LUCIANO WINTER, FOUNDER AND CEO OF STORMI CAPITAL, DISCUSSES FINANCING CHALLENGES AND SCALING OPPORTUNITIES AS PART OF IMPALA’S ‘FACES OF THE INDEPENDENT SECTOR’ STORYTELLING SERIES
Brussels, 31 March 2026
As part of IMPALA’s Faces of the Independent Sector storytelling campaign, co-funded by the European Union, and celebrating our 25th anniversary, we are publishing the fourth interview in the series with Luciano Winter, founder and CEO of Stormi Capital, board member of the Dutch independent music association, STOMP.
In the interview, Luciano shares his journey building his own independent label from the ground up and starting a music technology company. He discusses the challenges the industry faces, including access to capital and infrastructure, as well as the opportunities presented through global audience access, allowing independents to scale up faster and more strategically.
- What do you do in the music sector?
“I’m the Founder & CEO of Stormi Capital, a music technology company focused on building infrastructure for independent artists and labels. We provide digital distribution, royalty administration, analytics, and access to funding solutions, helping rights holders operate at a level traditionally reserved for major labels.”
- How did you start working in the music sector?
“I started by building my own independent label, from the ground up. Without access to industry infrastructure or insider knowledge, I had to figure everything out myself. Over time, we scaled the label to billions of streams and built a strong network within the industry. That journey exposed the inefficiencies in the system and ultimately led to the creation of Stormi Capital.”
- What does being independent mean to you?
“Being independent means having ownership, control, and the ability to make decisions in the best interest of your art and business, without unnecessary gatekeeping. It’s about freedom, but also about responsibility.”
- What are the biggest opportunities for the independent sector today?
“The biggest opportunity is the shift in power. Artists and labels now have direct access to global audiences, data, and monetisation channels. With the right infrastructure, independents can compete at the highest level. There’s also a huge opportunity in leveraging data and funding to scale faster and more strategically.”
- What are the biggest challenges for the independent sector today?
“Access to capital and infrastructure remains a major challenge. While distribution has become more accessible, scaling a business still requires funding, data insights, and operational tools that are often fragmented or difficult to access. There’s also an overload of content, making it harder to stand out.”
- What change would you like to see in the music industry?
“I’d like to see a more transparent and efficient ecosystem where independent players have equal access to tools, data, and financial resources. The industry still operates on outdated systems in many areas, and modernisation is long overdue.”
- What tips would you give to others starting out in the independent sector?
“Focus on building something sustainable, not just chasing quick wins. Understand both the creative and business side of music. Surround yourself with the right people, and think long-term. Consistency and strategic thinking will always outperform short-term hype.”
- Describe the independent sector in one word.
“Unstoppable.”
- What are the key projects or priorities you will be working on over the next 12 months that you would like to highlight?
“Over the next 12 months, our focus is on scaling Stormi Capital across multiple markets, expanding our distribution infrastructure, and further developing our funding solutions for independent artists and labels. We’re also building stronger partnerships globally to create a more connected and efficient ecosystem.”
- What’s on your playlist?
- Allen Stone – Give You Blue
- Michael Abels – Sinfonie Liberté Part 1 & 2
- JAYC, Christo – D&C
- Yiruma – River Flows in You
- Jairzinho, Jonna Fraser – Laat niet los
- Meek Mill – Wins & Losses
- Bruno Mars – Risk it all
- Black Sherif – January 9th
- Stormzy – don’t forget to breathe (feat. Yebba) (interlude)
- Mustafa – Stay Alive
Click here to listen to Luciano’s full playlist on Spotify.
Check out previous editions with Merlin’s Shrina Patel, ANMIP’s Kristiyana Georgieva, and Glitch Records’ Pavle Eftimovski.
About Faces of the Independent Sector
As part of IMPALA’s 25th anniversary, the Faces of the Independent Sector spotlights the creativity and the diversity of the European independent music companies and shares the stories from the perspectives of owners, employees, and other key players. By highlighting their successes, struggles, and day-to-day realities, the campaign reveals the sector’s leaders and the stories that make it thrive. This project is co-funded by the European Union.
About IMPALA
IMPALA was established in 2000 and now represents over 6000 independent music companies in Europe. 99% of Europe’s music companies are small, micro and medium businesses and self-releasing artists. Known as the independents, they are world leaders in terms of innovation and discovering new music and artists – they produce more than 80% of all new releases and account for 80% of the sector’s jobs. IMPALA’s mission is to grow the independent music sector sustainably, return more value to artists, promote diversity and entrepreneurship, improve political access, inspire change, and increase access to finance. IMPALA works on a range of key issues for its members and started a new co-funded work programme as an EU cultural network in 2025. IMPALA runs various award schemes and has a programme aimed at businesses who want to develop a strategic relationship with the European independent sector – Friends of IMPALA. This year we are celebrating our 25th anniversary with a series of interviews Faces of the Independent Sector and other features, see more here.
