Warner Music Sweden and sister company Warner Chappell Music Scandinavia have bought Mariann, one of Sweden’s leading recording and publishing companies with rights to more than 8,500 master tracks and copyrights to 1,150-plus songs. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Warner acquired the Mariann catalog from music entrepreneur Bert Karlsson, who founded the company 35 years ago.
Mariann is best known for its local schlager, pop and dansband genres dating from as far back as the 1970s. Its most famous domestic artists and rights owners include Linda Bengtzing, Jimmy Jansson, Jessica Andersson, Maja, Vikingarna, Kikki Danielsson, plus hit recordings from the reality-TV talent contest series Fame Factory.
The company also has rights to recordings by acts that have participated in the country’s Melodifestivalen, which is used for pinning down Sweden’s entry in the national Eurovision Song Contest. Mariann’s catalog includes 13 Eurovision entries from Sweden and two from Norway.
Moreover, more than 300 of its songs have been hits on Svensktoppen, Sweden’s longest running national radio chart.
“With this acquisition, we strengthen our position as market leader in the dansband and schlager field and we look forward to the new cooperation between the former management of Mariann and our local A&R team for future success in the Nordic market,” said Hans Desmond, managing director Warner Chappell Music Scandinavia.
