Name Bernhard Fritsch | ||
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Education Technical University of Berlin | ||
Bernhard Fritsch (Born 1963) is a German internet and technology entrepreneur and founder of StarClub Interactive Networks LTD. Since 2009, he has served as the chairmen and CEO of StarClub. In 1995 Fritsch developed the first digital music distribution business, MusicCitY (MCY). When MCY was launched in 1998 it was the only patented and commercially viable platform for the secure retail distribution of digital media.
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Personal life
Bernhard Fritsch grew up in Bavaria, Germany, where he graduated from the High School of St. Michael in Metten, Bavaria, Germany. He lives with his family in Lyford Cay, Bahamas. Fritsch is a permanent resident of the Bahamas.
Education
Fritsch attended Technische Universitat Berlin from 1982 - 1988 where he received an MBA in Media & Entertainment Technologies and Business. He was also accepted to the selective Tonmeister Program at Universitat der Kunste Berlin where he received a master's degree in Music Production and Digital Technology. From July 1993 – September 1999 he served as a featured professor of media and music technologies and business at New York University, New York.
Business
After leaving university in Berlin, Fritsch became CEO and Executive Creative Director of the Brandenburg Philharmonic Orchestra in January 1990 where he worked for three years. Between 1992 and 1994, Fritsch developed a monthly interactive show called Media Gallery, which was released on millions of CD-ROMs every month. While working as a media producer in the early 90s, Fritsch developed projects featuring international music icons including Quincy Jones, Sean Connery, Luciano Pavarotti, Sting, Stevie Wonder, The Who, Carlos Santana, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Ralf Siegel, Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. He has executed business transactions with ABC, NBC, CBS, HBO, Sony, Disney, MGM, Columbia Records, Bertelsmann, Yahoo and Google.
In 1996 Fritsch founded MCY, MCY MusicWorld and MCY.com, the first digital retailer for online music, games and films. While serving as CEO and Chairman, Fritsch grew MCY from 0 to 400 employees and took the company public in 1999 (NASDAQ Symbol: MYCY). Fritsch’s music distribution system is seen as the precursor to current internet giants iTunes and Spotify. As of 2012, Fritsch still owns some of the most valuable patents in the digital media industry.
In 2001, Fritsch founded General Media Industries, Inc. (GMI), a media investment and development group focused on the creation of exceptional media companies, projects and properties. GMI is a merchant bank that acts as a co-investor and development partner for portfolio companies and projects. Digital Media Industries, a consortium led by Fritsch through GMI, made a bid to purchase Warner Music in April 2011. The amount of their bid was not made public.
StarClub
Fritsch began his latest entrepreneurial venture in 2009 launching StarClub Interactive Networks Ltd. StarClub is billed as a next generation entertainment technology company aimed at changing habits of consuming and enjoying digital media. Unlike MCY, StarClub is focused on musical brand development rather than pure distribution.
Patented Inventions
Bernhard Fritsch has patented a number of his inventions in the electronic media field. In May 2001 U.S. Patent Number 6,247,130 was issued to him for “Distribution of musical products by a website vendor over the internet.” That pioneering patent over aspects of selling downloadable music on-line has been licensed to the leading sellers of music on the Internet. In addition, Fritsch is the inventor of “System for Combining Video Data Streams into a Composite Video Data Stream”, U.S. Pat. No. 8,928,810, issued January 6, 2015 and “Video Display Screen With Camera Position Optimized for Video Conferencing”, U.S. Pat. No. 8,754,927, issued June 17, 2014. Mr. Fritsch is widely recognized as an inventor of disruptive solutions to complex challenges involving media technology. As a serial entrepreneur he has built many successful technology systems and platforms.
Charitable Work
In 1999, Fritsch presented Pope John Paul II with a $50,000 donation for the Papal Council Cor Unum, the coordinating body for all the Catholic Church’s charitable institutions. In addition to the monetary donation, the Pope was given one of MCY’s NETrax MP3 players, preset with a new rendition of the canon, “Dona Nobis Pacem.” The unique rendition was rearranged and performed by contemporary German composer Karl Reinhard Zeiss. As a result of Fritsch’s donation, MCY became the first online music company to receive an official blessing from the Pope.
Recognition
Bernhard Fritsch is a recipient of the Online Music Award.