Who owns the music brands?
19 music brands tracked here are owned by 7 companies; the three largest owners, Universal Music, Warner Music and Reservoir, control 13 of them (68%) as of Oct 2026.
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19
brands
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7
owning companies
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68%
held by top 3 owners
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11
foreign-owned brands · origin ≠ owner HQ
Biggest owners of music brands
| # | Owner | HQ | Brands in this category | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Universal Music | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 5 | Capitol Records, Def Jam Recordings, Interscope Records, Motown, Republic Records |
| 2 | Warner Music | 🇺🇸 United States | 4 | Atlantic Records, Elektra Records, Parlophone, Warner Records |
| 3 | Reservoir | 🇺🇸 United States | 4 | Chrysalis Records, New State Music, Reservoir Recordings, Tommy Boy Music |
| 4 | Sony | 🇯🇵 Japan | 3 | Columbia Records, RCA Records, Sony Music |
| 5 | Bertelsmann | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1 | BMG |
| 6 | Kakao | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 1 | SM Entertainment |
| 7 | Nippon TV Holdings | 🇯🇵 Japan | 1 | VAP |