About

Rumblefish is founded in Paul Anthony’s dorm room at the University of Oregon. The business quickly outgrows the dorm and moves into the university’s Business Incubator, providing room and resources for expansion.

Rumblefish, L.L.C. is formed with private investments from friends and family. Rumblefish moves out of the incubator and into offices in Portland, Oregon in 2000 and becomes Rumblefish, Inc. after winning the Oregon Entrepreneurs’ Forum Angel Oregon Award.

Offices relocate to a recording studio at 422 SW 13th Ave., just across the street from the studios used by the Kingsmen (“Louie Louie”), the Ventures, and Paul Revere and the Raiders. It’s karma: at this address Rumblefish transforms itself from indie recording label to music licensing store, licensing and clearing music for TV shows, film, performance companies, and others.

The Rumblefish team focuses on making it easier for indie artists to join the Rumblefish Catalog and for businesses to license songs. Determined to change the industry, Rumblefish starts changing the rules.

Rumblefish delivers its first two sonic branding programs: for Pabst Blue Ribbon and adidas Originals. The result is incredible press and a commitment to a new business model where music-based marketing programs draw on music from the ever-expanding Rumblefish Catalog.

After office and studio renovations late in 2003, Rumblefish suffers a fire in the A-tracking room. Six months later the Rumblefish team returns to their office, having learned a key lesson: a comprehensive, computer-based licensing system is critical.

After two years of focused efforts on music-centric branding and marketing programs, an eight-page Inc. Magazine article crowns Rumblefish as the music-focused branding agency. The ensuing buzz brings in more business and more artists, and the team pushes hard to complete the first ever online Music Licensing Store.

Rumblefish moves to 919 SW Taylor St.—the Studio Building, complete with busts of all the great composers on the exterior of the building—providing cool new digs and room to expand. The Music Licensing Store launches in June, establishing Rumblefish as the leading music-focused branding and marketing agency in the United States.

Rumblefish partners with the largest music licenser in the world, Muzak, becoming their sonic branding agency of record.