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LiveOne
Robert Ellin leads LiveOne, a publicly traded media aggregator that bundles music streaming, live events, and podcasting into a consumer subscription...
LiveOne
LiveOne traces to 2011, when Robert Ellin founded a music-focused media company originally branded as LiveXLive. The firm went public in 2017 and subsequently renamed to LiveOne, positioning itself as a creator-first platform distributing live streams, original podcasts, and licensed music. Ellin, a former investment banker and serial entrepreneur, has chaired the company since inception and drives its capital-allocation strategy. Strategy centers on acquiring and aggregating complementary media properties. The company owns Slacker Radio, producing curated music streams and artist-hosted shows, and its PodcastOne subsidiary, a publicly traded podcast network featuring talent such as Adam Carolla and Kaitlyn Bristowe. LiveOne also produces live-streamed music events and pay-per-view concerts, monetizing through subscription tiers, advertising, and ticket sales. Geographic coverage remains concentrated in North America, where it has announced deals with Tesla to integrate its streaming app into vehicle dashboards (per the firm, 2022) and struck promotional partnerships with touring musicians. Team size and total deployment figures are not publicly reported. The company operates multiple brands under the LiveOne umbrella, including PodcastOne and Slacker Radio, and maintains a relationship with Tesla through in-car audio integration. In July 2024, the firm announced a $10 million stock repurchase program (per the firm’s SEC filings, July 2024). LiveOne is structurally unusual for an asset-light media company: it operates a publicly traded parent and a separately traded subsidiary in PodcastOne, creating a holding-company structure that isolates each brand's equity story. This dual-entity architecture lets the firm raise capital at distinct valuations, but also introduces governance complexity — Ellin and his affiliates control the majority voting power across both entities, consolidating strategic control without needing majority economic ownership.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2011
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Los Angeles
Corporate office
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Principals
Robert Ellin
Chairman and CEO
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment and capital-allocation decisions at LiveOne?
Robert Ellin, the founder and CEO, has controlled LiveOne's major strategic and financial decisions since its 2011 inception. He acts as both chief executive and primary deal architect, negotiating acquisitions, public-market capital raises, and corporate restructurings. The board includes Ellin and several long-tenured associates, and public filings show he holds majority voting power through a dual-class share structure.
How does LiveOne generate revenue from its portfolio?
LiveOne monetizes through subscription fees for ad-free music and original content, advertising inventory across its Slacker Radio and PodcastOne networks, and ticketed live-streaming events. It also earns licensing revenue from partners like Tesla, which embeds the streaming app in-vehicle. The company reports financials in its quarterly SEC filings as a Nasdaq-listed entity.
Is LiveOne structured as a single family office or a media conglomerate?
LiveOne is a publicly traded media holding company, not a family office. While Robert Ellin holds controlling voting power, the firm's capital is sourced from public equity markets, debt financing, and operating cash flows. Its subsidiary PodcastOne is also separately listed, creating a conglomerate-like structure designed to spin out and partially monetize distinct media assets.
Does LiveOne co-invest alongside external managers or private equity firms?
LiveOne generally does not co-invest alongside private equity funds in the traditional sense. It acts as an operating business and serial acquirer, buying controlling or majority stakes in media properties. However, its PodcastOne subsidiary has raised capital from external investors without ceding corporate control, functioning more as a strategic carve-out than a passive co-investment vehicle.
What types of content assets does LiveOne target for acquisition?
LiveOne acquires intellectual property and operating companies in music streaming, live event production, and podcasting. Confirmed portfolio additions include Slacker Radio and PodcastOne, and the firm has signaled interest in creator-facing platforms where it can apply its subscriber monetization infrastructure. The company does not currently engage in venture-stage technology investing.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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