Virgin Music Group Gets European Commission Green Light For Downtown Acquisition

Virgin Music Group (VMG) and Downtown Music Holdings announced that the European Commission has officially approved their planned acquisition, clearing the final regulatory hurdle required for the deal to move forward. The approval, the last major condition before closing ,means the acquisition is now expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.

The deal unites two of the music industry’s prominent service providers, with a shared focus on supporting independent artists, labels and rights holders around the world. Once completed, the combined entity will offer an expanded range of tools and services covering distribution, marketing, publishing, business intelligence, neighbouring rights, synchronisation, royalties and rights management.

Founded in 2007, Downtown operates across multiple divisions, including Artist & Label Services, Distribution, and Music Publishing, and counts globally diverse clients among its more than four million creators and 5,000 business partners across more than 145 countries. Its portfolio includes well-known names such as FUGA, CD Baby, Downtown Music Publishing and Songtrust.

The combined capabilities of VMG and Downtown are designed to create a more comprehensive, flexible infrastructure to meet the evolving needs of independent music entrepreneurs at every stage of their careers. Leaders from both organisations say the transaction will broaden choices and opportunities for creators in a rapidly changing music landscape.

“Bringing Downtown’s exceptional team and capabilities to Virgin Music Group means greater flexibility and a sharper set of services for independent entrepreneurs, artists and labels,” said VMG co-CEOs Nat Pastor and JT Myers in a joint statement. “By uniting two culturally compatible companies with deeply complementary strengths, we’re creating a more powerful, more open ecosystem that offers independent entrepreneurs the resources, investment and technology to succeed on their own terms.”

Downtown’s CEO, Pieter van Rijn, described the collaboration as the beginning of a “more diverse, dynamic and opportunity-rich environment,” one that expands independence and cultural impact for the company’s global partners.

The European Commission’s approval marks the culmination of a regulatory review process triggered when the acquisition was first announced. Industry observers say the expanded scope of services under the combined entity could significantly influence the future of music technology, distribution and creator economics, especially for independent artists seeking alternatives to traditional label-centric models.

With the final regulatory clearance now in hand, the long-anticipated acquisition is poised to reshape the landscape of music services globally.