edel music AG develops and markets entertainment products in the pop and classical music, children’s entertainment and TV/film segments. In addition, it provides extensive services for the media industry ranging from the production of digital data media (CDs, DVDs, etc.) to marketing and new media services as well as administrative activities such as royalty accounting.

edel has signed such international stars as Lisa Stansfield, Chris Rea, Chris de Burgh, Deep Purple, Toni Braxton as well as the top-selling German duo Marshall & Alexander and Germany’s most successful child music act Die Lollipops. In the classics segment, edel demonstrates outstanding competence with its “Berlin Classics” label, which comprises over 1,200 productions. In the audio/video market for children’s entertainment, the edelkids brand is one of the top four operators in Germany.  This is supplemented with DVD releases of German and international film and TV productions.

Cross-company distribution activities, new inventory management systems for retailers of recorded media and the production of media for music and films have made edel music AG Europe’s leading independent entertainment company. edel has launched a successful innovation for the book and recorded entertainment market: earBOOKS – a combination of picture books and related music CDs. The edelNET and Kontor New Media digital business segments offer over 50,000 tracks from more than 500 labels for non-physical marketing of music via the Internet and mobile communications platforms. With 500 employees, the Group’s own production plant and logistics center optimal media production in Röbel/Müritz is one of the most modern CD/DVD pressing plants in Europe.

Established in 1986 as a mail order company for film music by the current CEO and majority shareholder Michael Haentjes, edel music has advanced to become the largest independent recorded music company in Germany. Between 1998 and 2001, the Company was listed on the Neuer Markt, expanding swiftly into the international market during this period. After the departure from this acquisition strategy pursued during the years of the “stock market exuberance” and the switch to the regulated market, a comprehensive restructuring program was implemented in 2002 in conjunction with Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, as a result of which individual operations and equity interests were sold and loss-making companies closed. In this connection, the headcount was trimmed from over 1,700 to around 750 people. Since then, edel music AG has been concentrating on the successful organic growth which it had been achieving prior to its stock market flotation and channeling its efforts into the German and European market, in which it is traditionally strong.