BMG is to acquire Benelux music publisher Talpa Music, a key player in electronic dance music, for an undisclosed sum.
The acquisition is expected to be finalized later this month. At that time, BMG will merge its operations in the Netherlands with Talpa Music and will trade under the name BMG Talpa Music.
Talpa Music president Tony Berk, BMG Benelux managing director Frank Bruens and Talpa Music vice president Pieter van Bodegrave will continue to play “an active role in the joint company,” according to a BMG statement issued today.
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Talpa Music B.V. owns more than 37,000 songs, including works by Afrojack, Tiësto, Fedde Le Grand, Giorgio Tuinfort (a.o. co- writer/producer David Guetta), Fabian Lenssen, Laidback Luke, Nicky Romero, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Bakermat, Glowinthedark, Quintino and Brennan Heart. The company also administers more than 500,000 songs and represents the publishing interests of such dance labels as Protocol Recordings, Mixmash Records, Be Yourself Music, Black Hole Recordings and Hard With Style.
As part of the pact, BMG will take ownership of Canal Music Publishing, a publishing venture which exploits compositions from contestants from “The Voice TV” show, which runs in more than 150 countries globally. BMG will also acquire Talpa Music’s stake in independent U.K. music publisher Phrased Differently Music Ltd., and in music library company MusicDIRECTOR B.V.
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“This is a very significant acquisition of one of Europe’s leading music publishers,” comments BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch. “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.”
Talpa Music B.V. was founded in 2005 by Berk with media entrepreneur John de Mol – who created the Talpa Group in 2004 after selling his Endemol production company (“Big Brother,” “Deal Or No Deal”) to Telefonica in 2000.
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The new company, notes Berk, will be “a great force in our exciting and constantly evolving music publishing industry, with its internationalization of copyright exploitation and the changes of collection of its various income streams from all kind of existing sales and usages, as well as from new great online media opportunities. I am sure BMG will be a perfect umbrella for our catalogues and will add great value to our international activities.“
Recent international hits featuring Talpa Music writers include “Give Me Everything (Tonight)” by Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo & Afrojack, “Titanium” by David Guetta ft. Sia, “Bang Bang” by Willi.am, “As Your Friend” by Afrojack ft. Chris Brown, “I Could Be The One” by Avicii & Nicky Romero and “Run The World (Girls)” by Beyoncé.
Talpa Music’s local roster includes such Dutch artists as Racoon, soul singer-songwriter Alain Clark, songwriters Fluitsma & Van Tijn, and songwriter/producer Tjeerd Oosterhuis.
Bertelsmann-owned BMG represents the rights to well-over one million songs and recordings, including the catalogs of Chrysalis, Bug, Virgin, Mute, Sanctuary and Primary Wave.