{{Short description|American music label}} {{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music --> | name = Heard Well | image = Heard Well Logo 2025.jpg | founded = {{start date|2015}} | founder = Jeremy Wineberg <br/> Andrew Graham <br/> Connor Franta<ref name="hu1">{{cite magazine | url = https://www.forbes.com/sites/cheriehu/2017/05/08/inside-the-ongoing-quest-to-get-music-curators-paid/#7298185e14a6 | title = Inside The Ongoing Quest To Get Music Curators Paid | date= 8 May 2017 | accessdate = 21 July 2017 | magazine = Forbes | author = Cherie Hu }}</ref> | distributor = The Orchard (company)<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.yahoo.com/music/tyler-oakley-celebrates-diverse-musical-stylings-lgbt-community-205601345.html | title = Tyler Oakley Celebrates the 'Diverse Musical Stylings' of LGBT Community on 'Pride Jams' Album | date = 24 June 2016 | accessdate = 21 July 2017 | work = Yahoo }}</ref> | genre = Various | country = United States | location = Los Angeles, California | website = {{URL|www.heardwell.com}} }}
'''Heard Well''' is an American music label founded in 2015 by Jeremy Wineberg, Andrew Graham and Connor Franta.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-36228811 | title = Vlogger Syndicate, Tom Cassell, releases his first 12-track compilation album | date= 6 May 2016 | access-date = 21 July 2017 | work = BBC Newsbeat }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | url = http://www.teenvogue.com/story/connor-franta-partnered-with-urban-outfitters-and-glsen-to-help-lgbtq-students | title = Connor Franta Partnered With Urban Outfitters and GLSEN to Help LGBTQ Students | date= 29 November 2016 | accessdate = 21 July 2017 | magazine = Teen Vogue | author = Brittney McNamara }}</ref> The label focuses exclusively on producing compilation albums featuring undiscovered artists as curated by digital influencers and celebrities.<ref name="spangler">{{cite magazine | url = https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/connor-franta-youtube-music-label-1201541447/ | title = YouTube Star Connor Franta Launches Music Label (Exclusive) | date= 16 July 2016 | accessdate = 21 July 2017 | magazine = Variety | author = Todd Spangler }}</ref>
==Overview== Heard Well works with social influencers and celebrities to curate compilation albums of their favorite music.<ref name="humphrey">{{cite magazine | url = https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhumphrey/2015/10/27/connor-franta-talks-heard-well-a-tastemakers-record-company/#54cbf33610a2 | title = Connor Franta Talks About 'Heard Well,' A Tastemaker's Record Company | date= 27 October 2015 | accessdate = 21 July 2017 | magazine = Forbes | author = Michael Humphrey }}</ref> After licensing the music, the label, in tandem with the influencer, brings it to market in both digital and physical form. <ref name="sandell">{{cite web | url = https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/280770 | title = The Surprising Second Act for One of YouTube's Biggest Stars | date= 17 August 2016 | accessdate = 21 July 2017 | work = Entrepreneur.com | author = Laurie Sandell }}</ref> The label is the first music company powered by social tastemakers and their communities. <ref name="jarvey">{{cite magazine | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/connor-frantas-music-label-inks-873411 | title = Connor Franta's Music Label Inks Deal With Sony's Red Distribution (Exclusive) | date= 8 March 2016 | accessdate = 21 July 2017 | magazine = The Hollywood Reporter | author = Natalie Jarvey }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://musicbiz2016.sched.com/speaker/jeremywineberg | title = Music Biz 2016 - Jeremy Wineberg | accessdate = 21 July 2017 }}</ref>
==History== In November 2014, music industry veteran and Opus Label founder Jeremy Wineberg approached Connor Franta's then-talent manager and later CAA agent, Andrew Graham. <ref name="sandell" /> to release music compilations featuring social media creators. Andrew Graham's client Connor Franta was the first YouTube creator to release a compilation album titled ''Crown'', through Jeremy Wineberg's company Opus Label, a music licensing and distribution company that partnered with brands and content creators, including Fred Segal, Perez Hilton, Juicy Couture, and Sony Music Publishing, distributing music collections to a broad digital audience.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-07-27 |title=Sony/ATV signs publishing partnership with 'social media record label' Heard Well |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/sonyatv-signs-publishing-deal-with-social-media-label-heard-well/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US}}</ref> Crown went on to become one of the top 20 best-selling pop albums of 2014 on iTunes.<ref name="spangler"/> Subsequently, Franta released a second compilation album several months later.
By July 2015, Jeremy Wineberg approached Graham and Franta to formalize the project by founding Heard Well as a music label. One month later, Franta produced and released the label's first album, ''Common Culture, Vol. 3''.<ref>{{cite magazine | url = http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6634344/heard-well-label-connor-franta-amanda-steele-lohanthony-jc-caylen | title = YouTube Star Connor Franta Forms Label, Powered By Fellow Social Tastemakers | date= 16 July 2015 | accessdate = 21 July 2017 | magazine = Billboard | author = Marc Schneider }}</ref> In 2015, Heard Well created the soundtrack for Gayby Baby, an Australian documentary about marriage equality.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.out.com/entertainment/2016/4/15/exclusive-youtuber-connor-franta-talks-internet-fame-crying-lot-and-coming | title = Exclusive: YouTuber Connor Franta Talks Internet Fame, Crying a Lot, and Coming Out Online | date= 15 April 2016 | accessdate = 21 July 2017 | work = Out Magazine | author = Nicholas Richard Rees }}</ref> That same year, Heard Well produced an album by Anthony Quintal (a.k.a. Lohanthony) entitled "Landscapes".<ref>{{cite magazine | url = http://people.com/celebrity/lohanthony-releases-landscapes-compilation-album-on-connor-franta-label/ | title = Lohanthony Releases His First Compilation Album on Connor Franta's Label (and We're Losing All Chill) | date= 21 August 2015 | accessdate = 21 July 2017 | magazine = People | author = Lydia Price }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/connor-franta-lohanthony-heard-well/ | title =Heard Well label taps Lohanthony as its next release | date= 2 August 2015 | accessdate = 21 July 2017 | work = Daily Dot | author = Rae Votta }}</ref> In June 2016, Heard Well signed author, activist and podcast host Tyler Oakley to create a 13-track compilation album called ''Pride Jams'', which celebrated LGBT Pride month. As of August 2016, each album released by Heard Well charted in the Billboard Top 200, and sold thousands of copies.<ref name="sandell" />
In April 2017, Heard Well launched Heard Well Radio with online radio company TuneIn.<ref name="radio">{{cite web |last1=Weiss |first1=Geoff |date=27 April 2017 |title=Heard Well Enters Music Streaming With Launch Of Heard Well Radio |url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2017/04/27/connor-franta-music-streaming-heard-well-radio/ |publisher=TubeFilter}}</ref> By May 2017, Heard Well had signed twelve of YouTube's most subscribed to personalities, with an average following of 3.8 million people.<ref name="hu1" /> Signees include Oakley, JC Caylen, Amanda Steele, Tom Cassell and others.<ref name="humphrey" /><ref name="sandell" />
==Creators== * Tom Cassell * JC Caylen * Gabby Douglas<ref>{{cite magazine | url = http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7662459/gabby-douglas-gymnast-compilation-album-conqueror-track-list | title = Olympic Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas Releases Compilation Album, 'Conqueror' | date= 20 January 2017 | accessdate = 21 July 2017 | magazine = Billboard | author = Jenna Romaine }}</ref> * Tyler Oakley *Anthony Quintal * Amanda Steele *Tanner Braungardt * Andrea Russett * The Dolan Twins *Annie LeBlanc * LUKA<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/luka-signs-with-heard-well-records-i-have-something-8475168/|title = LUKA Signs with Heard Well Records, Drops New Song 'I Have Something': Exclusive| magazine=Billboard }}</ref> *Camille Kostek
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Official website|heardwell.com}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:American independent record labels Category:Companies based in Los Angeles Category:Record labels established in 2015