Republic Records Founders Monte Lipman, ’86 and Avery Lipman, ’88 to Deliver 2013 UAlbany Undergraduate Commencement Address

Brothers Built Republic into One of the Most Influential and Popular Music Labels

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 2, 2013) – Republic Records founders/chief executives, and University at Albany alumni Monte Lipman, ’86 and Avery Lipman, ’88, will deliver the keynote address at the 169th Undergraduate Commencement on Sunday, May 19 at 10 a.m. on the Entry Plaza lawn near Collins Circle. The ceremony will be broadcast online via live stream. 

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Republic Records founders Avery Lipman, '88, (left) and Monte Lipman, '86, will deliver the keynote address at UAlbany's 169th Undergraduate Commencement ceremony.

The Lipman brothers head Republic Records, a division within Universal Music Group. As one of the world’s most influential and popular music labels, it oversees a roster of diverse artists including The Band Perry, Gotye and Enrique Iglesias. It also collaborates with the television and film industries such as the hit NBC television show The Voice to produce winning talent such as Casadee Pope, and with Universal Pictures for the Academy Award-nominated soundtrack for Les Miserables.

“Whether it was through our studies, working at the campus radio station, or booking campus concerts, UAlbany provided us with a strong educational foundation and an early opportunity to get involved in the music industry,” said Monte and Avery. “We look forward to returning to our alma mater to address the Class of 2013 on this very special occasion.”

Inspired by their lifelong love of music, University at Albany alumni and brothers Monte Lipman ’86 and Avery Lipman ’88, entered the music industry in promotion and business administration respectively. Monte received a bachelor's degree in communication and rhetoric, while Avery received a bachelor's degree in English.

Monte’s career began in 1986 at Arista Records. Soon after, he held executive positions at SBK, EMI, and Atlantic Records. Avery started with Arista Records in 1988, then in 1991 served as business administration director at Sony Music International.

In 1995, the brothers teamed up to launch their start-up music label, Republic Records. The industry visionaries transformed the label into a diverse music corporation. Today, Republic Records is a leading division within Universal Music Group and was cited by Billboard Magazine as the third-largest label in the United States. Monte serves as founder, chairman and CEO, and Avery Lipman serves as founder, president and COO.

From the brand's inception, the executive duo constructed the framework for a thriving record company that tapped into their entrepreneurial spirit and artist-centric approach. Their impressive roster of recording artists includes a host of gold and platinum-record stars including 3 Doors Down, Akon, Ben Howard, Black Sabbath, Colbie Caillat, Enrique Iglesias, Florence + The Machine, Gotye, Hinder, Kelly Rowland, Kid Cudi, Nelly, the late Amy Winehouse and many more.

The label is also home to numerous strategic partnerships, which the brothers collectively fostered including ventures such as American Recordings (Avett Brothers), Brushfire (Jack Johnson), Casablanca (Avicii), Cash Money (Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj), Lava (Jessie J), Loma Vista (Soundgarden), School Boy (PSY), and XO Records (The Weeknd). Republic’s strategic alliance with Nashville’s leading music group Big Machine Records (Taylor Swift), led the label’s expansion into the Country marketplace with the creation of Republic Nashville. The company is home to modern superstars The Band Perry, Eli Young Band, and Florida Georgia Line.

From the beginning, the Lipman brothers also led the industry in the online marketplace. In 2012, their digital impact hit a seismic note as Gotye's Grammy Award-winning Record of the Year "Somebody That I Used to Know" exceeded six million downloads and PSY's "Gangnam Style" crossed the three-million mark for downloads and became the "most-watched" video in YouTube history surpassing over one-billion views.

The label's influence within the film and television worlds also continues to grow at a rapid rate. In addition to a long-running collaboration with NBC for "The Voice," in 2012 alone, partnerships were initiated with AMC for "The Walking Dead," Lions Gate Films for "The Hunger Games," Universal Pictures for the Oscar-nominated soundtrack for Les Miserables, the Oscar-nominated soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, and with Seth MacFarlane for the Academy Award-nominated music from Ted.

Currently in 2013, Republic has captured the industry’s number on market share based on Nielsen’s Soundscan sales, while Monte and Avery have been recognized by Billboard in the annual Power 100 list since its inception.

Outside of the business, the Lipman brothers sit on the board of many philanthropic organizations including the Amy Winehouse Foundation, the TJ Martell Foundation, and on the Executive Committees for DKMS, UJA, and the USO Entertainment Advisory Council.

Learn more about UAlbany's 169th Commencement Ceremonies.

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