Industry Leaders Launch Nashville-Based Modern Music Company, By Design

By Design, a Nashville-based modern music company rooted in Kingdom values and driven by integrity, innovation and excellence, officially launches today under the leadership of Josh Bailey, Jeremy Holley, Rod Riley and Josh Thompson. The label is announced as part of a larger ecosystem comprised of three core entities to best serve creatives: By Design, the record label and music publisher; Archetype Music, a music rights acquisitions company; and Blueprint, a nonprofit equipping creators.

 

Built to help creators unlock their original design, By Design cultivates an artist-centric community where trust is built and creativity flourishes. By Design launches with a genre-spanning roster that includes chart-topping country artist Frankie Ballard, pop-folk storyteller Zoe Levert and rising singer/songwriter Alex Jude, with additional artist signings to be announced.

 

Founded by longtime friends and industry experts Bailey, Holley, Riley and Thompson, By Design's leadership team draws on decades of experience to offer a new model for empowering creators to be bold and original. “Built on decades of friendship and experience, we founded By Design with a simple mission: to champion creators that shape culture through music,” the founders said.

 

Photo ID (L to R): Josh Thompson, Rod Riley, Jeremy Holley and Josh

Bailey Photo credit: William King 

 

Bailey spent more than 20 years at Word Entertainment and Capitol Christian Music Group developing artists like for KING & COUNTRY and Anne Wilson, becoming regarded as one of Nashville's most respected A&Rs. Raised by entrepreneurial parents, he brings an unwavering dedication to artists and songwriters, helping them guide their art and passion into purposeful careers.

 

Holley has worked at the intersection of music, brands and technology to build purpose-driven partnerships and place creators at the center of culture. Following his tenure at Word and Warner Music Group, he launched and successfully exited FlyteVu — one of the fastest-growing pop culture agencies in the U.S.

 

Riley co-founded Fervent records with his wife Susan and later sold the label to Word, where he led as CEO through a period of growth and transitions before moving into rights acquisitions, further broadening his expertise across the industry.

 

Thompson spent nearly a decade in label roles at Word before exercising his entrepreneurial spirit by helping lead Futureshirts through a transformative era of acquisitions, client and team growth, expanded services and a redefined brand identity – guided by a commitment to trust, strategy and innovation.

 

Together, the four founders are channeling their wide array of experiences in leadership through this new venture that prioritizes people over product and seeks to shape culture through purpose-led music.

 

“When the right artist, the right song and the right team come together, the result can be both powerful and lasting.” shares Bailey. “My role has always been to listen for that alignment and create the space where God-given creativity can thrive.”

 

“At By Design, we're putting a renewed focus on artist care and building the ecosystems needed to sustain it,” says Holley. “We're shaping a model that's as innovative as the artists we serve.”

 

“We've seen firsthand the possibilities and the challenges of the music business,” shares Riley. “And this is our response – building a home where creators thrive, and audiences feel it in the music.”

 

Thompson shares, “Partnership is built on trust. If we can look our creators in the eyes and know we're truly building something together, that changes everything about how the music – and the culture it creates – takes shape.”

 

After scoring three No.1 Country radio hits, Frankie Ballard stepped away at the height of his career to recalibrate his priorities – and in that season, he found a deeper sense of purpose. Now, the Michigan-born artist is stepping into a new chapter, ready to share music that carries both the grit fans remember and the hope that fuels his future. Hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, Zoe Levert is a modern multi-talent whose coming-of-age storytelling marks a new generation of singer-songwriters. After reaching the Top 12 on NBC's The Voice, she recently moved to Nashville to take the next step in her career. Her pop-folk style is complimented by her candid songwriting and faith-driven honesty as she readies new music for fans. Born in the Pacific Northwest and now Nashville-based, Alex Jude blends Americana and pop into poetic road-trip melodies that meet you where you are and make the road ahead feel lighter.

 

By Design, the label and music publisher, operates as one pillar of a wider ecosystem, joined by Archetype Music and Blueprint. Archetype Music is a music rights holding company acquiring faith-based music rights, including masters and publishing. Blueprint is a non-profit dedicated to equipping artists and creators with the tools, resources and support they need to grow and bring their visions to life. Through strategic partnerships and tailored discipleship programs, Blueprint addresses the unique needs of artists and creators by filling gaps left by traditional industries and church systems.

 

The company operates on six key values – a kingdom vision, focused team, trusted relationships, cultivating audiences, strategic disruption and data driven results – with a mission to reshape the future of music through purpose-driven creativity, industry expertise and a commitment to faith-driven innovation.

 

Keep up with By Design and its growing roster at themodernmusiccompany.com and on Instagram.