# Altavoz

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**Altavoz, Inc.** (Spanish: *Loudspeaker*) is an American music distributor founded in 1994 which serves independent entertainers, covering a variety of musical genres. A year after the company was founded, it was purchased by investor Nelson Jacobsen and relaunched in [Rockville, Maryland](/source/Rockville,_Maryland).[1]

## History

Nelson Jacobsen established Altavoz.com after its acquisition. The [website](/source/Website) offered [downloads](/source/Download) of digital sound files ([.wav](/source/.wav)) and fifteen-second introductions to [music streams](/source/Music_streaming_service).

By 1999, Altavoz had rolled out [merchandise](/source/Merchandising) in big box stores such [Best Buy](/source/Best_Buy) and independent retailers nationwide. Their offerings expanded to vinyl records, books and more. By the time of the dot-com crash, Altavoz continued to provide stock to thousands of independent and [big box stores](/source/Big-box_store) and was receiving 1.2 million hits a day on the official [website](/source/Website).[2]

In 2011, Jacobsen took a new [leadership](/source/Leadership) role in the company as its [CEO](/source/Chief_executive_officer).[1] In 2013, Altavoz began online presentations for distribution deals exporting US-made music. Part of the incorporation of the company included the [non-profit](/source/Nonprofit_organization) "Help Earth Foundation." On September 25, 2015, Max Media Group, Inc. (MXMI) announced that its [board of directors](/source/Board_of_directors) had voted unanimously to transfer a majority of the control of MXMI to Altavoz Entertainment.[3]

As of late 2017, Jacobsen, a board member of MXMI, continues to lead Altavoz as [CEO](/source/Chief_executive_officer).

## Major project

In collaboration with [David Lynch](/source/David_Lynch), Altavoz released a limited-edition vinyl box set to benefit the [David Lynch Foundation](/source/David_Lynch_Foundation) on [Record Store Day](/source/Record_Store_Day) in 2012.[4] The compilation, *Music That Changes the World,* features 34 songs from [Alanis Morissette](/source/Alanis_Morissette), [Tom Waits](/source/Tom_Waits), [Amanda Palmer](/source/Amanda_Palmer), [Ben Folds](/source/Ben_Folds), [Iggy Pop](/source/Iggy_Pop), [Maroon 5](/source/Maroon_5), [Neon Trees](/source/Neon_Trees) and more.[5] The four LP box set also includes a 42-page custom-made color book by "Imprint Indie Printing" of N. Venice, [Florida](/source/Florida). The book, introduced by [David Lynch](/source/David_Lynch), was illustrated by Nepali artist Romio Shrestha and [New Jersey](/source/New_Jersey) artist Davel Hamue. All [songs](/source/Song) were re-mastered for this project by [Gavin Lurssen](/source/Gavin_Lurssen).[4]

## Exclusive library release (2015)

"Songs of Phillip Carter" was released exclusively to an estimated 120,000 Public Libraries in the [USA](/source/United_States)[6] before being made available to digital and physical outlets. Phillip Carter was the first [gospel artist](/source/Gospel_music) with an exclusive music release to the US Public Library system.[7]

## Artists

- Argonauts
- Big Mucci
- [Dawn Richard](/source/Dawn_Richard_(singer))
- [Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein](/source/Doyle_Wolfgang_Von_Frankenstein)
- Emily
- [Julie Doiron](/source/Julie_Doiron)
- [Lady Cam](/source/Lady_Cam)
- Phillip Carter
- Roy "[Future man](/source/Future_man)" Wooten
- Sunwolf
- Theo Sampel
- Tom
- [VALIS](/source/VALIS_(band))

## Former artists

- [Jack Mack and the Heart Attack](/source/Jack_Mack_and_the_Heart_Attack)
- K Mitch
- Love Dominique

## Releases

- Theo Sampel – *Sampel This* (2006)
- Revival – *Horses of War* (2007)
- [Dawn Richard](/source/Dawn_Richard_(singer)) – *[Golden Heart](/source/Golden_Heart)* (2013)
- Bella Nae – *H.I.G.H. XOXO* (2013)
- [Quinn Sullivan](/source/Quinn_Sullivan_(musician)) – *Getting There* (2013)
- Various Artist – *Drop the Needle: Boston Punk Anthology* (2013)
- [VALIS](/source/VALIS_(band)) – *Minds through Space and Time* (2013)
- [Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein](/source/Doyle_Wolfgang_von_Frankenstein) – *[Abominator](/source/Abominator_(album))* (2013)
- [Julie Doiron](/source/Julie_Doiron) – *[So Many Days](/source/So_Many_Days)* (2013)
- Argonauts – *Whats Your Perfect Day* (2013)
- Jack Mack And the Heart Attack* – *Lookin’ Up* (2013)
- Love Dominique* – *Love Dominique* (2014)
- Big Mucci – *Shuffle, Step, Slide* (2014)
- [Lady Cam](/source/Lady_Cam) – *[Get It Got It](/source/Get_It_Got_It)* (2014)
- Sunwolf – *Angel Eyes* (2014)
- Phillip Carter – *Songs of Phillip Carter* (Exclusive Library Release) **ELR**
- John Bull and The Bandits – *Words to the Wise* (2015)
- K. Mitch* – *WDGAF* (single)

* Not currently signed.

## Billboard chart history

**2013:**

[Dawn Richard](/source/Dawn_Richard_(singer)) CD *[Goldenheart](/source/Goldenheart)* January 2013 after leaving [Diddy Dirty Money](/source/Diddy_Dirty_Money) and [Danity Kane](/source/Danity_Kane)

Chart (2013) Peak position UK Independent Albums Breakers[8] 16 US Billboard 200[9] 137 US Independent Albums[10] 21 US Top Heatseekers Albums[9] 2 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[10] 22

[Quinn Sullivan](/source/Quinn_Sullivan_(musician)) – CD *Getting There* Released May 2013 [11] reached #4 on Billboard Blues Chart. Aug, 24th 2013 [12]

**2015:**

John Bull and the Bandits, Single "Mr. Bradley" April 9, 2015 #73 Billboard Blues Cart.[13]

## References

1. ["Nelson Jacobsen"](https://angel.co/nelson-jacobsen). *angel.co*. Retrieved 2015-12-29.

1. ["Our Story"](http://altavoz.com/about/). *Altavoz Entertainment - Clicks to Bricks Distribution Solutions*. Retrieved 2015-12-29.

1. ["Max Media Group, Inc. Announces Transfer of Majority Control to Altavoz"](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/max-media-group-inc-announces-123000442.html). *Yahoo Finance*. Max Media Group, Inc. Retrieved 16 December 2015.

1. ["Altavoz Distribution: New Releases"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140518020959/http://musicthatchangestheworld.com/). *www.musicthatchangestheworld.com*. Archived from [the original](http://www.musicthatchangestheworld.com) on 2014-05-18. Retrieved 2015-12-29.

1. ["David Lynch to Release Benefit Comp as Vinyl Box Set for Record Store Day"](http://exclaim.ca/music/article/david_lynch_to_release_benefit_comp_as_vinyl_box_set_for_record_store_day). *exclaim.ca*. Retrieved 2015-12-29.

1. ["Exclusive Library Release in May 13th via HooplaDigital –..."](http://exclusivelibraryrelease.com). *Exclusive Library Release in May 13th via HooplaDigital*. Retrieved 2015-10-20.

1. ["Phillip Carter First Gospel Artist With Exclusive Music Release in the Public Library System"](http://blackgospel.com/2015/news-2/phillip-carter-first-gospel-artist-with-exclusive-music-release-in-the-public-library-system/). BlackGospel.com. 2015-05-30. Retrieved 2015-10-29.

1. ["Independent Albums Breakers Top 20 - 26th January 2013"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121227123415/http://www.officialcharts.com/independent-albums-breakers-chart/). [Official Charts Company](/source/Official_Charts_Company). Archived from [the original](http://www.officialcharts.com/independent-albums-breakers-chart/) on December 27, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2013.

1. Hampp, Andrew. ["Dawn Richard's 'NLX': Exclusive Song Premiere"](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/dawn-richards-nlx-exclusive-song-premiere-1536269/). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130201073641/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/1536269/dawn-richards-nlx-exclusive-song-premiere) February 1, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 1, 2013.

1. ["Artist Index"](http://www.billboard.com/files/media/artistindex_feb_02_2013.pdf). *Billboard*. February 2, 2013. p. 2. Retrieved February 3, 2013.

1. ["Not Too Young for the Blues : Teenage Blues Phenom Quinn Sullivan Releases 'Getting There'"](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/arts/music/teenage-blues-phenom-quinn-sullivan-releases-getting-there.html?_r=0). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 2015-10-29.

1. Blues Albums (2013-08-24). ["Blues Music: Top Blues Albums Chart"](http://www.billboard.com/charts/blues-albums/2013-08-24). Billboard. Retrieved 2015-10-29.

1. ["#73 Word To The Wise - EP - John Bull and the Bandits - album cover image"](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CCKq4uKWEAAJmHk.png) (PNG). Pbs.twing.com. Retrieved 2015-10-29.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Altavoz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altavoz) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altavoz?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.