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BMG acquires Vagrant Records

By | Published on Tuesday 18 November 2014

BMG

The latest phase of BMG acquisitions are very much label focused, aren’t they? Because while the v2 BMG company has always had an interest in both sound recording and music publishing rights, many of its earlier purchases were in the latter domain.

But following the acquisition of UK independent Infectious back in September, BMG yesterday confirmed it had bought LA-based rock indie Vagrant Records. Under the new deal Vagrant co-founder Jon Cohen will become EVP Recorded Music for BMG Chrysalis US, continuing to head up Vagrant while also overseeing the US side of the wider company’s artist services business.

Confirming the deal, BMG’s Laurent Hubert told reporters: “The acquisition of Vagrant Records is another milestone for BMG in the US as we build scale and capabilities in the recordings business just as we have in music publishing. Jon Cohen has built an impressive team at Vagrant, and with the support of BMG and its international infrastructure, we believe they will offer an unbeatable service both to Vagrant artists and to BMG’s artist services signings”.

Cohen added: “It is impossible not to be impressed by what BMG has achieved in the US since it opened here just five short years ago. By putting service to artists at the centre of its offering, BMG is committed to offering a genuine alternative to traditional label deals. Together with the rest of the Vagrant team, I look forward to further growing BMG’s presence in the recordings business”.



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