The CEO of BMG Rights Management co-parent Bertelsmann has ‘underlined’ the company’s interest in acquiring EMI assets in the fallout of Universal’s £1.2bn acquisition of EMI Music.
Thomas Rabe told Billboard that acquisitions will play a “major role” in the expansion of BMG alongside organic growth, with the possibility of picking up catalogues that fit into the company’s business profile.
“We will of course consider the possibilities to take over catalogues from the EMI/Universal merger,” said Kabe. “We are certainly interested in the acquisition of catalogues that fit into our business-profile. Apart from that I do not want to speculate on possible acquisitions.”
On the possible timing of acquisitions, Kabe said that the company was, of course, forced to wait for decisions from the European Commission.
He also hinted that Bertelsmann could become active in the label-business through BMG once again saying, “Our main interest is in music-rights, primarily-publishing rights but also in master catalogue-rights.
“Whether we will start actively in the label-business again and to what extent will have to be discussed. Our primary interest is in rights, but also in the whole recorded music-business.”
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