Steady Brand and Custom Channels Combine Under Shared Ownership
2026-10-01 · via invidis
Steady Brand and Custom Channels are now operating as sister companies under common ownership, combining their digital signage, business music, hardware and AV service offerings while keeping separate go-to-market strategies. For dealers and integrators already working with either company, the arrangement means access to a wider catalog of music and hardware without a change in who they buy from.
Steady Brand will keep selling exclusively through its dealer and integrator network. Custom Channels, based in Denver, will continue to focus on direct and national accounts, strategic partnerships and technology integrations. The companies say that split lets them avoid competing for the same customers while sharing resources behind the scenes.
The practical changes are on the supply side. Custom Channels has become Steady Brand's business music provider, and the companies say this has doubled the number of music channels available to Steady Brand's dealer network. Steady Brand dealers will also get access to additional hardware through the company's Conductor Studio management platform, letting them manage both existing Steady Brand equipment and Custom Channels hardware from one place. In return, Custom Channels gains access to Steady Brand's installation and field service resources, which could matter for a company whose strategy leans on national accounts that need consistent on-site support across multiple locations.
"We're going after different parts of the market, but we're doing it under the same umbrella," said Greg Spain, vice president of dealer development at Steady Brand. "The important thing is doing what works best for the customer."
What's not addressed
The announcement does not name the ownership group behind both companies, nor does it specify deal terms or a timeline for when dealers can expect to see the expanded hardware and music catalog live in Conductor Studio. It also does not say whether the two companies' digital signage content management tools will be merged or remain distinct, which is the detail dealers managing multi-location accounts will likely want clarified first.
Background
Steady Brand, founded in Austin in 2017, provides commercially licensed background music, overhead announcements, on-hold messaging and digital signage through a dealer and reseller network. The company says it has tripled its recurring revenue over the past several years, though no figures were given. Custom Channels brings a music library, hardware portfolio and existing technology integrations to the combined operation.
For an industry where business music, messaging and signage increasingly get bundled into a single in-store experience package, pairing a dealer-network-driven company with one focused on direct and national accounts is a fairly common structure for reaching both small multi-unit retailers and larger enterprise customers without the two sales teams undercutting each other.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from invidis for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
The sister companies will retain separate routes to market while combining digital signage, business music, hardware and AV services.
Steady Brand and Custom Channels are now operating as sister companies under the same ownership group, bringing together their business music, digital signage and AV offerings while maintaining separate routes to market.
Steady Brand will continue to work exclusively through its network of dealers and integrators, while Denver-based Custom Channels will focus primarily on direct and national accounts, strategic partnerships and technology integrations.
The companies say the arrangement combines Steady Brand’s dealer network, installation and service resources, digital signage capabilities and messaging services with Custom Channels’ music library, hardware portfolio, technology integrations and digital management tools.
Custom Channels has also become Steady Brand’s business music provider. The companies say the move has doubled the number of music channels available to Steady Brand’s dealer network.
Steady Brand dealers will also gain access to additional hardware through the company’s Conductor Studio management platform, allowing them to manage existing Steady Brand equipment and hardware available through Custom Channels from the same environment.
Custom Channels, meanwhile, gains access to installation and field service resources through Steady Brand’s dealer network.
“We’re going after different parts of the market, but we’re doing it under the same umbrella,” said Greg Spain, vice president of dealer development at Steady Brand. “The important thing is doing what works best for the customer.”
Founded in Austin, Texas, in 2017, Steady Brand provides commercially licensed background music, overhead announcements, on-hold messaging and digital signage through dealers and resellers. The company says it has tripled its recurring revenue over the past several years.