Meisel Music

What Meisel Music does

Meisel Music (operating as Edition Intro Meisel GmbH, part of the Meisel-Gruppe) is a Berlin-based music publishing company and record label group founded in 1926, making it one of Germany's oldest continuously operating music publishing houses. The company manages a catalog of approximately 60,000 songs spanning Schlager, Classical, Film Music, Pop, Rock, and Hip-Hop, and operates six in-house record labels (Bigfoot Records, Duo-Phon Records, Ibiza Sunset Records, Juhu Records, Meisel Music, Monopol Records) plus eight administrated labels. Its core offering comprises music publishing services (A&R, creative development, copyright administration, royalty collection via GEMA, sync licensing, and in-house sheet music printing through the Firmament shop) and label services (product management, physical and digital distribution through partners including Zebralution, marketing, and promotion). A distinctive operational asset is Hansa Studios — the legendary Berlin recording facility famous for U2's 'Achtung Baby!' recordings — which is operated exclusively for Meisel authors and artists and serves as the venue for the company's recurring songwriter camps.

The company's go-to-market is event-driven and relationship-based: exclusive songwriter and artist contracts feed new catalog content, songwriting camps at Hansa Studios (with partners including Sony Music Publishing, BUJA! Publishing, welovemelodies, and Alexa Voss / Edition Peng Peng) drive creative output and talent pipeline, and synchronization licensing places songs into films, TV series, advertising campaigns (McDonald's Switzerland, Deutsche Telekom, Volkswagen, Porsche, BMW, Uber Eats, Gucci), video games, and stage productions. Revenue is generated through four primary streams: (1) publishing royalty collection and administration from GEMA and other collecting societies, (2) synchronization licensing fees negotiated per project, (3) sheet music and songbook sales through Firmament, and (4) label services income across the in-house and administrated label portfolio. The company maintains an international sub-publishing network of 18+ partners across the USA, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and is led by Managing Director Kirsten Meisel as a family-controlled enterprise with no disclosed external institutional investment. In May 2026, Meisel Music was recognized by GEMA for 100 years of continuous membership, underscoring its institutional durability within the German rights-collection ecosystem.

Name

Meisel Music

Legal name

Edition Intro Meisel GmbH

Website

https://meiselmusic.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Meisel Music is a Berlin-based, family-owned music publishing company founded in 1926 that manages a ~60,000-song catalog across multiple genres, operates Hansa Studios, runs six in-house record labels, and licenses songs for film, TV, advertising, and stage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Publishing

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230), Record Production and Distribution (51225)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Songwriting & Composition (Topliners, Co-writers, Camps) (MPAIABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Micro-Licensing & Direct Licensing Platforms (UGC, SMB venues, online uses) (MPAIAKAJ), Micro-Licensing (UGC/Short-Form/Digital Ads) Providers (MPAIALAJ), Print Music Publishing (Sheet Music, Scores, Educational Repertoire) (MPAIABAG), Music Producers & Production Teams (MPAIAHAB)

Keywords

• Music publishing
• Rights administration
• Recording studios
• Sheet music retail
• Record labels

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Music Publishing / Royalty Collection: Collects and administers royalties from GEMA and other collecting societies for songwriters and composers; registers works, manages copyright, and ensures accurate royalty distribution
2. Synchronization Licensing: Places songs in film, TV series, advertising campaigns, video games, stage productions, and other media; negotiates fees and handles contract administration
3. Sheet Music Sales: Sells songbooks, orchestral and choral material through the Firmament shop; publishes stage works in musical and spoken theater
4. Label Services: Provides product management, distribution, marketing and promotion for artists under in-house labels (Bigfoot Records, Duo-Phon Records, Ibiza Sunset Records, Juhu Records, Meisel Music, Monopol Records)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Meisel Music is a Berlin-based music publishing house that administers rights for an approximately 60,000-song catalog, operates in-house record labels, runs recording studio facilities, and sells sheet music directly through its Firmament retail brand. The company also licenses and sub-publishes its catalog internationally through a network of partner publishers.

Product overview

Meisel Music is a music publishing company and record label operated by Edition Intro Meisel GmbH, a company of the Meisel Group, founded in 1926 and based in Berlin. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio centered around two core service areas: Publishing Services (A&R, creative development, licensing, copyright administration, sheet music, income tracking, and royalties) and Label Services (product management, distribution, marketing, and promotion). The product portfolio includes the Meisel Music publishing brand, the Meisel Music label, six in-house labels (Bigfoot Records, Duo-Phon Records, Ibiza Sunset Records, Juhu Records, Meisel Music, Monopol Records), eight administrated labels (Attack Music, KHB-Music, Jay Neero Music, M8 Musik, NFP-Musicas, Passion Factory, Smiling Lizard Music, World Wide Music), and Hansa Studios recording facility. The company manages a catalog of approximately 60,000 songs spanning Schlager, Klassik, Filmmusik, Pop, Rock, and Hip-Hop, which serves as the foundation for their music licensing business covering film, stage, advertising, and other media placements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hansa Studios: Legendary recording studio in Berlin operated by Meisel Music, famous for U2's 'Achtung Baby!' and various recording sessions
• Firmament
• Edition PAPER PUG
• Matri Lab
• Edition Oliver deVille

Products and services

• Music Publishing and Rights Administration

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Joachim Foerster (TULPE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026TULPE frontman signed exclusively to Meisel Music as a songwriter. Joachim creates songs full of emotion, conviction, and honesty, bringing creative passion to the Meisel author portfolio.
• Filippo GrassocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Exclusive signing and launch of joint edition 'Matri Lab' for long-term creative collaboration; focuses on exchange of creative and strategic experience, promoting new talents, and developing projects beyond genre boundaries.
• BUJA! PublishingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Jointly organized the Songwriting Camp 'Meisel Music meets BUJA! x Sony Music Publishing (Dance Edition)' from June 1-4, 2026 at Hansa Studios in Berlin, bringing together over 25 songwriters, producers, and artists to create electronic and dance music.
• Sony Music PublishingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Co-organized the Dance Edition songwriting camp with Meisel Music and BUJA! Publishing at Hansa Studios in June 2026, focusing on electronic music and dance with 25+ participants creating over 20 new songs.
• Alexa Voss / Edition Peng PengcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2024Co-organized FEMALE FUTURE FLINTA* Songwriting Camps at Hansa Studios in 2024 and 2025, supporting female and non-binary musicians and songwriters in the industry.
• Christian Geller / Studio 61minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2023Launched new event series 'Meisel Music Meets...' with joint producer session at Studio 61 in Kruft, bringing together Meisel authors with successful producers, artists, and labels.
• welovemelodiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2023Co-organized 'Deutsch Pop Liebe' songwriting camp at Hansa Studios in June 2023 with 25 creatives creating 19 songs. Meisel Music and welovemelodies have worked together for several years with mutual author exchanges.
• ZebralutioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital distribution partner for Meisel Music labels, ensuring music availability on streaming platforms and digital stores.
• Hansa StudioscoreOthersLegendary recording studios operated by Meisel Music in Berlin; available exclusively to Meisel authors and artists; features studio apartments for visiting musicians; hosts songwriting camps and sessions.
• ALV-SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationCopyright management and accounting software used by Meisel Music; close collaboration with development team to optimize system for music publishing industry needs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Edition Bug (Edition Bug Musikverlag): German independent music publisher based in Berlin with similar focus on pop, Schlager, and songwriter representation; operates at comparable scale with a family-owned ethos and in-house label services — a clear direct competitor for German catalog and songwriter talent.
• Roba Music Verlag: Hamburg-based independent music publisher with sheet music, songbook, and catalog operations similar to Meisel's Firmament shop; already partners with Meisel as a sheet music distribution peer.
• Neue Welt Musikverlag: Berlin-based German music publisher with a comparable Schlager and pop catalog and licensing structure; competes head-to-head with Meisel for sync placements in German-language advertising and media.

Regional players

• Allendorf Medien: German publishing and label services group focused on Schlager and German-language pop; comparable in size and genre focus to Meisel's in-house labels, serving the same German market segment.

Broad incumbents

• BMG Rights Management: One of the world's largest independent music publishers, offering songwriting/composition services, sync licensing, and rights administration at a vastly larger scale; overlaps with Meisel on catalog acquisition opportunities and sync deals.
• Kobalt Music: Tech-forward music publisher offering collection society administration, sync, and royalty accounting at scale; represents a more digital-native alternative to Meisel's traditional ALV-Software-based rights management.
• Sony Music Publishing: Global music publishing major that competes broadly for songwriters and sync placements; already a partner of Meisel on the 2026 Dance Edition songwriting camp, making it both a partner and a competitor.
• Universal Music Publishing: Largest music publisher worldwide; competes with Meisel across songwriter signings, catalog acquisitions, and global sync pitching, particularly for major brand and film placements.
• Warner Chappell Music: Global music publishing division of Warner Music Group; competes with Meisel for top-tier songwriters and large sync licenses, particularly for global ad campaigns and film/TV.

Others

• Hansa Musikproduktion (historic): Historically intertwined with Meisel Music and Hansa Studios since 1959 (Christian Bruhn partnership); represents an adjacent/legacy relationship now consolidated within Meisel's studio operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCo0pboOhL6DKMoJWGe7KjmA
• Facebookfacebook.com/meiselmusic
• Instagraminstagram.com/meisel_music
• Xx.com/meisel_music
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edition-intro-meisel-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Meisel Music