What Makes Countdown Entertainment Stand Out
Every entertainment IP broker worth his or her salt has the acquisition people at Universal, SONY, BMG Music and the rest of the majors on speed dial. But, in addition to his distinction as the go-to broker for Hall of Fame artists, James Citkovic is respected for his relationships with the UN-usual suspects too – a hedge fund in St. Paul, a private investor group in Reykjavík, a pension union in Tallahassee and dozens of well-financed boutique labels and music publishers around the globe.
James’s ability to match even the most challenging entertainment property with just the right buyer is so well-known, one satisfied client summed it up this way, “Citkovic finds the proverbial needle in the IP haystack!”
The Countdown Story
Countdown Entertainment was founded by James Citkovic in 1983 as a music management firm. Working with established and emerging talent in a variety of genres (DJ Red Alert, Afrika Bambaataa, The Bloodhound Gang, Don Chaffin, lead vocalist of Ram Jam), Countdown quickly became a noted voice in the industry.
Countdown was intimately involved in forwarding the careers of platinum recording artists, Grammy Award-winning artists, and even one of the Top 100 Entertainers of All-Time.
As well as working with performers, Countdown also managed Grammy Award-nominated producers, engineers and mixers such as Chris Conway (Biggie, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill) and hit songwriters, including Robbie Patton (Fleetwood Mac, Santana). Over the years, Countdown also worked with major producers, including Steve Thompson (Guns N’ Roses, Madonna, Metallica) and Mike Appel (Bruce Springsteen), among others.
Enter the Digital Age and Entertainment IPs
When the traditional record industry reorganized in the mid-90s, making way for the new digital age, Citkovic recognized that music publishing and masters were becoming increasingly valuable commodities.
At that point, Citkovic changed Countdown’s focus to brokering music and entertainment IP — helping to usher in what would become one of the music industry’s most lucrative and competitive market segments.
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