Ace Records
Ace Records is a UK-based independent reissue record label founded in 1976, specialising in high-quality physical and digital re-releases of historic blues, soul, jazz, funk and rock recordings across 16 wholly-owned sub-labels, sold direct-to-consumer and through a global network of independent record stores.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersGarden City, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ace Records does
Ace Records is a UK-based independent record label specialising in the re-release of historic music, founded in 1976 by Ted Carroll, Roger Armstrong and Trevor Churchill in London and now headquartered in Letchworth Garden City. The company operates a multi-format physical and digital catalogue spanning CDs, vinyl LPs, 7-inch singles, cassettes and 320kbps MP3 downloads, distributed across 16 wholly-owned sub-labels including Flying Dutchman, Kent, BGP, Big Beat, Chiswick, Stax and Vanguard. Its core differentiator is audio quality: Ace uses original master tapes rather than copies, applies manual restoration and EQ, commissions comprehensive liner notes, and pays royalties to artists and producers on pre-1963 recordings, often discovering previously unreleased material in the process.
The business operates a hybrid go-to-market combining a direct-to-consumer e-commerce website (acerecords.co.uk) and mail-order service with a global network of affiliated independent specialist record stores across the UK, Europe, USA and Canada. Revenue streams include physical music sales (one-time purchases), digital downloads, record and sync licensing for film/TV/advertising, and branded merchandise. Pricing spans £0.79 per MP3 track to £32.00 for limited-edition premium LPs. Ace Records Ltd was acquired by Fantasy Records (US) in 2000 and continues to operate as a privately held entity, with 11–50 employees including directors, a production manager, sales manager, royalties manager and licensing team led by named individuals.
Ace Records firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ace Records
- Legal name
- Ace Records Ltd
- Website
- https://acerecords.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ace Records is a UK-based independent reissue record label founded in 1976, specialising in high-quality physical and digital re-releases of historic blues, soul, jazz, funk and rock recordings across 16 wholly-owned sub-labels, sold direct-to-consumer and through a global network of independent record stores.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ace Records industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Record Label - Music Reissues
- NAICS
- Record Production and Distribution (512250), Record Production and Distribution (51225)
- SIC
- Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Record Labels (Major & Independent) (MPAIAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Master Rights Ownership & Catalog Management (MPAIAAAB)
Keywords
Where Ace Records is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Garden City
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Ace Records business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Physical Music Sales: Sales of CDs, LPs, 7" singles, and cassettes through direct mail order and record store distribution. Product formats range from budget reissues to limited edition premium releases.
- Digital Downloads (MP3): Digital music sales via website. They encode MP3s at 320kbps and offer individual track purchases (from £0.79 per track) and full album downloads. Approximately 25% of total catalog available for digital download.
- Licensing and Synchronisation: Record and sync licensing for their catalogued music. Contact for licensing is [email protected]. Special arrangements for Flying Dutchman catalogue (contact: Bob Thiele).
- Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including T-shirts and bags.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CDs priced from £7.43 to £16.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | LPs priced from £20.00 to £32.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 7" Singles priced from £7.20 to £10.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | MP3 individual tracks from £0.79 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cassettes priced at £16.49 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Postage at cost price for UK, weight-based internationally |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Ace Records product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ace Records is an independent UK record label specializing in reissuing historic music across physical formats (CDs, LPs, 7-inch singles, cassettes) and digital formats (MP3 downloads). The company operates multiple sub-labels (Flying Dutchman, Kent, BGP, Big Beat, Chiswick) and sells directly to consumers through its own e-commerce website and a global network of independent record stores.
Product overview
Ace Records is a UK-based record label and reissue company specializing in the re-release of historic music across multiple formats including CD, LP (vinyl), 7-inch singles, MP3 downloads, and cassettes. The company operates multiple sub-labels including Flying Dutchman (jazz, blues, soul), Kent (Northern Soul), BGP (funk, soul), Big Beat (rock, punk), and Chiswick (pub rock, early reissues). Products range from standard releases to limited edition pressings with AAA certification and anniversary sets. The company also offers mail order fulfillment, digital downloads, record and sync licensing, and royalties management services. Physical fulfillment uses Royal Mail for UK and DPD for international shipping, with payment processing via WorldPay.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Flying Dutchman: Record label specialising in Blues, Instrumentals, Funk, Soul Jazz, West Coast Jazz, Fusion, Modern Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Spoken Word, Soundtracks, 70s Rock, Psych/Garage recordings. Founded by Bob Thiele in 1969.
- BGP
- Big Beat
- Kent
- Chiswick
- Stax
- Vanguard
Products and services
- Ace Records CD Releases Physical CD releases of reissued music spanning multiple genres including blues, soul, jazz, rock, and R&B from historic labels and artists. Priced from £7.43 to £16.00.
- Ace Records LP (Vinyl) Releases Physical vinyl LP releases, including limited edition pressings, targeting collectors and audiophiles interested in reissued historic recordings. Priced from £20.00 to £32.00.
- Ace Records 7" Single Releases Physical 7-inch vinyl singles featuring individual tracks, often from specific artist catalogs or themed compilations. Priced from £7.20 to £10.00.
- Ace Records MP3 Digital Downloads Digital MP3 downloads encoded at 320kbps constant bit rate, available for immediate download after purchase. Approximately 25% of total album catalog available in digital format. Individual tracks from £0.79.
- Ace Records Cassette Releases Physical cassette tape releases of selected catalog items, targeting niche collectors of vintage formats. Priced at £16.49.
- Ace Records Limited Edition Releases Special limited edition releases including anniversary sets, AAA recordings, and exclusive pressings with enhanced packaging and bonus content. Priced up to £32.00 for premium items.
- Flying Dutchman Label Imprint specializing in jazz, blues, funk, and soul recordings, including works by Gil Scott-Heron, Lonnie Liston Smith, Leon Thomas, and Ornette Coleman. Part of Ace's acquisition of Flying Dutchman catalog.
- Kent Label Soul-focused imprint known for Northern Soul compilations and American soul recordings, including Kent singles series.
- BGP Label Imprint focused on funk, soul, and jazz reissues, featuring artists like Gil Scott-Heron and various compilation series.
- Big Beat Label Label imprint covering rock, punk, and 1960s era recordings.
- Chiswick Label Original Ace imprint from 1975 focusing on pub rock, early reissues, and classic rock recordings including early Motorhead releases.
- Ace Records Mail Order Service Direct-to-consumer mail order service for physical and digital releases, with fulfillment operated through Bus Stop Mail Order Ltd.
- Record & Sync Licensing Licensing services for record and synchronization uses, managed through [email protected]. Separate contact for Flying Dutchman catalogue sync licensing via Bob Thiele.
- Royalties Management Service Master and publishing royalties inquiry service for tracks released by Ace, managed through [email protected].
- Ace Records Merchandise Sale of branded merchandise including T-shirts and bags.
Quantifiable outcome
- Established as industry standard for record reissues since 1976
Companies that use Ace Records
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ace Records technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature1 record
Ace Records partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- UK Independent Record StorescoreAce Records maintains partnerships with independent record stores across the UK including Resident Music (Brighton), Spillers Records (Cardiff), Sister Ray (London), Soul Brother Records (London), and many others. These stores serve as physical retail outlets for Ace releases and are listed on Ace's website.
- Canadian Record StorescorePartnership with Canadian independent record stores including Soundscapes (Toronto), Encore Records (Kitchener), Beatnick Records (Montreal), and others in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec.
- US Record StorescorePartnership with US independent record stores including Amoeba Music (California), Dusty Groove (Chicago), Reckless Records (Chicago), Other Music (New York), Music Millennium (Portland), and many others across the USA.
- European Record StorescorePartnership with European independent record stores including Fat Kat (Antwerp), Freebird Records (Dublin), Big Dipper Records (Oslo), Plato Records (Utrecht), and others in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and The Netherlands.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ace Records competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Rhino Records: Major established reissue imprint under Warner Music Group known for extensive catalog box sets and curated compilations — comparable reissue output but at vastly larger scale, and part of a major-label portfolio rather than independent.
- Secretly Canadian: Established US independent label group with multiple imprints (Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans, Numero Group partnership distribution) operating across indie, folk, and reissues — comparable indie music operations across physical and digital, though less reissue-focused than Ace.
Direct peers
- Light in the Attic Records: US-based independent reissue label focused on unearthing lost classics across soul, funk, folk, psychedelia, and international genres with strong restoration ethos — direct analog to Ace's catalog-led, archival-quality model.
- Numero Group: Chicago-based reissue label known for premium archival releases across soul, gospel, punk, and global genres. Comparable curation-led, master-tape-focused reissue model with similarly strong collector following.
- Honest Jon's Records: London-based independent label and record shop known for eclectic reissues and new recordings spanning soul, jazz, African, Caribbean, and electronic music — direct comparator as a UK independent label with strong collector-store crossover.
- Daptone Records: Brooklyn-based independent label releasing new recordings in soul, funk, and Afrobeat — adjacent to Ace through shared genre focus (soul/funk reissues vs. new recordings) and similar physical-format-first, quality-led philosophy.
- Bear Family Records: Germany-based specialist reissue label with decades-long history in comprehensive box-set catalog reissues across rockabilly, country, rock'n'roll, and soul — direct comparable as an established physical-format reissue specialist.
- Tompkins Square: US independent label issuing carefully curated acoustic, folk, gospel, and blues reissues and new recordings on premium vinyl — comparable as a curator-led, niche reissue specialist with strong collector brand.
- Soul Jazz Records: London-based independent label specializing in reggae, soul, jazz, funk, and afrobeat reissues and new releases. Closely comparable to Ace as a UK specialist reissue label curating physical formats with an analog-first ethos.
- Sundazed Music: US-based independent label specializing in high-quality vinyl reissues of vintage rock, folk, soul, and jazz recordings — closely comparable analog reissue approach targeting collectors and audiophiles.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ace Records social profiles
Digital presenceAce Records financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ace Records leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Ace Records subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries16 records
Ace Records funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ace Records 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 Ace Records
What does Ace Records do?
Ace Records is an independent UK record label specializing in reissuing historic music across physical formats (CDs, LPs, 7-inch singles, cassettes) and digital formats (MP3 downloads). The company operates multiple sub-labels (Flying Dutchman, Kent, BGP, Big Beat, Chiswick) and sells directly to consumers through its own e-commerce website and a global network of independent record stores.
Is Ace Records a public or private company?
Ace Records is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Ace Records founded?
Ace Records was founded in 1976. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ace Records based?
Ace Records is headquartered in Garden City, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Ace Records make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Physical Music Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital Downloads (MP3), licensing and Synchronisation and merchandise.
Who are Ace Records's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Rhino Records and Secretly Canadian. Direct peers are Light in the Attic Records, Numero Group, Honest Jon's Records, Daptone Records, Bear Family Records, Tompkins Square, Soul Jazz Records and Sundazed Music.
Does Ace Records have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ace Records.
What industry is Ace Records in?
Ace Records's product category is Independent Record Label - Music Reissues. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAA, Record Labels (Major & Independent), with a secondary code of MPAIAAAB, Master Rights Ownership & Catalog Management. Its NAICS code is 512250 and its SIC code is 3652.