Chris Meehan is the Founder and CEO of publisher Sentric Music.
He set up the Liverpool-based company in 2006.
Sentric Music was sold to Utopia Music in February 2022, before being sold on to Believe in March 2023.
Chris Meehan: From student to CEO
In 2003, Chris Meehan was studying at Liverpool’s Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) while trying to manage the careers of local bands.
The initial idea for Sentric was cemented when Meehan visited now-defunct Manchester industry show In The City, and watched prominent UK publishers voice their opinions on panels. He told MBW: “The emerging theme was ‘we don’t know what these [publishing execs] do but they seem to have loads of money. The more we looked into it, the more we realised the industry wasn’t doing anything about collecting money [for unsigned artists] until they got to a certain level.”
He added: “The traditional publishing industry doesn’t have the capacity to help and work with artists until they arrive on the music business radar – but that doesn’t meant the money isn’t out there for them.
Profitable since 2009, Sentric Music has grown rapidly to become a global, award-winning independent publisher. Based in Liverpool and with offices in London, Hamburg, Spain and New York, it boasts an international infrastructure including direct royalty collection with over 100 global territories.
Chris Meehan: Personal Philosophy
Transparency, Chris Meehan says, “should not be a company’s USP – it should be a fundamental expectation”.
“I think we’ve benefited from the industry not telling people exactly what’s going on,” he adds.
“Our whole ethos has been about making music publishing a level playing field so everyone can have access; in the same way that Tunecore gave everyone the ability to put their music online.”
Chris Meehan in 2017
Music Business Worldwide