BMG buys two publishing catalogues in China

PRESS RELEASE:

New model music company BMG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bertelsmann, has stepped up its expansion program in Greater China by making its first two acquisitions in the region – the catalogues of renowned Chinese music publishers EWorld and J.Music.

EWorld is the leading independent music publisher founded by Alan Ho and twin brothers Lee Shih Shiong and Lee Wei Shiong, producer/ songwriters who dominated the Asian music scene in the early Nineties. J.Music is a music publisher founded in Hong Kong in 2002 by renowned producer/ songwriter Joanus Lam.

”With these first two acquisitions in Greater China, BMG is demonstrating its confidence in and long-term commitment to the Asian market, said Dora Yi, Chief Investment Officer at BMG Greater China. “These two great catalogues form the foundation for what BMG intends to be significant future growth in China.”

EWorld owns publishing rights to a string of hits by 30 million-selling Singaporean Stefanie Sun including ‘Tian Hei Hei’, ‘Kai Shi Dong Liao’, ‘Wo Yao De Xing Fu’ and ‘Wo Bu Nan Guo’, all written by the Lee brothers.

The catalogue also includes massive sellers performed by Na Ying (‘Yi Xiao Er Guo’), Jolin Tsai (‘Guan Xing Bei Pan’), A Mei (‘Yes or No’), Jane Zhang (‘Wo Men Shuo Hao De’), Hacken Lee (‘Fei Hua’), Laure Shang (‘Bei Shang Hua Er Zi’), Yu Quan (‘Ting Wo De’) and Gigi Leung (‘Dan Xiao Gui’).

The works are notable for their broad geographical appeal, including Mandarin, Cantonese and Malaysian lyrics.

J.Music’s artists have rich experience in producing music for both Cantonese and Mandarin singers.

Andy Chow (‘14 days’ and ‘Mu Hei’) contributed the majority of musical works in J.Music’s catalogue. The catalogue also includes most of the works created by active singersongwriters Louis Cheung (‘2013’and ‘Mad U So’), early works created by popular lyrists Xiao Ke (‘Meng’ for Joey Yung, ‘Allegro Opus 3.3AM’ for Eason Chan and ‘If I were Eason Chan’ for the band Mr.), Eric Leung (‘Wo Men De Hu Shi Tuo’ for C AllStar and ‘Yu Gong’ for the band Kolor).

Progress has been rapid since BMG entered the Chinese market in early 2014 with a plan to offer its state-of-the-art music rights management platform, know-how and international reach to Chinese artists and rights owners.

Since then BMG signed a global rights management partnership with Giant Jump, a leading Chinese music and entertainment company, to manage all Giant Jump’s recording and music publishing rights, both domestically and internationally, and signed an exclusive songwriter deal with one of China’s most renowned literary figures Feng Tang.

In March 2015 BMG China struck a ground-breaking digital distribution deal with Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba to allow BMG’s songwriter and artist clients to tap into the world’s most populous music market.

BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch said, “We designed the new BMG from the outset as a company with a genuinely globalized outlook. The rapid growth of our Chinese operation vindicates that approach.”