# Apollo backs BMG-Concord merger with $1.25B deal

> Investment firm Apollo provides financing for the music industry's biggest merger in years, becoming a minority investor in the combined catalog.
- Title: Apollo backs BMG-Concord merger with $1.25B deal · Billboard
- Summary: Investment firm Apollo provides financing for the music industry's biggest merger in years, becoming a minority investor in the combined catalog. Apollo's…
- Keywords: apollo global management, bmg, concord, music merger, financing, music catalog, asset backed securities, bertelsmann, music industry, Apollo, backs, BMG-Concord
- Source: Billboard — https://billboard.com/pro/bmg-concord-integration-backed-apollo-financing
- Author: Elizabeth Dilts Marshall
- Published: 2026-09-17T21:38:16+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: apollo global management, bmg, concord, music merger, financing, music catalog, asset backed securities, bertelsmann, music industry
## Apollo funds BMG-Concord merger
Apollo Global Management committed $1.25 billion to support the integration of Concord into BMG, one of the biggest music mergers in the past decade.

> The combination of BMG and Concord marks a defining moment in our company's evolution.
## Apollo gets equity in merged catalog
In exchange for the financing, Apollo becomes a minority investor in a BMG subsidiary holding Concord's old catalog and the songs that backed its securities.
## Long-standing partnership deepens
Apollo has been Concord's primary partner for asset-backed securities since 2022, handling four notes worth more than $4.5 billion combined before this deal.
## Merger completed with regulatory approval
BMG completed the acquisition of Concord on September 1st after receiving regulatory approval, creating a company with over 4 million works in its catalog.
## Combined company strengthens position
The merged entity now represents major artists like Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson while owning classic songs from Creedence Clearwater Revival and R.E.M.

> Together, we are building a stronger global music company with the scale, capabilities, and resources to capitalize on the opportunities ahead.
## Bertelsmann maintains majority control
BMG remains privately held with media giant Bertelsmann holding a 67% stake, while Great Mountain Partners affiliates hold the remaining 33%.
## Key takeaway

Apollo's $1.25 billion financing deal supports BMG's integration of Concord while giving Apollo equity stakes in the merged company's music assets.