UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP FORMS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADING THAI MUSIC

DISTRIBUTION AND PUBLISHING BUSINESS ‘SOLUTION ONE’


L-R Calvin Wong, Adam Granite, Karlcharn Kongkatong, Apsornsopha Sariman

Bangkok, Thailand 4th June – Universal Music Group (“UMG”) the world leader in music-based entertainment, today announced a strategic partnership with Solution One (“S1” or the “Company”) a leading Thai music distribution and music publishing services business. The partnership will see S1 and its network of content partners benefit from UMG’s global scale and expertise, and UMG will also become a significant minority investor in S1.

Founded in 2001 by CEO Karlcharn Kongkatong and co-founder Apsornsopha Sariman, S1 has been a pioneer in Thailand’s digital music industry for more than two decades. S1 works with a broad network of songwriters, producers, artists, creators, and independent labels across Thailand, whose output consistently rank among Thailand’s top-performing music releases on YouTube and streaming platforms, including multiple year-end No.1 music videos.

S1 has built strong positions across key Thai music and entertainment genres, including Luk Thung, Song for Life, T-Pop, regional folk-pop, and original soundtracks for Boys Love (BL) and Girls Love (GL) series — genres increasingly driving international demand for Thai entertainment.

In 2017, ‘D1’ was established to expand the group’s capabilities in music publishing, royalty administration, rights management, and intellectual property development.

Today, S1 is a leading, integrated platform that offer partners a comprehensive suite of services spanning distribution, publishing, production, licensing, and artist services. The company also operates advanced in-house production facilities, including Dolby Atmos studios, visual production teams, and technology-driven audience monetization systems.

Thailand is a dynamic and growing music market, underpinned by a rising demand for domestic content. Thailand’s overall recorded music market is the largest in Southeast Asia, and accounts for 23.8% of the regions recorded music revenues, according to the IFPI’s 2026 annual report.

UMG has developed a strong presence in the market, driven by the success of its local repertoire, and through the development of key strategic partnerships with local labels. The partnership follows an initial collaboration between S1, Virgin Music Group,  and Universal Music Publishing Group.

Karlcharn Kongkatong will continue to lead S1 and D1 as CEO alongside the existing management team.

Calvin Wong, CEO of Universal Music South East Asia & Korea & SVP, Asia, said: “This partnership reflects our continuous commitment to Thai music and is an exciting next step in our strategy to expand our presence in high-growth markets. We are delighted to work closely with Karl, a visionary entrepreneur who has built the largest local distribution in Thailand and together take S1 to the next level.”

Karlcharn Kongkatong, CEO of S1 and D1, said: “This partnership is an important step for the future of Thai music. By combining S1’s digital distribution and production expertise, D1’s publishing and rights management capabilities, and UMG’s global network, we are creating a stronger platform to bring Thai artists, creators, and intellectual property to audiences worldwide.”

Apsornsopha Sariman, Co-Founder and General Counsel of S1 and D1, added: “We believe long-term value in the music industry is built through strong rights management, sustainable partnerships, and investment in creative talent. This partnership creates new opportunities to further expand the global reach of Thai music and entertainment.”

About Universal Music Group

At Universal Music Group, we exist to shape culture through the power of artistry. UMG is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audio-visual content. Featuring the most comprehensive catalogue of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms, and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. For more information, visit www.universalmusic.com.

About Solution One Holding (S1)

Solution One Holding is a Thailand-based music distribution and entertainment company specializing in music distribution, digital monetization, production, and rights management solutions for artists, creators, and entertainment partners across Southeast Asia.

About Digital One Solution (D1)

Digital One Solution is a music publishing and rights management company focused on royalty administration, licensing, catalog development, and intellectual property value creation.

 

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