In many ways, today may be the biggest in the short history of BMG as an independent record company.
The firm is responsible for releasing Blink 182’s new album California, which looks set to become the No.1 record on both the Billboard 200 and the UK’s Official Albums Chart later today.
If California can see off the threat of Drake’s Views in the US market, it would become BMG’s second No.1 album in the territory within a year, following the success of Janet Jackson’s Unbreakable last summer.
The achievement would come the very next day after BMG announced that Zach Katz was taking charge of both its recordings and publishing operations in the US, following the departure of Laurent Hubert.
California, which is being distributed by Warner Music‘s ADA as part of the company’s new deal with BMG, is Blink 182’s first studio album since Neighborhoods, which was released via Universal’s Interscope in 2011.
A Top 5 finish is anticipated for the record in Germany, while it’s also expected to land near the top of the chart in Australia.
“BMG is very serious about building a strong recordings business.”
Hartwig Masuch, BMG
Over in the UK, a No.1 for California would leave BMG with two chart-topping album within a month, following the release of Rick Astley’s 50 in June.
During the release week of that record, BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch told MBW:
“It’s early days, but it is all going in the right direction. BMG is very serious about building a strong recordings business.
“It’s not complicated. It’s about delivering a strong and reliable service. It’s about recognising the dissatisfaction of artists with the old ways of doing things, and coming up with something relevant to today which meets their needs.”
BMG re-launched as an independent under Bertelsmann‘s ownership in October 2008, having sold off its stake in a major joint venture to Sony Music.
BMG has since acquired some of publishing’s most notable catalogues including Bug, Cherry Lane, Stage Three, Chrysalis, Primary Wave, Virgin Music and Talpa.
In recordings it has built a portfolio which includes classic catalogues from Sanctuary, Mute, Dreyfus and Skint/Loaded as well as renowned indies like Infectious, Union Square, Vagrant and Rise Records.
This week, it snapped up one of Australia’s best-known independent publishers and labels, Alberts.Music Business Worldwide
