SIDE, part of the PTW family of brands, today announced it has reached an agreement to acquire award-winning interactive music and sound studio Vibe Avenue. The Montreal-based studio will be rebranded SIDE Montreal, enhancing SIDE’s existing audio services to now include sound design, music composition, and soundtrack production. As a part of the deal, founders Mathieu Lavoie and François-Xavier Dupas will join SIDE Montreal as Senior Director and Creative Director of Music & Sound respectively, reporting to Senior Vice President of Audio and Speech Technology, Olivier Deslandes.

“At PTW, a key component to our growth strategy is bringing on best-in-class talent and continually expanding our service offerings – this acquisition checks both boxes,” said Deborah Kirkham, CEO of PTW. “Not only does Vibe Avenue have some of the best audio talent in the industry, but we can now offer clients new sound design capabilities we didn’t previously have. I look forward to welcoming everyone from Vibe Avenue into the PTW family as SIDE Montreal.”

Founded in 2013 by François-Xavier Dupas and Mathieu Lavoie (pictured above), Vibe Avenue grew from a two-person operation to an impressive team of 17 composers, sound designers, voice designers, production experts and other amazing artists. Over the past decade, the studio has worked with companies such as SEGA, Square Enix, Norsfell, Marvel, Wizards of the Coast, and more on some of the most recognizable franchises in the business.

“We’re thrilled to join an industry leader like PTW and add our talents to their audio division – this match brings together the best of both worlds, resources and scale alongside talent and new services,” said Lavoie. “I’m excited to see what sort of magic we can make together at SIDE for our clients,” continued Dupas.