A new company is emerging in the music industry. Media giant Bertelsmann is merging its music business with American Concord to create a global leader in independent music. This merger involves BMG, owned by Bertelsmann, and Concord, owned by American fund Great Mountain Partners. The new company will retain the name BMG, with its global headquarters in Nashville, USA, where Concord is based, and its European headquarters in Berlin.
Following the transaction, Bertelsmann will hold 67% of the new entity’s capital, while Concord shareholders will acquire 33% of the shares. The combined valuation of the new entity is expected to reach €12.4 billion.
This operation is considered one of the most significant in Bertelsmann’s more than 190-year history. The transaction aims to expand Bertelsmann’s presence in the US, which accounted for 28% of its revenue in 2025. The new entity will have a diverse catalog of over four million titles, under the leadership of BMG’s Thomas Coesfeld and Concord’s Bob Valentine.
BMG’s catalog, established in 2008, includes artists like Jean-Michel Jarre, Tina Turner, Jelly Roll, and Paul Simon. Concord represents 125,000 artists with a catalog of 1.3 million songs and recordings. The company is expected to generate an annual revenue of $2.2 billion (€1.88 billion) by 2026. The completion of the merger, subject to competition authorities’ approval, is planned for the fourth quarter of 2026. While job cuts are inevitable, no specific numbers have been provided yet.
