What Amplifier does

verstärker medienmarketing GmbH (operating as Amplifier / verstärker) is a Berlin-based, founder-led professional services firm founded in 1995 by Carsten Stricker, specialising in public relations and media marketing for the music industry. The company serves a diverse client base spanning international and German recording artists (Arctic Monkeys, Beck, Die Ärzte, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Prodigy), music festivals (Kosmonaut, Flow, Berlin Festival, Fête de la Musique), labels and trade publications (Rolling Stone DE, and as of February 2026, MusikWoche). Engagements are retainer-based B2B professional services, with no publicly disclosed pricing structure and no software or technology product — the value proposition is built on industry relationships, media access, and three decades of category-specific expertise rather than proprietary technology.

The company's revenue model is traditional agency services: bespoke PR and communications engagements sold directly to music industry clients through long-standing relationships and industry network. Distribution is sales-led, executed through direct client engagement, with marketing channels limited to a corporate website (verstaerker.com), selective participation in industry events, and the social media presence of acquired subsidiary MusikWoche. The firm operates from a primary headquarters at Strausberger Platz 5 in Berlin, with a secondary Berlin office at Rosenthaler Straße 52 and, since the 2026 MusikWoche acquisition, a Munich-Schwabing regional headquarters.

In February 2026, verstärker materially expanded its footprint by acquiring MusikWoche — Germany's leading music industry trade publication, operating for over 30 years — through a management buyout following the insolvency of the previous Busch/Glatz holding company. The acquisition established MusikWoche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG as a wholly-owned subsidiary, adding a trade publishing and industry dialogue platform to the core PR services business and providing a vertically integrated position across music industry information and communications. Ownership remains privately held under founder Carsten Stricker, with no external institutional investors or parent company disclosed.

Name

Amplifier

Legal name

verstärker medienmarketing GmbH

Website

https://verstaerker.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

verstärker medienmarketing GmbH (Amplifier) is a Berlin-based, founder-led PR and media marketing agency founded in 1995, serving international artists, festivals, and music industry clients with retainer-based communications services, and operating the MusikWoche trade publication acquired in February 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. PR and Communications Services: Professional PR and media marketing services for music industry clients including artists, labels, festivals, and media publications. Revenue generated through retainer-based professional services engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

verstärker medienmarketing GmbH is a music industry public relations and media marketing agency providing strategic PR, press relations, artist communications, and event/festival promotional services to artists, bands, labels, festivals, and music industry publications. The company also owns and operates MusikWoche, Germany's leading music industry trade publication (acquired February 2026), which serves as an industry news and dialogue platform across digital and print channels.

Product overview

verstärker (German for 'amplifier') is a music industry media marketing company operating as verstärker medienmarketing GmbH. The company offers PR and communications services for music industry clients and operates MusikWoche, Germany\'s leading music industry trade publication acquired in February 2026. The portfolio consists of two core offerings: PR/marketing services for artists and music industry clients, and the MusikWoche publishing house which provides industry news, analysis, and dialogue platforms across digital channels and print magazine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MusikWoche: Germany's leading trade publication for the music industry, acquired in February 2026 and now operated as MusikWoche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG

Products and services

• verstärker PR Services

Named customers18 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MusikWoche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Management buyout and investment partnership led by Carsten Stricker/verstärker alongside MusikWoche management. Founded MusikWoche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG to acquire and restructure the troubled MusikWoche publication following insolvency of previous holding company Busch/Glatz. Verstärker serves as entrepreneurial home and investor for Germany's leading music industry trade publication.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Music Week: UK-based trade publication covering the British music industry with news, analysis, and industry data. Comparable to MusikWoche (verstärker's subsidiary) as a national music-industry trade publication serving industry professionals.
• Pollstar: Trade publication covering the live music industry, including touring, festivals, and venue data. Comparable to MusikWoche's festival and event coverage as a specialist trade publication serving live music industry professionals.
• Big Hassle Media: US-based music publicity firm representing artists across multiple genres for press relations, media strategy, and campaign execution. Comparable to verstärker in providing B2B PR services to a high-profile international artist roster, though in the North American market.
• Motor Entertainment: German music PR and communications agency based in Hamburg, serving artists, labels, and festivals. Directly comparable to verstärker as a similarly sized German-market specialist music PR firm with long-standing industry relationships.
• Nasty Little Man: US music publicity firm representing a roster of established and emerging artists for press and media relations. Directly comparable to verstärker in delivering specialized artist-facing PR services in the music vertical.
• Shore Fire Media: Long-established US music publicity and strategic communications firm serving musicians, festivals, and entertainment brands. Directly comparable to verstärker as a similarly tenure-rich music-PR specialist working with marquee clients.
• Scoop Marketing: US music publicity agency providing PR services to artists and entertainment clients. Comparable to verstärker as a dedicated music-industry PR firm operating on retainer-based engagements with artist clients.

Broad incumbents

• Rolling Stone: Iconic music and culture magazine with global reach covering music industry news, artists, and culture. Adjacent peer given Verstärker has served Rolling Stone DE, and the brand represents the type of music-focused media that complements trade publishing.
• Variety: Long-running entertainment industry trade publication covering film, TV, and music. Adjacent peer for MusikWoche given the overlap between entertainment trade publishing and music industry coverage, though broader in scope.
• Billboard: Global music industry trade publication covering charts, news, and industry analysis at international scale. Comparable to MusikWoche as a music-industry trade title, though operating globally and at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/musikwoche
• Xx.com/verstaerkercom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Amplifier