If you’ve never cared about kids before, or only know them from having to deal with them at a grocery store or mall, then seeing Kidz Bop trending on social media might seem strange. Kidz Bop is a music franchise created for children which changes the lyrical content of popular adult songs so they can be enjoyed by those who are 4-10 years old. They sell over 22 million albums and generate over 6 billion streams total according to their website on Concord.
In fact, more top ten albums have been recorded by Kidz Bop than Madonna and Bruce Springsteen combined! I have known and respected Cliff and Craig for almost 25 years, says Concord Bicycle Music CEO Scott Pascucci to Music Business Worldwide. They have shown remarkable focus and creativity in building Razor & Tie into the company that it is today. He goes onto say: We are excited to be partners with them as they continue to grow!
Both Balsam and Chenfeld agree that the partnership, changing who owns Kidz Bop, would be a great move for the brand. We are thrilled about our new venture with Scott and his outstanding team at Concord Bicycle Music. This partnership assures their independence while giving them the strategical support they need in order to propel Razor & Tie and KidzBop forward.
And this energy is what they need to become successful. So, if Concord Bicycle Music owned KidzBop, then who owns Concord Bicycle Music? Well, it turns out that Michigan Retirement Systems – which also has stakes in other businesses such as Verizon- is actually well in control of everything within this big business.
Craig Balsam and Cliff Chenfeld started Kidz Bop to fill the gap between adult and kids’ music
Craig Balsam and Cliff Chenfeld met in law school, where they both saw music as an escape from their tedious legal careers. They released their first album, The ’70s Preservation Society, which was well received but only made enough profit for them to keep doing what they loved.
With the help of their spouses, the two decided to create a company that sold CDs of popular albums from decades past for less than $10 each – even though it meant potentially sacrificing personal time spent perfecting future albums – and The ’70s Preservation Society became hugely successful.
Razor & Tie, Craig and Cliff’s indie label, was born in the 1990s as the company began to release titles from artists big labels ignored. The retail experience that we gained via our reissues paved the way for us to start signing new artists, Cliff said. By the late 1990s, Razor & Tie had become the envy of major labels, which often hired the indie label to market their releases. Razor & Tie attracted successful acts, and in 2001, the co-CEOs created their most popular brand – Kidz Bop.
Chenfeld told PS Audio that as parents he couldn’t stand listening to his child sing along with Eminem’s lyrics or Britney Spears’ songs without him being able to control what they’re hearing. So he started creating music videos targeted at children where many stars like Justin Bieber would perform kid friendly versions of older classics. The response was huge so it led them to branch out into things like books and movies too!
What we came up with was an option for each side, Cliff told me. Parents could rely on us to make sure that what the kids heard was appropriate, while the kids were excited about having unrestricted access to current pop hits. Kidz Bop released its first album in October 2001.
Though it didn’t require permission from artists, they did need approval if they wanted to make any changes to the song. The publishers and writers who hold copyright of these songs would see significant revenue coming their way when we recorded them, he explained.
Kidz Bop became popular by releasing clean versions of popular songs
Not all songs get the Kidz Bop treatment. Tracks must become popular enough before Kidz Bop producers, and musicians make adjustments to lyrics – using common sense and good judgment. Vic Zaraya, a former president of Kidz Bop said to The Washington Post that Kidz Bop doesn’t have a list of topics or words that are off-limits.
Instead, he says the goal is to keep the track’s flow and rhythm while making it safe for children. He explains:if you listen to the catalog of 20 years…you’ll find examples of songs where it wasn’t perfect but overall we do a pretty good job. If kids can forgive some mistakes then so can adults.
Jacob Jones, a kid from Maryland and one of Kidz Bop’s artists, talks about how Kidz Bop offers music for families to enjoy together- music where there are no bad words. This has been criticized by many in the industry for lack of character development but he stands his ground.
We overwhelmingly sell kids short on their capacity to handle hard life lessons, Shayna Coburn, an assistant professor at Children’s National Health System said.
Concord acquired Kidz Bop in 2018 alongside the Razor & Tie label
In 2015, Concord and Razor & Tie formed a joint venture termed Razor & Tie Enterprises LLC. As part of the deal, Concord acquired 50% of Razor & Tie and committed to providing resources for the expansion of Kidz Bop. I have known and respected Cliff and Craig for almost 25 years, Concord CEO, Scott Pascucci, said. They have shown remarkable focus and creativity in building Razor & Tie into the company that it is today. We are excited to be their partner as they continue to grow and expand the company.
Three years after investing in Razor & Tie, Concord finally bought out the company. Glen Barros, COO of Concord Music Group, denies claims that the acquisition was the beginning of the end for Razor & Tie and instead says they will integrate them into their structure if need be. We haven’t made any major changes yet because we are still figuring everything out; but don’t worry there won’t be a major change to what you’re use to, Barros explained. Right now it seems like all we are doing is merging what both company’s structures were so that they can go forward together.
Founders Craig Balsam and Cliff Chenfeld were expected to remain tied to the company in an unspecified capacity. However, Cliff has reported that he left Razor & Tie: Concord bought Razor & Tie/ Kidz Bop in 2018. Craig and I play no role in the company today.
I am very lucky to have had Craig as my partner; we have always worked well together, complemented each other, and are still close friends. In April 2022, Music Business Worldwide published a report claiming Concord rejected a buyout offer of $5 billion. The report stated the company’s majority owner, Michigan Retirement Systems, was looking for bids around $6 billion.
Kidz Bop’s president Sasha Junk was promoted from the marketing department in 2020
With over a decade of experience in marketing, public relations, and digital development- Sasha Junk makes history as the first woman president of KidzBop! Her illustrious career includes serving Global Head of Publicity at Classical Media before going on to head up all marketing efforts for one of today’s most popular children music brands. In 2009, she launched this company into exciting new territory by recruiting notable brands such as Ford Motor Company and Subway to partner with them.
These business agreements led to hundreds of millions of streams from around the world from people just waiting to hear their favorite songs from these market leaders translated into kid-friendly renditions. Ms. Junk also recently unveiled plans for a venture capital arm that will focus on connecting entrepreneurs with investors through innovative programs such as accelerator training, seed funding, and educational seminars.
Outgoing CEO Victor Zaraya was promoted to Chief Revenue Officer of Concord. Sasha and I have worked together for 10 years and I am proud of what we’ve all accomplished, he said proudly, I’m confident that Sasha and her team will be even more successful in the coming year.
Wikipedia mistakenly claimed influencer Elise Ecklund was the owner of Kidz Bop
On October 22nd, 2022, content creator and illustrator Elise Ecklund had no idea how popular her tweet would become. Accidentally Tweeting a screenshot of herself being the owner of Kidz Bop – it didn’t take long before many Twitter users saw her tweet, completely attributing Kidz Bop to herself without double checking the facts first. No matter who did this, Elise tweeted along with her now infamous selfie as proof that she was indeed human just like all the rest. I’m going to need a lawyer.
Who are Kidz Bop
Kidz Bop consists of many child performers. The newest additions are Sadie, Tafari, Chanel, and Toby who joined the group at the end of 2021. Also in the 2022 album was Lea and Ismo (the French children) as well as Rahel (the German girl).
Other members are:
- Cooper Hounshell
- Sierra Gracelyn Brogmus
- Olivia King
- Julianna Revilla
- Isaiah Morgana
- Shane Davis
- Freddy Pomee
- Ahnya O’Riordan
According to the band’s official website, it has had over 24 top 10 debuts on the Billboard 200 Chart and records in five different languages. In 2009 Zendaya appeared in a Kidz Bop music video covering Katy Perry’s hit Hot N Cold. Ever since then, they’ve been expanding internationally with groups of them in the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, and France.
Who are Kidz Bop
Since it’s inception, Kidz Bop has been overseen by many different hands – from the original founders, to the current executives. In 2015, though, after having already acquired Wind-Up Records and Fearless Records in a recent merger with Concord Music Group, Concord Bicycle Music had become so financially successful that they were able to invest an extra $100 million dollars into growing their business even further.
Shortly after this merger created what is now known as The Concord Music Group – something else very big happened: They went ahead and acquired Razor & Tie too! After adding it all up at the end of these two acquisitions – Michael Balsam and Steve Chenfeld were still there as co-CEOs of the company.
DO KIDS REALLY SING ON KIDZ BOP
Now that we know who owns Kidz Bop, there are many other crucial questions to ask before deciding whether or not they’re worth purchasing. One of these questions is: do the children actually sing on those CD’s? With an easy answer being yes, this query is moot. Ever since the first CD was released, children have sung these popular songs – no matter what year it may be now or what generation comes through next. If you own any of the CD’s from Kidz Bop; then you know this much is true–they don’t stop singing these hit tunes!
The list of artists changes each year as the Kidz Bop CD releases feature people aged between 12-15 years old. The CDs are immensely popular among children, and they’ve grown since their debut to include commercial spots, YouTube channels, and even an entire live tour where audiences can watch them sing and dance to hit songs! It’s no surprise that this brand is one of the fastest growing brands in music today – it encompasses every corner of the industry.
ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR KIDZ BOPPERS
Grant Knoche is one of the more popular singers to come from the Kidz Bop family. At 10 years old, Grant answered a casting call for Kidz Bop on Youtube and was selected out of thousands of applicants to go through the semifinal round. With just singing and dancing in front of an online audience via Skype, he secured himself a spot at boot camp where he then began his three year contract with child-friendly songs company Kidz Bop. Growing up quickly – now 20 years old – he left after those three years and went on to become an independent artist; still releasing music to fans all around the world who watch him religiously for updates about when new material will be coming out.
From back then, when he toured with Kidz Bop – being around youth all day long never got old. They’re jumping up and down, Knoche told the Austin Statesman back then, and we sing to them. Some days were filled with surprises like making sure these children made it onto the stage. And while this wasn’t an ordinary job by any means, there was one thing Knoche couldn’t speak of; money.
We’re not allowed to talk about it, he said back then. He didn’t know what other people would think if they knew how much money he made which led him to keep his mouth shut (though some figures have been leaked). Estimates say that each Kidz Bopper makes anything from $68K-$95K per year; which is approximately 12-15 thousand dollars every month– way too much for a child!
Kidz Bop’s Leader Is Sasha Junk
Junk has been with the company since July 2009, and in April 2020, she was made president. She works out of our offices in New York and reports to Tom Whalley, who handles marketing for Concord Label Group (CLG). Junk replaced Victor Zaraya – now CLG’s Chief Revenue Officer – while she served as CLG’s Global Head of Publicity. Previously, she worked at Classic Media which then became a part of DreamWorks Animation (DWA). While attending UNC-Chapel Hill where she studied International Relations & Communications; Junk wanted nothing more than to work in media or entertainment.
Do Kids Sing On Kidz Bop
Kidz Bop CDs have been growing in popularity throughout the last decades, beginning with its first release and starting off as one of the only CD releases for children around. However, it wasn’t long until they had commercials on TV, YouTube channels set up to be continuously updated with new videos, streaming services which gave access to a wide variety of music – allowing children of all different tastes to find something they might enjoy. Today, it isn’t uncommon for people to see or hear about Kidz Bop wherever you go; whether it’s through an ad on TV or an advertisement at a mall.
If Your Time is short
- Craig Balsam and Cliff Chenfeld founded Kidz Bop ten years ago after leaving their jobs in law to venture into the music industry.
- Concord Media Group acquired Kidz Bop when it bought Razor & Tie Music in 2015 and again when it bought them a second time in 2018.
- Sasha Junk was formerly the Vice President of Marketing for Kidz Bop before taking over for Victor Zaraya as President of the company.
- Google incorrectly identified Elise Ecklund as the owner of Kidz Bop after an error was made while inserting false information into a Wikipedia page.
FAQs About Who owns Kidz Bop
Who owns Kidz Bop?
The group was established by Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam and is owned by Razor & Tie (Concord Music) according to HITC.
Why is Kidz Bop trending?
Kidz Bop became a trending topic after many people took an amusing yet untrue internet search at face value. A video posted by YouTuber Elise Ecklund detailed her attempt to find out who Kidz Bop belongs to; and falsely suggested she was the owner of it.
Who is Elise Ecklund?
Ecklund iS a YouTube star who creates and shares music-related content on her channel.
Conclusion
Make no mistake about it, Kidz Bop is popular. Kids love to sing and dance to the songs and parents love the fact that the songs have been, for the most part, retooled to scrub out some of the more controversial lyrics. For instance, one song by Nicki Minaj, Anaconda, now has lyrics about big brained instead of just big butt. That is just one example of the many songs Kidz Bop has changed to make them more family-friendly. With a YouTube channel which currently has over 3 million subscribers – even if they are an underdog in this game – there are still thousands upon thousands of kids singing along every week because they know these words will always ring true.
