Who owns Motown?
Motown is owned by Universal Music (the Netherlands, AEX: UMG).[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Key facts
- Current owner
- Universal Music Group N.V. reported
- Owned since
- Not recorded
- Previous owner
- None recorded
- Owner HQ
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands, Hilversum
- Origin
- 🇺🇸 United States, Detroit, Michigan
- Founded
- 1959
- Category
- Media & entertainment › Music › Record labels
- Parent ticker
- AEX: UMG
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About Motown
Motown was founded in Detroit in 1959 with an $800 loan and became the most successful Black-owned business in America, recording Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and the Jackson 5 from a house it called Hitsville U.S.A. Its founder Berry Gordy sold the label in 1988, and the Detroit house where it recorded is now a museum visited by hundreds of thousands of people a year.
Ownership timeline of Motown
- 1959 – present Universal Music [1] reported
Where Motown sits in Universal Music
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full Universal Music ownership tree →
Other brands owned by Universal Music in media & entertainment
Latest news about Motown
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Motown?
The parent company of Motown is Universal Music, a publicly listed company headquartered in the Netherlands.
Is Motown American or Dutch?
Motown originated in the United States in 1959, but it is owned today by Universal Music, which is headquartered in the Netherlands. So Motown is an American-origin brand under Dutch ownership.
Is Motown still owned by Universal Music?
Yes. As of 8 September 2026, Motown is still owned by Universal Music. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Universal Music Group N.V. Annual Report 2025 — Universal Music Group N.V., Annual report, published 5 March 2026; retrieved 8 September 2026.
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