YG Plus

YG Plus, a publicly traded media and advertising company, was established in November 2014 following its acquisition by YG Entertainment. Originally Phoenix Holdings Inc., the company was founded on November 15, 1996, and later rebranded. This strategic acquisition marked YG Entertainment's expansion into diversified business ventures, with Yang Min-suk, the brother of YG Entertainment founder Yang Hyun-suk, initially appointed as CEO.

The company's core business revolves around entertainment infrastructure and intellectual property (IP). It operates as a media and advertising agency, creating and placing advertisements for clients across various media platforms. A significant part of its operations is the production, distribution, and licensing of merchandise related to artists, primarily those from its parent company, YG Entertainment, and other partners. Revenue is generated through these advertising services, merchandise sales, and music distribution. In 2019, YG Plus entered the music distribution industry, a move that has become a cornerstone of its business. The company now distributes music and albums for major labels like YG Entertainment and HYBE, servicing over 400 partner labels in total.

YG Plus provides comprehensive solutions that connect labels, artists, and fans. This includes managing the physical and digital distribution of music to global platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Tencent Music. In a key strategic move in January 2021, Hybe Corporation, along with its subsidiary Weverse Company, invested approximately $63 million to acquire a 17.9% stake in YG Plus. This partnership integrated YG artists onto the Weverse platform and designated YG Plus as a primary distributor for Hybe's products. The company also operates Naver's music platform, 'VIBE,' and launched 'mixtape.', a digital music distribution service for independent artists in 2023. Furthermore, it has expanded its retail presence through partnerships, such as making K-pop albums available for purchase and pickup at CU convenience stores. Recently, YG Plus partnered with Netflix to globally distribute the original soundtracks for Netflix's Korean content. Keywords: K-pop, music distribution, artist merchandise, intellectual property licensing, advertising agency, media company, YG Entertainment subsidiary, Hybe Corporation partnership, Weverse, VIBE music platform, physical album distribution, digital music distribution, artist IP business, entertainment infrastructure, Korean content, music investment, Seoul Music, mixtape, YG SELECT, K-pop albums