Hear Music
Hear Music is a record label imprint originally launched by Starbucks in 1990, now operating within Concord's Label Group alongside legacy and contemporary artists and the broader Concord music, publishing, theatricals, and originals businesses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersBeverly Hills, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Hear Music firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hear Music
- Legal name
- Concord
- Website
- https://concord.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Hear Music is a record label imprint originally launched by Starbucks in 1990, now operating within Concord's Label Group alongside legacy and contemporary artists and the broader Concord music, publishing, theatricals, and originals businesses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hear Music industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Record Label
- NAICS
- Music Publishers (512230), Record Production and Distribution (51225)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Record Labels (Major & Independent) (MPAIAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Production Music Libraries (Library Music, Trailer Music, Stock Cues) (MPAIABAH), Production Music Libraries (Catalogs) (MPAIALAC)
Keywords
Where Hear Music is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beverly Hills
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Hear Music business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Hear Music product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hear Music is a record label imprint that releases, markets, and distributes recorded music by signed artists. Originally launched in 1990 as Starbucks' retail music concept and in-store CD brand, it now operates as a label under Concord, producing and distributing albums across digital streaming platforms and physical retail channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Concord Music Publishing: Music publishing division including Boosey & Hawkes, Pulse Music Group, and Rodgers & Hammerstein
- Concord Theatricals
- Concord Originals
- Concord Label Group
Products and services
- Hear Music Record Label Record label imprint under Concord that signs, develops, and releases recorded music by artists; distributes albums via digital streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music) and physical retail channels. Targeted at music consumers.
Companies that use Hear Music
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hear Music technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Hear Music partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Rodgers & Hammerstein Organizationcore
- Boosey & Hawkescore
- Pulse Music Groupcore
- Disneyflagship
- HBO Documentary Filmsflagship
- Tribeca Filmcore
- White Horse Picturescore
- Homegrown Picturesminor
- Submarineminor
- Billie Holiday Estatecore
Hear Music competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sony Music Entertainment: A global major record label encompassing labels such as Columbia, RCA, and Epic, plus major publishing (Sony Music Publishing). Overlaps with Concord across recorded music, publishing administration, and catalog acquisition activity.
- Warner Music Group: A major record label group with recorded music, publishing, and growing theatrical/film adjacency. Comparable to Concord in the breadth of its recorded music and publishing operations, though at substantially larger scale.
- Universal Music Group: The world's largest major record label with extensive recorded music, publishing, and merchandising. UMG operates in the same recorded music and publishing categories as Concord but at vastly greater scale and with major-label artist rosters.
Direct peers
- Secretly Group: Independent music group encompassing Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans, and 37d03d, with publishing through Secretly Publishing. Comparable to Concord as a multi-label independent music company spanning recorded music and publishing.
- Music Theatre International: The leading global theatrical licensing agency representing musical theater titles for amateur, stock, and professional productions. The most direct comparable to Concord Theatricals' licensing business, with overlapping catalog of Broadway titles.
- Domino Recording Company: An independent UK-based record label with a strong contemporary artist roster across rock, electronic, and pop. Comparable to Concord's Label Group as a similarly sized, well-regarded independent label operating internationally.
- BMG: BMG is one of the world's largest independent music companies, combining recorded music and music publishing across a global roster. It is the closest direct peer to Concord given its parallel recorded-music and publishing structure and similar focus on catalog acquisitions.
- Epitaph Records: A long-established independent record label group encompassing multiple imprints including Anti-, Hellcat, and Fat Wreck Chords. Comparable to Concord's Label Group as an independent, multi-imprint label operating across genres.
- ATO Records: An independent US record label with artist roster and label operations spanning rock, Americana, and beyond. Operates at a smaller scale than Concord but with a directly comparable independent-label business model.
Emerging players
- Primary Wave Music Publishing: An independent music publisher and talent management firm focused on acquiring legendary songwriters' and artists' catalogs. Comparable to Concord's publishing division given its emphasis on legacy catalog acquisition and administration.
Market position
Customer concentration
Hear Music social profiles
Digital presenceHear Music financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hear Music leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Hear Music subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Hear Music funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hear Music M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hear Music
What does Hear Music do?
Hear Music is a record label imprint that releases, markets, and distributes recorded music by signed artists. Originally launched in 1990 as Starbucks' retail music concept and in-store CD brand, it now operates as a label under Concord, producing and distributing albums across digital streaming platforms and physical retail channels.
Is Hear Music a public or private company?
Hear Music is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Hear Music founded?
Hear Music was founded in 1990. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Hear Music based?
Hear Music is headquartered in Beverly Hills, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Hear Music's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group. Direct peers are Secretly Group, Music Theatre International, Domino Recording Company, BMG, Epitaph Records and ATO Records. Primary Wave Music Publishing is listed as an emerging player.
Does Hear Music have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hear Music.
What industry is Hear Music in?
Hear Music's product category is Record Label. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAA, Record Labels (Major & Independent), with a secondary code of MPAIABAH, Production Music Libraries (Library Music, Trailer Music, Stock Cues). Its NAICS code is 512230.