Warner Chappell Backs Kidding Aside as It Builds a Publishing Arm

The major publisher has partnered with one of the French electronic scene's fastest-growing independents, just as the company launches a dedicated publishing venture.

What Each Side Gets

The deal is about reach. Kidding Aside has spent a decade at the centre of the French dance scene, but it has never had a global publishing operation of its own, and that is exactly what Warner Chappell Music provides. Founder Matthieu Jay said the partnership lets the company grow using WCM's international network and teams while keeping its own independence and identity intact. On Warner Chappell's side, senior A&R Valentin Zucca described Kidding Aside as a long-respected name in French music and said the deal is a chance to help develop its publishing side both in France and abroad.

Why Kidding Aside

The company's track record explains the interest. Matthieu Jay founded Kidding Aside in 2015 as a home for artists, producers and writers, and it has since expanded into management, recorded music, live events and publishing, along with All Night Long, its joint-venture label with Believe. Its roster shows its standing in the scene, with names such as Acid Arab, Folamour, Nico Moreno, NTO, Romain Garcia, Trinix and Urumi. That range is what makes it a real vehicle for exporting French electronic music, rather than a label working in one narrow lane.

The New Publishing Venture

The timing matters. Kidding Aside has just set up Kidding Aside Publishing, and the Warner Chappell partnership gives that new venture the infrastructure it needs to compete internationally. To run it, the company has appointed Nicolas Klersy as partner, with strategic responsibility for publishing A&R. Jay's ambition is clear: he wants to make KAP one of the leading publishing houses in Europe, using Klersy's arrival to support new writers, encourage cross-border collaboration and raise the international profile of the company's catalogue.