EMI – it's a done deal
mainThe mood music from both camps is that Universal is about to buy EMI’s recorded music division for just under $2 billion, while Sony walks away with the music publishing for the same amount. Nothing’s final yet, but it looks like today’s the day.
Universal already owns Decca, the last UK major to find itself unable to play on the big field.
UPDATE: More from WSJ. More commentary here.
done and dusted je pense – what’s going to happen to the Classic Division? Don’t think Universal do anything that isn’t crossover
Much crunching and merging in store.
It makes me wonder what is going to happen to Simon Rattle and Tony Pappano both firmly entrenched EMI artists and also what is going to happen to the recordings in the back catalogues made by Klemperer,Barbirolli
Boult,Giulini and Karajan
I feel relieved that the auction has turned out this way. I feel much better about it because Warner wouldn’t have been suitable for EMI. As I’ve said elsewhere there is more of a temperamental alignment between Universal and EMI because of the long histories and heritages of their constituent labels.
I also forgot to say that an EMI-Universal tie-up felt a much better option given the prevailing conditions and outcomes at the time.