DOCUMENT RECORDS LIMITED

What DOCUMENT RECORDS LIMITED does

Document Records Limited is a privately-held vintage music reissue label and archive operator founded in 1986 and based in Newton Stewart, Scotland. The company maintains what it describes as the world's largest archive of vintage blues, gospel, jazz, and pre-country music, with over 25,000 tracks and nearly 900 titles spanning recordings from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. Its underlying technology centers on proprietary sound restoration processes applied to deteriorating 78 rpm analog sources to produce high-quality digital transfers; Gary Atkinson personally performs new restorations for premium releases such as the Document/Third Man vinyl series. Distribution and customer engagement are multi-channel: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store for CDs ($18.99) and digital downloads ($8.99), a Document Radio streaming service, an affiliate programme offering 10% commission, US wholesale distribution via MVD Entertainment Group, and direct B2B music licensing for film, TV, advertising, broadcast, and synchronization uses across global territories. Customer segments include individual collectors, educational institutions at discounted rates, media production companies, and broadcasters/performance venues. The company is owned and operated by Gary and Gillian Atkinson, who have led it since 2000, and has no disclosed institutional ownership, venture funding, or M&A activity.

Name

DOCUMENT RECORDS LIMITED

Legal name

Document Records Ltd.

Website

https://document-records.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Document Records Limited operates the world's largest vintage blues, gospel, jazz, and pre-country music archive, selling restored CDs, digital downloads, and sync licenses to collectors, educators, and media producers worldwide from its base in Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Record Label

NAICS

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

SIC

Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)

akta.pro primary industry

Reissues, Remastering & Archive Services (MPAIAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recorded Music Distribution (Physical & Digital) (MPAIAAAC), Publishing Administration (Catalog Admin, Global Subpublishing) (MPAIABAB)

Keywords

• Vintage blues recordings
• Gospel jazz reissues
• Music licensing services
• Sound restoration
• Vinyl reissue label

Headquarters

HQ city

Whithorn

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Physical Media Sales (CDs): Sale of CDs containing restored vintage recordings across multiple series including Document 5000 Series, 6000 Series, 1000 Series, and specialized collections.
2. Digital Downloads: Sale of digital album downloads from their online store, offering single tracks or full albums at $8.99 per digital album.
3. Music Licensing: Licensing of sound recordings for film, TV, advertising, albums, broadcast, public performance, digital and synchronization uses. Specializes in pre-1972 sound recording copyright in USA, EU, UK and beyond. Manages rights collection through PPCA in Australia and SoundExchange in US.
4. Affiliate Revenue: Earns commission on sales generated through affiliate partner referrals, offering 10% of cart total with 48-hour attribution window.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Document Records Limited reissues and distributes vintage blues, gospel, jazz, and pre-country recordings — drawn from its archive of over 25,000 tracks — as CDs, digital downloads, vinyl LPs (co-released with Third Man Records), and via its Document Radio streaming channel. The company also licenses its catalogue into film, television, advertising, and educational productions. Its US distribution is handled by MVD Entertainment Group and direct sales run through its own e-commerce store.

Product overview

Document Records Limited operates the world's largest archive of vintage blues, gospel, jazz, and pre-country music with over 25,000 tracks. Their portfolio centers on Document Records CDs as the core product, complemented by the Document Records Store e-commerce platform, Document Radio streaming service, and B2B music licensing services. Strategic sub-brands include the Document/Third Man Series vinyl LP partnership with Jack White's label, and the Shortcuts Series of budget-priced sampler CDs. The company also operates an affiliate program and serves educational institutions with special licensing rates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Document Records Store: The company's e-commerce platform for selling CDs and digital downloads of their vintage music catalogue.
• Document Wireless / Document Radio

Products and services

• Document Records CD Catalogue
• Digital Download Catalogue (MP3)
• Document/Third Man Vinyl LP Series
• Document Radio Streaming Service
• Music Licensing Service
• Shortcuts Sampler Series

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25,000 vintage recordings available for license
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Third Man Records (Jack White)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDocument Records has partnered with Jack White's Third Man Records to produce vinyl LP reissues of vintage blues recordings. The series features material from the Document vaults with new sound restoration by Gary Atkinson, remarkable cover artwork, and extensive liner notes. Featured artists include Charley Patton, Blind Willie McTell, and The Mississippi Sheiks.
• MVD Entertainment GroupmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing US distribution partnership with MVD Entertainment Group, an independent distributor for music, film, vinyl, and collectibles. Products available through MVD Shop and mvdshop.com.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Folkways Recordings: Non-profit record label of the Smithsonian Institution, distributing folk, blues, and roots music archives. Comparable as a preservation-oriented catalog serving educational and archival use cases, with much larger institutional backing and a broader global collection.
• Rounder Records: Massachusetts-based roots music label (now part of Concord) covering blues, folk, bluegrass, and Americana. Comparable in genre overlap and reissue approach, though a much larger operation with broader contemporary releases.
• Concord Music Group: Major independent music company with a catalog spanning Rounder, Fantasy, Prestige, and other roots/jazz labels. Comparable in blues and roots genre coverage but operates at vastly larger scale with comprehensive sync licensing infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Fat Possum Records: Independent Mississippi-based label focused on blues and roots music, originally reissuing pre-war recordings before signing modern artists. Comparable to Document Records in blues heritage and reissue curation, with overlapping target customers.
• Bear Family Records: German-based reissue label specializing in vintage Americana, blues, country, and rock 'n' roll box sets on CD and vinyl. Directly comparable to Document Records as a specialist archival reissue house serving collectors with deep catalogs and extensive liner notes.
• Arhoolie Records: Independent label founded by Chris Strachwitz focused on blues, Cajun, zydeco, and Tejano music. Comparable in roots music preservation mission and direct-to-collector distribution, with strong catalog of vintage field recordings.
• Alligator Records: Chicago-based independent label specializing in contemporary and traditional blues. Comparable in blues genre focus and direct-to-consumer distribution model, though more oriented toward new recordings than vintage reissues.
• Yazoo Records: Long-running vintage reissue label specializing in pre-war blues, jazz, and string band recordings, distributed by Shanachie. Comparable to Document Records as a niche archival reissue label serving collectors with restored historical material.
• Dusty Groove: Chicago-based online retailer specializing in vinyl, CDs, and rare recordings across soul, jazz, blues, and international genres. Comparable as a vintage/collectible music seller targeting enthusiast collectors, with overlapping customer base and digital sales channels.

Emerging players

• Documentary Arts (previously Revenant Records): Label founded by Jack White reissuing rare archival recordings including the Paramount Records project. Comparable as a vintage archival reissue venture with significant catalog expansion ambition and ties to Third Man Records.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCO8tuvZoxXKzWPLyYclmOIg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Document-Records-160984497304624
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/document-records-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 DOCUMENT RECORDS LIMITED