Charles Caldas’ Exceleration Music Acquires Venerated UK Indie Label Cooking Vinyl

Exceleration Music, the enterprise co-founded by Australian executive Charles Caldas to “invest in the future of independent labels and artists,” has acquired Cooking Vinyl, one of Britain’s outstanding independent labels.

Founded in 1986 by Martin Goldschmidt, Cooking Vinyl is the label home of Billy Bragg, The Prodigy, Passenger, and many others.

“After 40 years,” writes Goldschmidt on social media. “Big thanks to everyone who has helped us survive as an indie label. Tomorrow is a new day.”

Cooking Vinyl didn’t just survive – it thrived.

Led by Goldschmidt, a heavyweight of the independent music community in the UK and one of the architects of the national indies’ trade association, AIM, Cooking Vinyl provides artist services deals, and distribution deals, and has built a roster that includes Shed Seven, Razorlight, Katherine Priddy, The Darkness, Deacon Blue, Elles Bailey, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and many more.

According to MBW, which broke the story, Cooking Vinyl will continue to operate independently, led by Managing Director Rob Collins and his team, with Goldschmidt staying on as chairman.

Goldschmidt is recognised as one of Europe’s savviest independent music chiefs, with an artist-centric strategy, and pivoted early for a digital future. 

“We see the job of a label is to sit between the artist and the public,” he told this reporter a decade ago. “The better we serve those two masters, the more successful the artist is. We live and die by our artists’ success.”

Caldas, meanwhile, formed and led Merlin, the independent music community’s digital rights agency, from its inception back in 2008 through to the end of 2019, when he handed over the keys to former Facebook Music exec Jeremy Sirota.

The ex-pat Melbourne native is a partner in Exceleration, and a foundation member of its team of five indie heavyweights, unveiled in 2021. Earlier, Caldas led the Shock Entertainment Group as CEO from 1989 to 2005.

Earlier this year, Exceleration acquired jazz specialist Mack Avenue Music Group, and previously bought or struck “strategic relationships” with +1 Records, Alligator, Azadi, Bloodshot, Candid, Down The Road, Heroic, Kill Rock Stars, Mom+Pop, Redeye Worldwide, SideOneDummy, The Ray Charles Foundation/ Tangerine Records and Yep Roc Records.

Cooking Vinyl Publishing UK, Cooking Vinyl Publishing Australia and Motus Music are not included within the acquisition.

“At Cooking Vinyl, we’ve worked tirelessly to help our artists achieve both artistic and commercial success — without ever compromising their uniqueness or creative control,” comments Collins.

“This deal enhances that mission. Our artists will still benefit from our close-knit, highly personalised team that combines deep industry expertise with old-fashioned hard graft.”

Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

“But now,” adds Collins, “with the expanded US capabilities, enhanced resources, and the broader global reach of the Exceleration structure, we’re able to offer even stronger support to our current and future roster. I look forward to working with their team to spearhead this next phase for Cooking Vinyl.”

Also separate to the deal is Stu Harvey and Leigh Gruppetta’s Civilians, which was known as Cooking Vinyl Australia until a rebranding in 2024 to remove any lingering confusion about its connection with Goldschmidt’s lauded UK label.

As reported at the time, Goldschmidt remains a shareholder in the business, although Civilians no longer represents recordings from Cooking Vinyl in the UK, a licensing arrangement that wrapped up in 2023.