BMG acquires Infectious Music

BMG has announced it has acquired indie label Infectious, bringing the UK indie's acts including Alt J, The Temper Trap and Drenge to its recordings roster, and founder Korda Marshall and his team to BMG's London HQ. The new asset will be overseen by BMG's UK Exec VP Alexi Cory-Smith.

BMG acquires EDM leaders Talpa Music

Tiësto

DigitalMusicNews reports that BMG will acquire 100% of music publisher Talpa Music. According to the report, BMG and Talpa Music Holding have signed the deal, which is expected to close later this month. Talpa music specializes in EDM and owns 37,000 songs, including ones by Tiësto, Afrojack, Fedde Le Grand, Nicky Romero, and Laidback Luke. Overall, Talpa’s catalog includes more than 500,000 songs. “This is a very significant acquisition of one of Europe’s leading music publishers. At one stroke it not only further builds our position in the Benelux, making us the leading publisher of local repertoire, it gives us access to leading international songwriters, particularly in the EDM category,” said Hartwig Masuch, CEO of BMG.

Good news for UMG and BMG

Having completed its acquisition of the EMI record company last autumn, sales at Universal Music shot up 16.3% year-on-year in the first half of 2013, from 1.92 billion euros to 2.24 billion euros, though the costs of integrating the former British major meant that profits were down. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization were 143 million euros, down from 156 million euros in the same period a year earlier. UMG said that continued sales of Rihanna's last album, the debut from US alt-rock band Imagine Dragons, the 'Les Misérables' movie soundtrack, and the new acoustic version of Justin Bieber's 'Believe' played a key role in generating mega-sales during the first half of the year. Meanwhile major releases from both Eminem and Lady Gaga should assure a successful second half of the year.

German media group Bertelsmann has reported operating profits for the first half of 2013 up 5.2%, an uplift very much aided by the firm taking full control of the BMG music company in April. As previously reported, Bertelsmann bought business partner KKR out of BMG earlier this year.

Glimmer twins re-sign

Keef at Glastonbury by Nick Cordes

BMG has announced a new partnership with the Rolling Stones which will see the music rights firm represent Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' songs catalogue. 

It is the first time the Stones songwriter duo have appointed an external music publisher in over four decades, they having operated their own publishing set-up since their alliance with EMI Music Publishing, which began in 1971, ended in 1983.

BMG buys Sanctuary

BMG has snapped up the Sanctuary catalogue, which includes recordings from Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, The Kinks, Donovan, Bert Jansch and Status Quo, and from classic former labels like Trojan, Sugarhill and Pye. The label one of the forced sales by Universal as part of its take over of EMI, although it was a UMG rather than an EMI asset. Warners had already announced it had acquired EMI's Parlophone label.  There are now two assets still to be sold as part of the conditions imposted by EU competition regulators: EMI's stake in the Now! franchise and the Co-operative indie distribution and marketing business: Sony is thought to be bidding for the former, while various independent labels and distributors are linked to bidding for the latter.

BMG buy Bug

BMG has bought up US independent music publisher Bug Music. The terms of the deal, expected to be completed by next month, are not known. BMG chief Hartwig Masuch said"With the acquisition of Bug Music and its vast collection of evergreen and contemporary compositions, BMG further establishes itself as a leading music rights management company. We look forward to working with Bug Music's exceptional roster of artists and songwriters".

Warner’s auction enters final phase

With the auction for Warner Music Group entering its final round it seems to be shaping up to be a two-way contest with he real competition between the billionaire Gores brothers and Russian-born businessman Len Blavatnik's Access Industries. The Gores have submitted a bid valued at $7.50 a share, or around $3 billion and Warner shares closed yesterday at $7.40, down about 1 percent. Blavatnik, a close ally of Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman and who already owns 2 percent of the company. has also bid around $3 billion for the music company according to the New York Post. The NYP also report that KKR-backed BMG Rights Management is said to be out of the Warner mix and has set its sights on acquiring EMI, possibly as a joint bid with Universal, although there is speculation that the they may re-enter the Warner’s battle with a joint bid. The UK’s Daily Telegraph reports that If either were successful it is thought BMG would take any publishing assets while Universal would take ownership of the record labels. EMI’s owners Citigroup is expected to start publicly taking bids for EMI in the next two months.

In other Warner’s news, Miami-based hip hop label DM Records, which boasts some Tupac, MC Breed and Prince tracks in its catalogue, is suing Warner Music in a dispute over digital distribution rights.

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