BMG & Mute Records

[mrblue]

I've been doing some homework, though I'm way behind the rest of the class! I'm hoping someone can help explain to me the relationship and history of BMG and Mute. I have not payed as close attention to the record label side of Erasure as I should have over the last few years. On top of that, it's very confusing!

From Wikipedia and this interview with Daniel Miller, this is my understanding of what happened to Mute since the early 2000's:

2002 - EMI purchases Mute Records with Daniel Miller staying in charge
2010 - Daniel Miller (sort of) breaks from EMI, making Mute Records an independent label again but with support from EMI. Erasure move back to Mute while DM stay with EMI
2012 - EMI is sold to Universal.
2012 - "The Germany-based BMG Rights Management acquired the original Mute back catalogue from Universal in December 2012, as part of the regulator-forced sale of European assets belonging to EMI Music that were acquired by Universal Music in September 2012. EMI kept the rights of the Mute archives when Miller took the company independent in 2010."

My question regarding this last Wikipedia quote is - how much of Erasure's catalog did BMG get when they acquired Mute? It it everything up until a certain point (2012)? Is it correct to say that World Be Gone (a 2017 Mute release) does not belong to BMG (because it was not acquired with everything else in 2010) but can be published by BMG?

It makes my head spin. I'm hoping one of the gurus can shed more light and correct any wrong assumptions I have.

[Mikedepaz]

I think it was capped off by HITS collection, everything beyond that has been MUTE independent from BMG

[Cesar]

According to Greg:

A few corrections - the majority of the Mute back catalogue is owned by BMG, not Warner.

• 2002 - Mute Records purchased by EMI.
• 2007 - EMI Group acquired by Terra Firma Capital Partners.
• 2010 - A new indie record label (using the name 'Mute', licensed from EMI) is created. Part of the back catalogue is licensed back from EMI. (EMI still own it). Some artists remain with EMI, some transfer to the new indie Mute label.
• 2011 - Citigroup takes ownership of EMI Group from Terra Firma Capital Partners. EMI is put up for sale.
• 2011 - EMI's recorded music operations is sold to Universal Music Group. Its music publishing operations to Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
• 2012 - Universal Music Group sells the Mute catalogue it acquired from EMI to BMG Rights Management (European Commission condition of sale).
• 2013 - Universal Music Group sells Sanctuary Records to BMG Rights Management (European Commission condition of sale).
• 2013 - Universal Music Group sells Parlophone Music Group (Parlophone, Chrysalis Records, EMI Classics, Virgin Classics and several EMI's regional labels across Europe) to Warner Music Group. (European Commission condition of sale).

(Source)

Hope this helps.

César