Schandmaul (pictured) released multiple early albums via Fame Recordings, which Sony Music has purchased. Photo Credit: Büro Monaco GbR
Days following its Big Yellow Dog purchase, Sony Music has acquired Munich-based label Fame Recordings.
Regional outlets including Musik Woche just recently shed light on the major’s latest buyout, though the involved parties have yet to confirm the deal with a formal announcement. Furthermore, the hard numbers behind the transaction, which marks the end of Fame’s operations, are also unclear.
In any event, veteran drummer and producer Curt Cress founded Fame in 2001 with Tom Büscher, formerly a BMG Ariola A&R exec. The label went on to release projects from acts including The Seer, Stefan Jürgens, Schandmaul, Feuerschwanz, Die Happy, Coppelius, Pam Pam Ida, and Werner Schmidbauer, according to the appropriate website.
Now, Sony Music, having handled Fame’s distribution for the past 15 years, is set to take control of all these recordings. Given the above-highlighted wind-down, the major’s focus is evidently on the catalog side.
However, it was only in November 2024 that Pam Pam Ida put out an album entitled Nehmts Mi Mit via Fame. That same year, the label organized the free Green Grooves Festival in Munich, where the Cultural Department enabled Fame “to pay all participating artists fair fees without having to charge admission.”
As for Fame’s team members, former MD Antje Zelnitschek and product manager Matej Bellus “will continue to support with their expertise,” Musik Woche indicated. Per Zelnitschek’s LinkedIn profile, the professional has since this past September held a freelance product management position with Sony Music.
Also on Sony Music’s end, the major is rather unsurprisingly teeing up limited edition products tied to the relevant IP.
As spelled out by Sony Music Germany catalog VP Thorsten Sack, his company is prepping “special releases that will delight fans.” Apparently, the wheels are already in motion; Fame last month unveiled a 2,000-unit vinyl run for Feuerschwanz’s 2018 album Methämmer, which became available to purchase via the webstore of Believe’s Nuclear Blast.
In other acquisition news, Universal Music earlier in January took a 30% interest in India’s Excel Entertainment, and all eyes are on the European Commission’s forthcoming decision concerning the proposed Downtown buyout.
Meanwhile, Warner Music in November acknowledged plans to soon disclose high-profile catalog plays under its $1.2 billion Bain Capital tie-up.
