The Orchard Acquires OniMusic, Deepening Sony’s Reach in Brazil’s Booming Gospel Market

The Orchard, Sony Music’s distribution arm, has acquired OniMusic, a leading Brazilian Christian label and digital intelligence company, in a move the company calls a “landmark expansion into the Latin American gospel market, one of the fastest-growing segments in the global music industry,” according to the press release announcing the deal.

Founded in 2004 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, by Nelson and Christie Tristão, OniMusic began as an independent distributor and quietly scaled into a full-service, faith-oriented operation representing more than 120 artists. Its roster reads like a who’s who of contemporary Brazilian worship and gospel: Gabriela Rocha, Nívea Soares, Rodolfo Abrantes, Isaías Saad, Morada, Cassiane, Gabi Sampaio, Brave, Coletivo Candiero and JesusCopy Music.

“For years, I have followed OniMusic’s work with great admiration. Over the past two decades, Nelson has built a team, a body of expertise, and an impeccable reputation,” said Sylvia Medeiros, senior vp of The Orchard Brazil, in a statement.

The deal trades on more than sentiment. OniMusic’s growth story is also a market story: worship-driven music in Brazil has shown steep listener gains in the streaming era. According to the press release, the genre saw an average annual listener growth of 44% on Spotify between 2015 and 2020 and now represents roughly 20% of the country’s total music revenue.

“Everything we’ve built over more than two decades has always been centered on the artist, with relationships grounded in trust, friendship, and respect for everyone’s calling — values that have always been, and continue to be, the foundation of everything we do. This new partnership with The Orchard allows us to stay true to that identity while also taking an important step forward in our growth, opening new opportunities in Brazil and internationally that will directly benefit our roster,” Nelson Tristão said.

Beyond the corporate headline, the acquisition is notable for what it signals about global labels chasing niche momentum. Latin American gospel has been one of the clearest success stories of regional streaming dynamics: a category that blends devotional culture, local production, and cross-generational fandom, and one that has become commercially significant enough to warrant strategic acquisitions.

For The Orchard, the purchase looks like infrastructure-minded consolidation. Medeiros frames the move as bringing OniMusic the systems it needs to scale; Tristão frames it as a way to preserve the label’s artist-first ethos while accessing new opportunities. Those narratives are not mutually exclusive. What remains to be seen is how the partnership translates into international exposure for a roster rooted in Portuguese-language worship, and whether Sony’s resources will shift the balance between local authenticity and global ambition.

Either way, the acquisition underscores how major players are no longer treating regional faith scenes as curiosities. They are investments.

— Isabela Raygoza