BlueRock acquires specialist music & entertainment advisory White Sky
Professional services firm BlueRock has acquired fellow Melbourne-based outfit White Sky, an accounting and business management specialist for Australia’s music and entertainment industry.
White Sky was founded more than two decades ago by Tom Harris, and today serves a long list of prominent Australian performers including the likes of Tame Impala and Vance Joy with specialised services in music royalties and tour accounting, business management, and bookkeeping.
BlueRock said the acquisition aligned with its one-stop-shop model for small-to-medium enterprises and focus on key industry verticals, and would now expand the range of services available to White Sky’s clients in areas such as tax, insurance, legal and private wealth advisory along with digital brand and marketing support.
“We are always exploring partnerships that support our growth and provide improved services to Australian business owners, founders, and families,” stated BlueRock founder and CEO Peter Lalor. “The acquisition of White Sky will enable us to provide unparalleled services to Australia’s fantastic entertainment industry and facilitate significant growth for both firms.”
The acquisition also adds some additional street cred to BlueRock’s image as an edgier alternative to the country’s more traditional accounting and advisory firms, with White Sky’s client-base further consisting of comedians, music festivals, managers and record labels alongside its roster of bands and solo artists.
“This partnership will really lift the level of tailored business support and advice available to the music industry,” said Harris. “BlueRock shares our values, our passion for supporting creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs, and our commitment to embracing and developing new technologies. They also bring something new to our industry with their experience in international tax strategy.”
BlueRock noted that the addition of the White Sky team of around two dozen to its Collins St headquarters, including its five further partners, takes the firm’s local headcount to almost 400, while White Sky’s small handful of staff in Sydney will continue on as per usual. The company will also retain its identity and branding, along with its current website.
In a testimonial on that site, Philip Stevens, the director of Jarrah Records (John Butler Trio, the Waifs), said; “We are proud to work with White Sky Music as business managers, for export market development grant applications and royalty solutions for a number of our artists. They have proven over time to be very reliable and show attention to detail where most needed.”
BlueRock, which has more than doubled its revenues to over $60 million since 2021 and now sits at 24th on the AFR’s annual accounting list, reiterated its growth approach as combining a blend of the organic with strategic acquisitions, having for example previously tacked on Broadbent Financial (wealth advisory) and legal firm Marsh & Maher Richmond & Bennison to expand its portfolio of specialist services.
