Pipeline has named Ben Katovsky chief executive officer (CEO), bringing an executive with more than two decades of music-rights experience to the financing platform for music and creative businesses.
The appointment follows Pipeline’s January 2026 launch with US$200 million in backing through Jamen Capital, the investment firm of Pipeline co-founder and chairman Matt Spetzler.
Katovsky’s music-rights career
Katovsky most recently served as CEO of Recognition Music Group. He joined Hipgnosis Song Management as president and chief operating officer (COO) in 2022 and became CEO in 2024.
Blackstone brought its Hipgnosis assets together under the Recognition brand in March 2025. Before joining Hipgnosis, Katovsky spent seven years at BMG, where he rose to chief operating officer.
Katovsky and Spetzler have worked together before: Recognition named Spetzler chairman of its Senior Advisory Group in May 2025.
Pipeline’s financing focus
Pipeline seeks to provide music companies, rights holders and creators with capital, investment expertise and technology typically available to the industry’s largest businesses.
Since its launch, it has partnered with independent licensing body Merlin to provide members with advances against digital royalties.
Spetzler said:
“We started Pipeline because there is enormous value in music IP, and too many of the companies that own it haven’t had the backing to realize their ambitions. Ben is one of very few people who has built, financed, and run a world-class rights business at scale, delivering very strong outcomes for investors while caring for the music and the people behind it. He is the perfect person to lead Pipeline into its next phase.”
