BMG Rights Management sees progress after split from Sony

Bertelsmann’s new music unit, BMG Rights Management, says its first three months of operation have been quite a success. The newly formed company headed by Managing Director Hartig Masuch opened offices in Paris, London, Milan, Amsterdam and Madrid during the start-up period. Response from the creative community throughout Europe had been overwhelming, Masuch says. 

The former head of BMG Music Publishing Germany claims BMG RM has been making rapid progress since its inception in October. He and his team managed to snap up 2raumwohnung from Sony BMG and Peter Fox (aka Pierre Baigorry of Berlin-based dancehall group Seeed) from Warner Music. Another new artist represented by BMG RM in Europe is songwriter Toby Gad who in the past had worked with Beyoncé, Natasha Bedingfield and Fergie. 

BMG RM signed several more artists, including German singer/actress Yvonne Catterfeld, Austrian pop sensation Christina Stürmer, Laith Al-Deen, vocal group Die Prinzen and Techno veteran Westbam (that one I don’t understand). Masuch didn’t specify which rights BMG RM will administer with each of these signings. The company had previously said it would “offer custom-tailored services for songwriters and performers who want competent support in the creation, marketing and licensing, collection and accounting as well as advance financing of their music repertoire.”

In addition to these new signings, BMG RM can access a pool of some 200 artists the company inherited during the de-merger of Sony BMG. From a local perspective, the most notable act on that list is probably German pop/NDW queen Nena who was discovered by Masuch in the 80s (even Americans remember her hit “99 Luftballons”/”99 Red Balloons”). BMG RM represents the singer’s full catalog of master rights plus rights to her future work. 

Masuch will be in Cannes at Midem in the coming days to promote the company.