InterSpace has formalised its operations under the InterSpace Group and launched ToneGrid, a white-label distribution platform aimed at helping music labels, regional distributors and music technology companies run their own branded distribution services.
The move gives the Port Harcourt-based company a broader role in the global independent music sector at a time when the distribution market is facing consolidation, restructuring and job cuts among major industry players. Founded by Eric Okechukwu in 2021 as a music publishing company, InterSpace has grown into a technology group with more than 15,000 artists, over 100 label clients and staff across Nigeria, India, Singapore, South Africa and the United States.
The company says ToneGrid already has 24 partners operating on its backend, providing an early indication of demand for its infrastructure-focused approach.
Building infrastructure for independent music
The InterSpace Group now brings together five businesses: InterSpace Distribution, ToneGrid, InterSpace Sound System, InterSpace Daily and InterSpace SmartLinks, which was acquired in April 2026.
InterSpace Distribution remains the group’s direct-to-artist platform. It provides global distribution through a network of digital service providers and has developed its own content management system and delivery infrastructure. The company recently upgraded its delivery pipeline to DDEX ERN 4.3, a standard also used in Spotify’s supply chain.
Okechukwu, a self-taught developer, led the development of the technology alongside a small engineering team. The platform was built internally over nearly two years, allowing the company to develop its technology without outside investment.
The structure also reflects how the business has changed since its launch. “This isn’t a rebrand,” Okechukwu said. “It’s a recognition of what we’ve actually become.” He explained that the company had moved beyond distribution into infrastructure, technology and other products, making a group structure more suitable for its current operations.
That expansion could have a wider impact on independent music businesses, particularly in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, where many labels and distributors want greater control over their operations but may not have the resources to build their own technology.
ToneGrid creates a new opportunity for labels and platforms
ToneGrid is central to that strategy. The enterprise platform allows labels, sub-distributors and music technology companies to operate a fully branded distribution service using InterSpace’s backend infrastructure.
Customers can use their own logos, colours and domains while accessing features including DSP connections, ISRC and UPC management, royalty splits and YouTube Content ID.
“We built ToneGrid because we kept seeing the same problem from different directions,” Okechukwu said. “Labels wanted their own branded distribution operation. Platforms wanted distribution as a feature, not a redirect.”
The model could help smaller music businesses enter distribution without having to develop complex rights, royalty and delivery systems from the ground up. It also creates a recurring software revenue stream for InterSpace, moving part of the group’s business beyond traditional per-release distribution fees.
The company has also strengthened its platform through partnerships with ACRCloud and Rotor Videos. ACRCloud adds audio fingerprinting, content recognition and protection capabilities, while Rotor Videos provides music video and lyric video creation tools. Together with SmartLinks, these partnerships allow InterSpace to expand the services available to its customers without building every product internally.
InterSpace’s growth has been largely organic, with the company operating without venture capital or an acquisition-led expansion strategy. Its current scale includes more than 15,000 artists, over 100 labels and 24 ToneGrid partners.
The group now aims to expand its infrastructure across global independent music markets, with particular attention to Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia.
“We’re still early,” Okechukwu said. “But the goal has always been bigger than any one product. This structure gives us room to grow into that.”
Source: TechCabal
