The media and entertainment industry is in a constant state of transformation, driven by the shift to digital streaming, changing consumer habits, and new monetization models.
SMAART Company provides specialized entertainment industry accounting and advisory services to help your company navigate this dynamic landscape, ensuring you can focus on creating compelling content and engaging your audience.
Our team of experts helps you build a resilient financial framework that manages complex revenue streams, optimizes project profitability, and prepares your company for growth in the fast-paced digital era.
Success in this industry requires a sophisticated strategy to manage content value and complex revenue streams. Without a specialized financial partner, even the most creative companies face significant risks:
Complex Revenue Recognition: Properly recognizing revenue from diverse sources like subscriptions, advertising, and licensing under ASC 606 is a major accounting and compliance challenge.
Royalty & Payout Management: Calculating, tracking, and paying royalties to artists, writers, and other rights holders is an immensely complex process where errors can lead to costly disputes.
Project-Based Financial Tracking: Each creative project, whether it’s a film, series, or album, has a unique budget. Managing costs and tracking profitability on a project-by-project basis is essential.
Valuation of Intangible Assets: A media company’s primary value lies in its library of content and intellectual property. Properly valuing these assets is critical for financing, M&A, and strategic planning.
Shift to Digital & Subscription Models: The transition to streaming requires significant investment in technology and new financial models for managing customer acquisition and retention.
SMAART Company helps you manage these high-stakes variables with a disciplined, forward-looking approach to media finance.
We serve the full spectrum of creators and distributors across the media and entertainment landscape, including:
Film & Television Production Companies managing the finances of individual productions, from development to distribution.
Music Labels & Publishers navigating the complexities of streaming royalties, artist advances, and music rights management.
Digital Media & Streaming Platforms managing subscription and advertising revenue alongside content acquisition costs.
Advertising & Marketing Agencies dealing with client billing, media buys, and project-based revenue streams.
Talent Agencies & Management Companies who need to manage client funds, track commissions, and provide financial oversight.
At SMAART Company, we understand that for media companies, your financial operations must be as dynamic as the content you create. Our dedicated focus means:
We Support Complex Revenue Models: We help you navigate the complexities of ASC 606 to ensure proper revenue recognition for your mix of subscription, advertising, and licensing deals.
We Understand Content Economics: We are experienced in providing financial oversight for creative projects, supporting royalty tracking, and applying our valuation expertise to your key assets.
We Speak the Language of the Industry: We understand the nuances of distribution, international licensing, and the key financial indicators that drive a successful media business.
We Offer High-Level Strategic Advisory: As your Fractional CFO, we provide the sophisticated financial guidance you need for content acquisition strategy, M&A evaluation, and long-term growth planning.
We Prepare You for the Next Deal: We help establish the clean, organized financials necessary to attract investors, secure production financing, or execute a sale of your company or content library.
Media & Entertainment Accounting: Specialized accounting services focused on P&L by project, royalty tracking support, and proper revenue recognition under ASC 606.
Royalty & Payout Financial Support: Assisting with the financial tracking and reporting required to accurately calculate and manage royalties and payouts.
Fractional CFO & Strategic Advisory: High-level strategic guidance on financing new projects, modeling subscription growth, and managing the company’s overall financial health.
M&A Readiness & Due Diligence Support: Comprehensive support to prepare your financial statements and IP portfolio for the rigorous due diligence process of an acquisition.
Valuation Services: Applying our valuation expertise to your business, with a focus on the intellectual property and content that are key to your value.
Tax Planning & Incentive Strategies: Strategic tax advisory focused on leveraging available business and tax incentives to lower the net cost of your projects.
Media leaders should be focused on developing hit shows, signing new artists, and building an engaged audience—not on wrestling with royalty calculations or complex revenue recognition. With SMAART Company as your partner, you gain the robust financial infrastructure to succeed in the creative economy.
Every media company has a unique strategy. Let’s build an entertainment industry accounting support plan that matches your specific needs. Whether you need help with project-based accounting, royalty management, or a fully outsourced finance function—we’re ready to assist.
We can set up your accounting system to track costs on a project-by-project basis. This provides the real-time financial visibility needed to manage a budget and understand the profitability of each piece of content.
ASC 606 is the accounting standard for recognizing revenue. It’s particularly complex for media companies that bundle services or have complex licensing agreements. Proper compliance is critical for accurate financial reporting.
An advisor who understands the entertainment industry knows the unique financial drivers, from the complexities of royalty agreements to the available tax incentives. This expertise is essential for protecting your profits and staying compliant.
We apply our established valuation methodologies to your key intangible assets. This involves analyzing potential future cash flows from your content to arrive at a credible valuation for financing or M&A purposes.
It begins with a confidential consultation to understand your business model, your current projects, and your strategic objectives. From there, we design a tailored service package to provide the sophisticated financial support you require.
