Deals - CMU | the music business explained

Universal continues its plan to eat the entire world, buys Downtown Music

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Downtown Music • 3 min read

Universal continues its plan to eat the entire world, buys Downtown Music

Universal is buying Downtown Music for a whopping $775 million, via its Virgin Music Group stalking horse. The transaction will greatly boost the major’s distribution market share, and is almost certain to get mired in regulatory scrutiny with opposition already being voiced by AIM and other indies…

Chris Cooke • 16 Dec 2024

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[PIAS] • 3 min read

Universal buys out [PIAS] founders

In 2021, Universal Music announced a strategic alliance with independent distributor and label group [PIAS], before buying 49% of the company the following year. Now it has bought the company outright in a deal which sees [Integral], the services business of [PIAS], become part of Virgin Music Group…

Chris Cooke • 15 Oct 2024

One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 10 min read

⏩ One Liners: deals, digital, legal and live news including CKay’s Boyfriend Music; Sheeran’s Tingly Ted’s partnership; Brazilian stats, GR6 deal; Harry Styles railway viaduct; Morrissey’s moan; blockchain wakes up with PIP Labs and Aptos x Mereo deals

Today: CKay + Salubi’s Boyfriend Music Ltd, Tingly Ted’s x Toikido, Kobalt, Prescription Songs, Reservoir Media, Picklejar x Thompson Square, Virgin Music Group, Warner Music Nashville, GR6 x Sonar, Warner Chappell, TEG Dainy x acta, Pip Labs, Aptos Labs x Mereo, Fancircles, new ERA chair + more…

CMU • 30 Aug 2024

⏩ One Liners: Deals + Appointments, Legal, Live: Round Hill Music, Morgan Wallen, RCA Records + more

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One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 4 min read

⏩ One Liners: Deals + Appointments, Legal, Live: Round Hill Music, Morgan Wallen, RCA Records + more

Bucks Music x Little Barrie, Inverted Music x John Mills-Cockel, Morgan Wallen management deal, Round Hill x Brandon Day, Irruk Birruk, RCA x BERWYN, InsideOutMusic x Jakub Zytecki, Muse Group appointments + legal and live round-up…

CMU • 15 Jul 2024

🤝 One Liners: Deals including Ticketmaster x Shazam, RA x Soundcloud, Beatport x Beatdapp + more

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One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 3 min read

🤝 One Liners: Deals including Ticketmaster x Shazam, RA x Soundcloud, Beatport x Beatdapp + more

Ticketmaster’s integration with Shazam stops fans missing out; Resident Advisor and SoundCloud team up to connect artist and fans; Beatdapp inks deal with Beatport to combat stream manipulation; plus Virgin Music Group, HYBE’s virtual boyband deal, Cash Cobain, and TAIT…

CMU • 11 Jul 2024

Michael Jackson’s son moves to block grandmother from funding legal battle from estate

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Michael Jackson • 2 min read

Michael Jackson’s son moves to block grandmother from funding legal battle from estate

Michael Jackson’s son Blanket has filed legal papers attempting to block his grandmother from drawing money out of the late musician’s estate to fund a legal battle over a catalogue deal. The family members previously teamed up, but Blanket now thinks Katherine Jackson’s appeal is doomed to failure…

Andy Malt • 21 Mar 2024

Believe x WMG takeover dance warms up as financial regulator is called in

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Believe • 10 min read

Believe x WMG takeover dance warms up as financial regulator is called in

We’re not calling it a takeover battle - yet. After Warner quietly threatened to get the French financial markets authority to step into its maybe/maybe-not bid for Believe the independent committee at the French indie giant has gone straight for the throat and called them in itself…

Sam Taylor • 12 Mar 2024

Universal splurges almost quarter of a billion dollars to buy KKR out of Chord Music

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Chord Music Partners • 2 min read

Universal splurges almost quarter of a billion dollars to buy KKR out of Chord Music

Universal Music has acquired a 25.8% interest in Chord Music, replacing KKR as private equity firm Dundee Partners’ partner in the company. Since launching in 2021, Chord has built a catalogue including songs by The Weeknd, Ryan Tedder, David Guetta, Lorde, Kid Cudi, Ellie Goulding, and John Legend…

Andy Malt • 21 Feb 2024

Believe is going private and - backed by hypergrowth investors - has its sights set on being music’s “first global major independent”

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Believe • 6 min read

Believe is going private and - backed by hypergrowth investors - has its sights set on being music’s “first global major independent”

Denis Ladegaillerie is taking Believe private in a deal backed by investors TCV and EQT that could mark the start of an intensely competitive deal landscape for the music industry over the next few years.…

Sam Taylor • 12 Feb 2024

Megan Thee Stallion marks “beginning of a new chapter” with Warner deal

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Megan Thee Stallion • 2 min read

Megan Thee Stallion marks “beginning of a new chapter” with Warner deal

Megan Thee Stallion has signed a deal with Warner Music which will distribute and support upcoming releases via her company Hot Girl Productions. This follows the settlement of a legal dispute with the rapper’s former label 1501 Certified Entertainment last October…

Chris Cooke • 05 Feb 2024

Spotify announces new Joe Rogan deal that could be worth $250 million

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Spotify • 3 min read

Spotify announces new Joe Rogan deal that could be worth $250 million

Despite cutting back its in-house podcasting operations, Spotify has renewed its deal with Joe Rogan, with the podcaster set to get another big pay day plus a share of future ad revenues. The new deal will also see the Joe Rogan Experience return to other podcast platforms…

Chris Cooke • 05 Feb 2024

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Live Nation • 1 min read

Live Nation buys Margate's Dreamland

Live Nation has taken a controlling stake in the Dreamland amusement park and music venue in Margate with a promise to “enhance … this much-loved resort”…

Chris Cooke • 18 Dec 2023