Dreyfus Helps BMG Top A Million

The acquisition of Paris-based publisher Francis Dreyfus Music means BMG Rights Management has accumulated more than 1 million music copyrights in less than four years.

The joint venture music rights business formed by Gutersloh-based Bertelsmann and U.S. private equity firm KKR in October 2008 now has 1,057,858 copyrights.

Listening to every song in all of BMG Rights’ catalogues would take nearly three years.

“BMG’s growth has been based not just on a clear plan to achieve scale, but it also arises out of a distinct philosophy about what a 21st century music company should look like,” said BMG chief exec Hartwig Masuch

He said acquisitions were necessary tactic to achieve scale, but BMG has never believed in acquisition at any price and the company is proud to have walked away from deals that it considered to be over-priced.

It was not disclosed how much it paid for Dreyfus.

Founded in 1970 by Francis Dreyfus, the former independent music company’s catalogue includes the publishing and master rights of iconic French artists such as Christophe, whose classic songs include “Les mots bleus,” “Aline” and “Les Paradis Perdus.”

It also has Jean-Michel Jarre pieces including such hit albums as “Oxygène”, “Équinoxe” and “Chants Magnétiques.”
Its record labels include Disques Motors, FDM, and Dreyfus Jazz.

Dreyfus has also produced and released recordings of distinguished US acts such as Roy Haynes, Ahmad Jamal, Marcus Miller, The Mingus Big Band, and Steve Grossman.