BMG To Open Full-Service Music Facility In Former CMA Location

Rendering of ‘The BMG Building.’ Photo: Courtesy BMG

Jason Aldean, Hillary Lindsey and Dustin Lynch are set for a new home on Music Row as BMG announces it has concluded a deal to begin development of a new full-service music facility. The new space will consolidate the publishing and recording teams from BMG’s two local Nashville offices with the newly-acquired BBR Music Group.

The location is a soon-to-be-constructed state-of-the-art, 120,000-square-foot building to be named ‘The BMG Building’ on the one-acre lot of 1 Music Circle South, site of the former CMA building.

Zach Katz, BMG U.S. President, Repertoire & Marketing, said, “Nashville has a history of reinventing itself, and we are very proud to bring BMG’s new artist-friendly approach to the business to the heart of Music Row.”

The announcement comes four months after BMG acquired BBR Music Group, along with its imprints Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records, Red Bow Records and Wheelhouse Records.

BMG’s 80-strong team in Nashville includes A&R, Accounting, Administration, Income Tracking, Marketing, Publicity, Radio Promotions, Royalties, and Sync Licensing. The proposed BMG office space will include songwriter/recording rooms and performance spaces, a collaborative floor plan, A/V meeting spaces and conference rooms, as well as a large communal outside area and terrace to be utilized for live events.

Jon Loba, EVP BBR Music Group, said, “The importance of staying on Music Row and honoring the ideal of a supportive, tight knit and collaborative community was a priority to us all. Reflective of our shared philosophy and approach, this will maximize our team’s and our partners’ connectivity.”

“Music publishing and recording have traditionally been viewed and operated as separate businesses, in separate offices, often in separate cities,” added Kos Weaver, EVP BMG Nashville. “The value of having the entire BMG Nashville staff in one locale is immeasurable and enables us to utilize the expertise across all our departments, with open lines of communication, creating a distinct edge for our artists and songwriters.”

The new BMG launched in 2008, in the same week as Spotify with a commitment to create the world’s first digital-age music company. BMG’s initial team of three people shared an office. By early 2017 that team had grown to more than 600 employees across 14 offices in 12 countries. In the first eight years BMG concluded more than 100 major acquisitions and signed more than 1,000 clients directly. In the process BMG has become fourth-largest player in the industry.

BMG’s diverse recording roster includes blink-182, Fergie, Andy Grammer, Danny Gokey, PVRIS, Alabama, Nickelback and LP, with a global team having delivered No. 1 chart success around the world for artists including Janet Jackson, You Me At Six, Rick Astley, and blink-182. Recent signings include 311, A Perfect Circle, AJR, Avril Lavigne, Blondie, and Nickelback alongside a burgeoning catalog producing releases by iconic artists such as Iron Maiden, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and The Kinks among others.

Founded in 1997, BBR Music Group grew from a fledgling independent label into one of the largest independent country label groups, with imprints including Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records, Red Bow Records and Wheelhouse Records.

Broken Bow Records, BBR Music Group’s original imprint, features a roster of artists including Jason Aldean and Dustin Lynch. Stoney Creek Records’ roster includes Thompson Square, Randy Houser, Parmalee, Lindsay Ell and Adam Craig. Red Bow Records’ artist roster boasts Joe Nichols, Craig Campbell, Chase Bryant and Brooke Eden. Wheelhouse Records is BBR Music Group’s newest imprint, anchored by Trace Adkins, Granger Smith, Kristian Bush, Runaway June and Walker McGuire.