performance

Chrysalis oversees a sizable catalog of heritage recordings that generate ongoing chart presence and critical attention alongside frontline projects. Reservoir and Blue Raincoat point to more than 20,000 masters under the Chrysalis brand, covering rock, punk, ska, new wave, and singer-songwriter material across multiple decades. Reissue campaigns illustrate how this catalog continues to perform. Ultravox albums such as “Vienna” and “Rage in Eden” reappear with expanded editions and anniversary packages, returning to national charts long after their original release. Multi-disc sets like “The Complete Fun Boy Three” and curated releases for artists like Split Enz and Judie Tzuke show an ongoing strategy of deep archival work with modern packaging, liner notes, and remastering.

Frontline albums add to this profile with contemporary achievements. Emeli Sandé’s album for the label charts across multiple territories, including placements on national album charts and independent charts. Liz Phair’s project through Chrysalis draws significant media coverage and supports touring activity, reaffirming her position in the alternative rock landscape. Marika Hackman’s album receives detailed reviews that highlight its ambitious songwriting and production, with singles and visual content supporting campaigns. Through this mix of heritage and current releases, Chrysalis maintains a commercial footprint built on both back-catalog resilience and present-day critical recognition.

Distribution Infrastructure

Chrysalis relies on a multi-partner distribution network that covers physical and digital channels across territories. For frontline projects, the label works with Secretly Distribution, which announces a global deal to handle both digital and physical formats for new albums. In statements around this agreement, both organizations emphasize aligned values around artist-centric operations and the ability to bring new releases to streaming platforms and stores worldwide. Prior to this arrangement, PIAS’s Integral division serves as a key partner for frontline distribution, and earlier still, Kobalt Label Services and its AWAL platform manage distribution for the label’s modern catalog in the independent era.

Physical catalog distribution outside the Americas is handled through Proper Music Group, which signs an agreement with Chrysalis and Tommy Boy to move physical formats into retail and wholesale networks. Initial projects highlighted under this deal include deluxe editions of albums by Ultravox, Debbie Harry, and The Selecter, underscoring Proper’s role in handling multi-disc box sets and specialized formats. Digital availability appears through major platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music, with tracks carrying Chrysalis copyright lines and the label curating playlists via its own Spotify user profile. This layered infrastructure supports both the frontline schedule and the long tail of catalog exploitation.

Business Model

The Chrysalis business model combines a focused frontline label with extensive catalog ownership, supported by integrated management and publishing options. Artists sign recording agreements for global albums and EPs, with the label investing in production, marketing, physical manufacturing, and digital promotion. Campaigns for acts like Emeli Sandé, Liz Phair, Marika Hackman, and others feature multiple singles, visual content, press outreach, and touring components, indicating full-service label engagement rather than minimal distribution-only arrangements. At the same time, the wider group provides management and publishing for a subset of artists, allowing cross-functional planning around live schedules, sync, and long-term repertoire development where appropriate.

On the catalog side, Reservoir frames Chrysalis as a major engine for master-rights revenue, with targeted acquisition and exploitation strategies. Reissue programs, anniversary editions, and box sets add value to legacy recordings and create opportunities for renewed chart presence and merchandising. Blue Raincoat and Chrysalis also publish an AI and intellectual property statement asserting that their recordings, compositions, artwork, and data are not available for unlicensed training or scraping, reinforcing a rights-protective stance that aligns with the group’s broader revenue goals. Overall, the model balances artist-facing services and long-term catalog monetization under a single operational umbrella.