Meisel Music
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1926
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
Meisel Music firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Meisel Music industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Meisel Music is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Meisel Music business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- 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
- Synchronization Licensing: Places songs in film, TV series, advertising campaigns, video games, stage productions, and other media; negotiates fees and handles contract administration
- Sheet Music Sales: Sells songbooks, orchestral and choral material through the Firmament shop; publishes stage works in musical and spoken theater
- 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
Meisel Music product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Meisel Music
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Meisel Music technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Meisel Music partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Joachim Foerster (TULPE)coreTULPE 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 GrassocoreExclusive 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! PublishingcoreJointly 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 PublishingcoreCo-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 PengcoreCo-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 61minorLaunched 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.
- welovemelodiescoreCo-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.
- ZebralutioncoreDigital distribution partner for Meisel Music labels, ensuring music availability on streaming platforms and digital stores.
- Hansa StudioscoreLegendary 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-SoftwarecoreCopyright 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
Meisel Music competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Meisel Music social profiles
Digital presenceMeisel Music financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Meisel Music leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Meisel Music subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries15 records
Meisel Music funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Meisel Music M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Meisel Music
What does Meisel Music do?
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.
Is Meisel Music a public or private company?
Meisel Music is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Meisel Music founded?
Meisel Music was founded in 1926. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Meisel Music based?
Meisel Music is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Meisel Music make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Music Publishing / Royalty Collection is the primary driver. The others are synchronization Licensing, sheet Music Sales and label Services.
Who are Meisel Music's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Edition Bug (Edition Bug Musikverlag), Roba Music Verlag and Neue Welt Musikverlag. Allendorf Medien is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music, Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music. Hansa Musikproduktion (historic) is listed as an others.
Does Meisel Music have an API?
No public API is recorded for Meisel Music.
What industry is Meisel Music in?
Meisel Music's product category is Music Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIABAA, Songwriting & Composition (Topliners, Co-writers, Camps), with a secondary code of MPAIAKAJ, Micro-Licensing & Direct Licensing Platforms (UGC, SMB venues, online uses). Its NAICS code is 512230 and its SIC code is 2741.