Ben Farber Departs From Warner Records, Joins VERSION III Full Time

Photo Credit: Josh Telles

Independent label and management company VERSION III has announced its next chapter, with co-founder Ben Farber joining the company full time alongside co-founder Josh Epple. Farber has departed from Warner Records, where he served as Vice President of Streaming Strategy & Revenue, to dedicate his full attention to VERSION III and its growing roster of artists.

Founded in 2021 by Farber, Epple, and Andrew Cramb, VERSION III was built on a simple but increasingly rare idea: artists deserve a transparent and authentic partner that is willing to take a non-traditional approach to development. The company operates as both a record label and management company, working closely with artists to build sustainable careers while maintaining creative integrity and authentic connections with their audiences.

“We started VERSION III because we wanted to build the kind of company we would have wanted to work with if we were artists,” says Ben Farber. “The goal has always been to create a transparent partnership where we’re willing to take risks, think differently, and develop artists for the long term. After building this company while working full-time at Warner Records, I’m incredibly excited to give VERSION III my full attention. We’ve accomplished a lot so far between the two of us, and we’re just getting started. I’m so grateful for my experience being at Warner Records. The leaders, colleagues, and artists all contributed to preparing me for this chapter.”

“Everything we’ve done has been about building something that lasts,” Josh Epple shares. “We’re not interested in being the biggest company in the room. We’re interested in being the right company for the right artists—and helping them build careers that are bigger than any one song.”

Since its founding, VERSION III has remained 100% independent. The three founders each invested $5,000 to launch the company and have continued to grow the business from the ground up.

“We’ve always wanted to be the company that gets in early, believes in the vision, and is willing to put in the work alongside an artist as that vision grows,” Epple adds. “The fact that we’ve been able to help build these careers while remaining independent is something we’re incredibly proud of. Bringing Ben on full-time gives us the opportunity to take everything we’ve learned over the past five years and scale it in a really intentional way.”

The company’s most notable success to date came with Dasha, who VERSION III signed in 2023. The label independently released her breakout single “Austin,” which has gone on to surpass nearly 2 billion global streams – the song’s unprecedented success became a defining example of VERSION III’s ability to identify an artist at an early stage, build a global audience independently, and create a pathway toward a larger partnership without compromising the company’s artist-first philosophy.

The company remains committed to its founding mission: to support good music, good people & impact culture with integrity and authenticity. For more information on VERSION III, visit https://version-iii.com/.