Etsy (ETSY, Financial) just sold off its music gear marketplace, Reverb—quietly, but strategically. The buyers? A duo of deep-pocketed, music-savvy investors: Servco Pacific (yes, the same Servco that helped rescue Fender in the '80s) and Creator Partners, whose portfolio includes SoundCloud, BMI, and Colors+Studios. The goal? Give Reverb the freedom to grow on its own again, while Etsy streamlines focus on its main marketplace and Gen Z darling Depop. The deal is expected to close in the next few weeks.
For Reverb, this isn't just a new chapter—it's a return to form. CEO David Mandelbrot confirmed Reverb will operate independently post-sale, with no layoffs, no platform changes, and no portfolio mergers. But don't mistake stability for stagnation. New features are already rolling out: faster seller payouts, local drop-off options, and more music software tools to help users level up their sound without leveling their wallets.
For investors, the signal is clear: Etsy is trimming the fat to refocus on scale, while vertical platforms like Reverb are finding new life under mission-aligned capital. In a world chasing synergies, this move shows the value of letting niche platforms breathe—and thrive—on their own terms.
