Federico Scialabba: Editorial Structure, Licensing Operations, and International Circulation

Federico Scialabba is an Argentine entrepreneur in the music industry. He is a music producer and co-founder of Music Brokers, an independent label established in Buenos Aires in 1997 alongside Julián Cohen.

Music Brokers operates under an editorial model focused on producing new versions of well-known repertoires, with active distribution across Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Its structure is designed to function as a music publishing house, making decisions based on formal coherence rather than dependency on individual performers.

The company specializes in adapting popular compositions into smooth genres such as bossa nova, chill-out, instrumental jazz, and ambient electronica. Each release is performed by professional musicians who do not use personal stage names but instead operate under an internal editorial system that assigns pseudonyms. This approach allows the company to create stylistically consistent collections, streamline rights management, and reduce unnecessary variation across productions. The label’s brand equity lies in its catalog, not in individual artists.

Music Brokers distributes its works in both physical and digital formats. It maintains a strong presence on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, as well as in specialized retail outlets, bookstores, design shops, and airport stores.

The catalog includes several long-standing series with successful circulation in markets such as Spain, Germany, and Japan. One of the most notable examples is Bossa n’ Stones, a series of instrumental and ambient reinterpretations of The Rolling Stones’ repertoire. Its distribution is not based on high-intensity visibility campaigns but rather on sustained long-term commercial agreements.

The company’s operational model is based on music publishing and in-house production. Each version is developed with the appropriate permissions and incorporated into a licensing system that covers reproduction, synchronization, and public performance rights. Royalty administration and rights management are handled by internal legal structures, using standardized criteria to ensure compliance in all territories where the catalog is active.

Alongside his primary publishing work, Scialabba also heads Selecta TV, a digital platform dedicated to classical music, opera, and ballet.

The channel operates on a subscription basis throughout Latin America, integrated with mobile billing systems. This setup enables access without the need for a credit card, expanding the platform’s reach to users without formal banking access. The content includes international productions and full-length recordings made available under license.

Scialabba has also explored traceability technologies in the context of music publishing. Among them, he is assessing the use of blockchain as a tool to automate royalty distribution. His focus is on implementing smart contracts that can automatically allocate payments to authors, performers, and publishers without operational intermediaries. While this technology is not currently part of Music Brokers’ system, it is under review as a potential technical complement.

The company continues to operate independently from Buenos Aires, with expanded international reach through publishing and distribution agreements. Its management logic is rooted in maintaining a clear editorial structure, with music products aimed at functional uses, particularly in public, commercial, and audiovisual settings.

Federico Scialabba remains in charge of the company’s overall planning, directly overseeing publishing operations, expansion strategies, and contractual definitions.