BMG is reportedly in talks to acquire Concord in a deal that could be valued as high as $7 billion.
The music arm of German media group Bertelsmann is considering a cash and stock offer for the US company, according to Bloomberg.
Concord last explored a sale in 2022. Last year the company secured $1.76 billion from asset-backed securitisation to fuel further growth.
It would be a dramatic move for BMG and dwarf any previous acquisitions. The company was said to have paid more than $100 million for the BBR label in 2017, while its single largest catalogue deal was struck last autumn with an estimated $250m for Jason Aldean’s recorded music catalogue.
Concord is majority owned by the State of Michigan Retirement System. According to the Bloomberg report, talks are ongoing. Any agreement would likely require regulatory approval in certain territories.
A BMG spokesperson said: "We’re aware of recent media speculation. As a policy, we do not comment on market rumours or unconfirmed reports.”
Concord has not commented on the reports.
Bloomberg speculated that Concord CEO Bob Valentine would lead BMG in the event a deal is reached. BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld has already been appointed as the new chairman and chief exec of parent company Bertelsmann – a position he will take up on January 1, 2027, currently alongside his existing role.
Concord, which is headquartered in Nashville, supports more than 125,000 artists and songwriters. It has a catalogue of 1.3 million songs, compositions, sound recordings, films, plays and musicals. The publishing division represents catalogues by Imagine Dragons, Cypress Hill, John Coltrane, Cyndi Lauper, Cypress Hill, Daft Punk and many more.
BMG represents songwriters, including Mick Jagger, Diane Warren, Lewis Capaldi, John Legend, Pitbull, Jean-Michel Jarre and Bruno Mars. Its recordings business includes chart stars in the UK such as Lily Allen, Louis Tomlinson and Kylie Minogue.
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