| Heard Well | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder | Connor Franta Andrew Graham Jeremy Wineberg [1] |
| Distributor(s) | RED Distribution [2] |
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Official website | www |
Heard Well is an American music label founded in 2015 by Connor Franta, Andrew Graham and Jeremy Wineberg. [3] [4] The label focuses exclusively on producing compilation albums featuring undiscovered artists as curated by digital influencers and celebrities. [5]
Heard Well works with social influencers and celebrities to curate compilation albums of their favorite music. [6] After licensing the music, the label, in tandem with the influencer, bring it to market both digital and physical form. [7] The label is the first music company powered by social tastemakers and their communities. [8] [9]
In November 2014, YouTube personality Connor Franta created and released a compilation album titled Crown, which went on to become one of the top 20 best-selling pop albums of 2014 on iTunes. [5] Subsequently, Franta released a second compilation album several months later.
By July 2015, Franta formalized the project by founding Heard Well as a music label. He partnered with Jeremy Wineberg, owner of the music distribution and licensing company Opus Label, as well as his then-talent manager and later CAA agent, Andrew Graham. [7]
One month later, Franta produced and released the label's first album, Common Culture, Vol. 3. [10] In 2015, Heard Well created the soundtrack for Gayby Baby, an Australian documentary about marriage equality. [11] That same year, Heard Well produced an album by Anthony Quintal (a.k.a. Lohanthony) entitled "Landscapes". [12] [13] In June 2016, Heard Well signed author, activist and podcast host Tyler Oakley to create a 13-track compilation album called Pride Jams, which celebrated LGBT Pride month. As of August 2016, each album released by Heard Well charted in the Billboard Top 200, and sold thousands of copies. [7]
In April 2017, Heard Well launched Heard Well Radio with online radio company TuneIn. [14] By May 2017, Heard Well had signed twelve of YouTube's most subscribed to personalities, with an average following of 3.8 million people. [1] Signees include Oakley, JC Caylen, Amanda Steele, Tom Cassell and others. [6] [7]
In December 2024, Franta filed a lawsuit in California superior court alleging that Wineberg and Graham embezzled more than $1 million from the company for personal use. The suit labels Wineberg as the principal bad actor, purportedly using an American Express Black Card obtained in the company's name for international travel, concert tickets, tattoos, groceries, and plastic surgery. The suit also alleges that Lindsay Wineberg & Associates, Heard Well's business manager and accountant that was led by Jeremy Wineberg's father, acted negligently. According to the suit, Franta "hardly saw a dime of profit directed his way throughout the company's nearly 10-year lifespan." Jeremy Wineberg, Lindsay Wineberg, and Graham all denied the allegations. [15]
In March 2025, Jeremy Wineberg filed a $1 million counter-suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Franta. Wineberg’s filing alleges that Franta failed to participate in business decisions, ignored internal communications, and did not deliver on his commitments to promote the label, despite continuing to be publicly associated with the company. Wineberg is seeking damages and Franta’s formal removal from Heard Well. Franta's attorney released a statement denying the claims in the counter-suit. [16] [ better source needed ]
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