1 month ago
BMG and Nashville-based indie euphony elephantine Concord announced a merger nan companies said will create nan starring independent euphony institution successful nan world enabling “deeper finance successful creativity, next-generation technology, and world-class talent” and sphere “the entrepreneurial attack that artists, songwriters, and playwrights value.”
Operating nether nan BMG name, nan mixed institution will beryllium owned astir 67% by Bertelsmann and 33% by affiliates of finance patient Great Mountain Partners, which will besides person a one-time rate costs of $1.16 billion. The woody is expected to adjacent successful nan 2nd half of 2026.
In fast-growing markets, wherever euphony depletion continues to evolve, nan unified institution will beryllium good positioned to grow its presence, deepen creator and songwriter partnerships, and seizure caller gross streams crossed platforms and formats. It is expected to make important rate travel to reinvest successful nan business and substance growth. This includes a mid-term ambition to execute $1.2 cardinal successful EBITDA, building from a pro forma EBITDA guidelines of much than $730 cardinal successful 2026, driven done integrated growth, M&A, and synergies.
“We judge this is simply a genuinely one-of-a-kind opportunity to bring together 2 world-class teams and rosters astatine nan correct moment, arsenic standard successful authorities ownership becomes progressively captious to semipermanent growth,” said Thomas Coesfeld, CEO of Berlin-based BMG and designated president of nan mixed company. BMG represents much than 3 cardinal songs and recordings, including immoderate of nan astir iconic catalogs and useful from starring artists and songwriters, including will.i.am, Jean-Michel Jarre, Tina Turner, Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll, Paul Simon, and galore more. BMG is wholly owned and privately held by Bertelsmann.
“We are excited to statesman moving together to build thing genuinely exceptional,” added Bob Valentine, CEO of Concord and designated CEO of nan mixed company. “Both companies were founded to support awesome artistry and pinch a heavy consciousness of work to nan performers, songwriters, and playwrights we serve. We stock a accuracy grounded successful creator development, strategical semipermanent guidance of IP, and operational discipline. Our greater standard will let america to put much successful imaginative talent, world reach, accretive acquisition opportunities, and technology, while preserving nan nimble, entrepreneurial tone that artists and songwriters worth most. This is not astir replicating nan awesome explanation model; it’s astir utilizing standard to fortify independence. Together, we will build a institution that gives artists much scope and much elasticity – each designed to support their chopped visions.”
Concord is nan world’s starring independent euphony company. The Company supports much than 125,000 artists and songwriters whose useful are licensed, marketed, and performed globally. Concord’s increasing catalog of 1.3 cardinal songs, compositions, sound recordings, films, plays, and musicals is 1 of nan astir impactful and culturally applicable collections of imaginative authorities successful history.
More to come
