Worship music pioneer adapts to ‘monumental shifts in the marketplace’ with sale of flagship label just ahead of silver anniversary In a move to expand its reach in music, David C. Cook has acquired Integrity Music, whose artists include Israel Houghton, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Lincoln Brewster and Paul Baloche. C. Ryan Dunham, formerly Cook’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, will serve as president of Integrity Music. Finalized in June, the acquisition of Integrity Media’s flagship label “makes sense from both a ministry as well as a business standpoint,” Dunham said. “Both organizations are widely respected for their international reach and their worship music catalogs.” Dunham added that Cook was “no newcomer to the worship music ministry.” In 1993, the nonprofit organization acquired Kingsway, a worship music company in Eastbourne, England, whose artists include Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Brenton Brown and The City Harmonic. Cook also partnered with EMI Christian Music Group to produce the Thank You Music song catalog. “As Integrity Music prepares to celebrate 25 years in ministry, I look forward to seeing the expanding impact of Integrity songs and products around the world,” said Integrity co-founder and CEO Michael Coleman. Begun as a direct-to-consumer music club in 1987, the Mobile, Ala.-based business changed its name to Integrity Media in 2002 to better reflect the company’s growth and development. In a statement, Coleman noted that music sales last year were less than half of what they had been in 2000. “Music sales in the U.S. alone dropped from $14.6 billion to $6.3 billion between 1999 and 2009, and the decline has continued into 2011,” he said. “And on top of the general economic downturn, music companies are facing challenges like digital piracy and a shift in consumer thinking from ‘ownership’ to ‘access.’ ” he added. Integrity Music had been making changes to try to adapt to “monumental shifts in the marketplace, but it has been quite a challenge,” Coleman added. “An earlier staff reduction and the listing of our property in Mobile were part of the most recent changes. This combined with the sale of our music assets will help us address a number of issues as we navigate this changing landscape.” Integrity Music will operate independently within Cook as “a strategic ministry unit,” relocating to the company headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., after a transition period of three months. Distribution of Integrity Music products in the U.S. will continue through Provident-Integrity Distribution, Columbia Records and Sony Music Distribution. Integrity Media plans to sell its international companies in the U.K., South Africa and Singapore, but will continue to operate its remaining divisions from Mobile, including the Integrity Worship Institute training division, Integrity Direct distribution arm and Integrity Notes greeting cards, Coleman said. Mitchell Solarek, the new chairman of the Gospel Music Association, told Christian Retailing  that the acquisition was “a positive thing.” “We look forward to watching Cook build on a very good foundation built by Integrity, and hope the artists benefit from these new recourses,” he said.
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