A FAMILY business whose licence-free music is used in hotels, gyms and shops all over the world projects its turnover will increase eight-fold to £3.6m by 2021 after rebranding and launching an e-commerce website.
Falkirk-based GMS (Recordings) Ltd, which currently has over 2000 clients in 16 countries, moved to revamp its own brand to Marzipan Media and unveiled a new website that allows its customers, who include Magnet Kitchens, Hilton Hotels and Nuffield health clubs, to access its services online.
The firm, which is being helped by Business Gateway, has a huge database of mainstream and licence-free music, music videos and screen media, and the company’s eight-strong team help clients schedule playlists tailored to a venue type and clientele.
The music is licensed for business use and downloadable, removing the potential of fines, buffering issues and staff intervention.
Calum McRae, managing director of Marzipan Media, said: "The databases are about 100,000 tracks or so from every possible genre you could think of.
"Whether it is an Indian restaurant wanting Indian music or a spa that wants and peace and Zen music or a gym that is high energy, high tempo, we've got the lot.
"Customers include retailers of every type, hospitality, restaurants, hotels, leisure venues, community centres or gyms, swimming pools."
As well as artists which require clients to have a public performance licence, there is also free, or royalty inclusive, music which includes tracks, for example, from emerging artists who are on development labels.
He declared: "Since the business was first launched by my grandfather, Malcolm McRae, in 1965, we have helped clients increase sales through the clever use of music and advertising.
"Our current turnover is approaching £450,000 this year so by giving venues, brands and businesses direct access to our services online, it allows us to supply virtually any venue, anywhere in the world with licensed music playlists.
"That will have a significant impact on our turnover.
"Like most businesses there have been ups and downs - the 2008 recession saw us lose a third of our turnover and some of our largest clients - but by working with Business Gateway Falkirk we were able to turn that around, launching a telemarketing campaign that helped us attract new clients that we still work with today."
Lorraine Taylor, of Business Gateway, said: “Marzipan Media is now in its third generation with Calum and his sister, Heather, now driving the business forward.
"Their vision is to enhance the company’s global credentials and client base and the easiest way to do that was to provide customers with the option to tap into their services at a click of a button."
The idea for the business arose decades ago when Calum’s grandfather, Malcolm McRae, who owned a small supermarket, accidentally over-ordered marzipan and in order to sell the excess, he began to play music alongside audio adverts promoting the product, which were recorded by his wife, May, an elocutionist.
The move saw the marzipan stock sell out in six weeks, and Mr McRae invested his savings to start what became GMS (Recordings) Ltd.
Calum McRae said: “When we were thinking about rebranding, the story of how it all began really resonated with us and led us to the name Marzipan Media.
"We want to become the world’s largest B2B media provider."
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