ACT
ACT is a Berlin-based independent jazz record label founded in 1992, operating direct-to-consumer e-commerce, global physical distribution across 25+ countries, music publishing, and artist management services, serving jazz enthusiasts, vinyl collectors, and crossover listeners worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What ACT does
ACT is a Berlin-based independent jazz record label and online music retailer founded in 1992 by Siggi Loch, former Europe CEO of WEA (Warner Music Europe). The company has released over 600 albums over 33+ years and is widely recognized as one of Europe's most important jazz labels, with a roster of approximately 40 artists spanning multiple generations of European jazz talent from Germany, Scandinavia, France, and beyond. Its core operations span four integrated business lines: (1) recorded music (CD, vinyl, and digital) released and sold through its own webshop (actmusic.com) and global distribution partners; (2) music publishing under an affiliated publishing arm; (3) artist management and concert format creation through The ACT Agency (formerly Tambour Music Management, established 2018); and (4) live event programming including ACT Nights and the co-produced 'Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic' concert series with the Berliner Philharmonie.
The label's product and technology footprint is deliberately light on proprietary technology. The webshop is a standard e-commerce platform integrated with Unzer for payments (PayPal and credit card) and DHL for shipping, supporting global order fulfillment with tiered shipping rates (€6.50 Germany to €50 Oceania) and free domestic shipping above €60. Physical products span standard CDs (€17.50-€22.00), standard vinyl (€28.90-€31.90), limited colored vinyl, and the premium 'past is present' reissue series (€39.90) featuring remastered 180g vinyl with hand-numbered limited editions. Digital distribution is handled via direct downloads through the webshop and streaming platforms including 10 ACT-curated Spotify playlists. ACT also operates ACT Exklusiv for shop-only releases and ACT Merch (apparel, books, songbooks).
Revenue mechanics span one-time unit sales (physical and digital music), recurring streaming royalties, publishing/licensing income, and professional services fees from artist management. The customer base is fragmented across individual jazz enthusiasts, vinyl collectors, gift buyers, classical/crossover listeners, and lifestyle Spotify listeners. Geographic reach extends to 25+ countries through regional distributors (Edel in DACH, PIAS in France/UK, Naxos in Nordics, AMPED in Americas/Oceania, Tokyo M-Plus in Japan, and others).
ACT firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ACT
- Legal name
- ACT Music+Vision GmbH & Co. KG
- Website
- https://actmusic.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ACT is a Berlin-based independent jazz record label founded in 1992, operating direct-to-consumer e-commerce, global physical distribution across 25+ countries, music publishing, and artist management services, serving jazz enthusiasts, vinyl collectors, and crossover listeners worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ACT industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Jazz Record Label & Music Retail
- NAICS
- Music Publishers (512230), Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- SIC
- Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Record Labels (Major & Independent) (MPAIAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Artist Booking, Talent Buying & Agency Services (MPAGAAAF)
Keywords
Where ACT is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
ACT business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Physical music sales: ACT generates primary revenue through sale of CDs and vinyl records via its own e-commerce platform and through international distribution partners. Vinyl editions command premium pricing (€17.50-39.90+) and include limited colored vinyl and 'past is present' reissues with remastered audio and collector packaging.
- Digital streaming and downloads: Digital distribution via streaming platforms (Spotify playlists shown on site) and direct digital downloads through the ACT web shop.
- Music publishing: ACT operates an affiliated music publishing arm bundled with the label and artist management services, providing comprehensive support for artists.
- Artist management: The ACT Agency (formerly Tambour Music Management, founded 2018) develops artist careers and creates unique concert formats, growing continuously even through the COVID-19 pandemic. Represents ACT artists and artists outside the label.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CD albums — standard releases |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Vinyl (standard black) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Limited colored vinyl editions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Past is Present vinyl reissues |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping — Germany |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping — EU member states |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping — UK, Switzerland |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping — Americas, Asia, rest of Africa |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping — Oceania |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels20 records
Marketing channels9 records
ACT product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ACT is an independent jazz record label that releases and sells jazz albums in physical formats (CDs and vinyl LPs, including standard, colored, and limited remastered editions) and digital formats (downloads and streaming). The label operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop at actmusic.com and distributes through regional wholesale partners across more than 25 countries. It also offers branded merchandise, books, curated Spotify playlists, live concert programming (ACT Nights, Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic), and artist management services through its subsidiary The ACT Agency.
Product overview
ACT is a Berlin-based independent jazz record label founded in 1992 by Siggi Loch, now managed by Andreas Brandis. The company's offering is a multi-platform music and e-commerce business comprising: (1) the ACT Webshop as the primary direct-to-consumer channel for CDs, vinyl LPs (including standard, colored vinyl, and past is present limited/remastered reissues), and digital downloads; (2) the ACT Exklusiv sub-brand for shop-exclusive releases; (3) the past is present vinyl reissue series; (4) ACT Nights live event programming; (5) The ACT Agency for artist management; (6) ACT Merch and ACT Bücher merchandise; and (7) ACT Playlists on Spotify for streaming discovery. Over 600 releases document the label's 30+ year history as 'one of Europe's most important jazz labels.'
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- past is present: ACT's new series of carefully curated vinyl releases dedicated to the musical stories from over 30 years of label history. Features remastered albums on 180g vinyl with limited, hand-numbered editions.
- The ACT Agency
Products and services
- ACT Webshop ACT's primary e-commerce platform selling jazz albums as CDs, vinyl LPs (standard and colored/limited editions), and digital downloads, with a shopping cart, account management, and international shipping.
- ACT Exklusiv Exclusive releases available only through the ACT Shop, including limited editions and special formats such as ACT Shop-exclusive duo albums by Michael Wollny & Emile Parisien ('Freiheit').
- past is present (vinyl reissue series) ACT's curated vinyl series reissuing landmark albums from over 30 years of label history. Features remastered pressings, limited hand-numbered editions, premium 180g vinyl, collector's obi strips, and bespoke liner notes.
- ACT Nights (live concert series) ACT's curated live concert series and events program featuring label artists, presented as 'New Shows' on the ACT Nights platform.
- The ACT Agency (artist management) Artist management and career development division (formerly Tambour Music Management, rebranded 2018), handling artist representation, concert format creation, and bundling label, publishing, and management services under one roof.
- ACT Merch ACT-branded merchandise including apparel (T-shirts, socks), tote bags, and books sold through the ACT Shop.
- ACT Bücher (books and songbooks) ACT-branded books and songbooks, including the Joachim Kühn Songbook, sold through the ACT Shop.
- Jazz album releases (ACT catalog) Individual jazz albums released under the ACT label, spanning solo, duo, trio, small ensemble, vocal, piano, woodwinds & brass, and drums & percussion categories. Regional focus includes Germany, France, Scandinavia, and Poland. More than 600 releases over 33+ years.
Companies that use ACT
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ACT technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
ACT partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The ACT Agency (formerly Tambour Music Management)coreFounded in 2018 by Andreas Brandis (CEO) as an artist management and career development arm under the ACT umbrella. Goal: to develop artist careers and create unique concert formats. Bundled with the label and music publishing to provide all elements artists need for successful development under one roof. The agency represents many ACT artists and also artists outside the label. Has grown continuously even through the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Edel Distribution GmbHcorePrimary distribution partner for Germany and Austria. Handles physical music product distribution and wholesale fulfillment in the DACH region. Address: Neumühlen 17, 22763 Hamburg.
- PIAS France SARLcoreDistribution partner for France. Address: 14 Rue Milton, 75009 Paris, France.
- PIAS UKcoreDistribution partner for United Kingdom and Ireland. Address: 1 Bevington Path, London, SE1 3PW, Great Britain.
- AMPED Amped DistributioncoreDistribution partner for the Americas (USA, Canada) and Australia/Oceania. Address: 8201 Peters Rd, Suite 1000, Plantation, FL 33324, USA. Phone: +1 (800) 329-7664.
- Naxos (Denmark / Finland / Sweden)coreNaxos distributed in Denmark (Worsaaesvej 19, 1972 Frederiksberg C), Finland (Malmin raitti 17 A, 00700 Helsinki), and Sweden/Norway (Kryptongatan 6, 70374 Örebro, Sweden). Core partners for the Nordic market.
- Suburban Marketing & Distribution B.V.minorDistribution partner for Benelux (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg). Address: Donkere Spaarne 14, 2011 JG Haarlem, The Netherlands.
- Tokyo M-Plus Co., Ltd.minorDistribution partner for Japan. Address: 4-14-10, Sengoku, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 112-0011, Japan.
- C&L RecordsminorDistribution partner for South Korea. Address: 5F, Seoduck Bldg., 1515-8 Secho-dong, Seocho-gu, Korea.
- EGEA Records & DistributionminorDistribution partner for Italy. Address: Corso Mazzini, 12, 12037 Saluzzo (CN), Italy.
- Musikvertrieb AGminorDistribution partner for Switzerland. Address: Badenerstrasse 555, 8048 Zürich, Switzerland.
- Avispa S.L.minorDistribution partner for Spain. Address: Calle San Rogelio 7, 28039 Madrid, Spain.
- Gigi DistributionminorDistribution partner for Poland. Address: ul. Krolowej Jadwigi 275 A, 30218 Krakow, Poland.
- Berliner PhilharmoniecoreACT co-produces the 'Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic' concert series with the Berlin Philharmonic, curated by Siggi Loch. The series began approximately 10 years before the source date and has produced numerous exceptional live albums on ACT, featuring artists from diverse directions on a major classical stage.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ACT competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sunnyside Records: New York-based independent jazz label with a comparable artist-development and curated-release model. Sunnyside overlaps with ACT in signing European jazz artists for US distribution and competes for similar collector audiences.
- ECM Records: Munich-based independent label widely regarded as Europe's most influential jazz and contemporary music label. ECM is ACT's closest direct peer: similar niche focus on premium jazz and crossover recordings, comparable emphasis on artist development and collector-grade physical packaging, and overlapping artist and audience base.
- Mack Avenue Records: US-based independent jazz label operating a comparable artist-development, premium-physical-format model. Mack Avenue and ACT compete for internationally touring jazz artists and share a similar positioning around artist curation and collector-quality releases.
- Intakt Records: Zurich-based independent jazz label with a comparable focus on European creative and progressive jazz. Intakt and ACT compete for similar artist profiles and audiences within the European independent jazz market.
- Winter & Winter: German independent label founded by Stefan Winter with a comparable emphasis on premium recorded music, crossover genres, and artist curation. Winter & Winter shares ACT's niche positioning in the European independent jazz/creative music market.
Broad incumbents
- Blue Note Records: Iconic jazz label founded in 1939, now part of Universal Music Group. Blue Note operates at vastly greater scale than ACT but competes in the same jazz recorded-music market for premium artist signings, collector vinyl releases, and audience attention.
- Nonesuch Records: Independent label within the Warner Music Group family with a strong jazz and contemporary-classical roster. Nonesuch overlaps with ACT's crossover jazz-classical positioning but operates with the backing of a major-label parent.
- Verve Records: Major jazz label now part of Universal Music Group with a deep historical catalog and global marketing reach. Verve competes with ACT for premium jazz artists and audience share but operates as part of a much larger portfolio.
Others
- ACT Music + Vision (peer set considered): Placeholder excluded; ACT itself. Removed from final peer list to avoid self-reference.
Regional players
- PIAS: Belgian-based independent music group operating both as a distributor (ACT's partner in France and UK/Ireland) and as an independent label group. PIAS is both a distribution channel and an adjacent peer in the European independent recorded music market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ACT social profiles
Digital presenceACT financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ACT leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
ACT subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
ACT funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ACT 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 ACT
What does ACT do?
ACT is an independent jazz record label that releases and sells jazz albums in physical formats (CDs and vinyl LPs, including standard, colored, and limited remastered editions) and digital formats (downloads and streaming). The label operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop at actmusic.com and distributes through regional wholesale partners across more than 25 countries. It also offers branded merchandise, books, curated Spotify playlists, live concert programming (ACT Nights, Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic), and artist management services through its subsidiary The ACT Agency.
Is ACT a public or private company?
ACT is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ACT founded?
ACT was founded in 1992. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ACT based?
ACT is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does ACT make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Physical music sales are the primary driver. The others are digital streaming and downloads, music publishing and artist management.
Who are ACT's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sunnyside Records, ECM Records, Mack Avenue Records, Intakt Records and Winter & Winter. Broad incumbents are Blue Note Records, Nonesuch Records and Verve Records. ACT Music + Vision (peer set considered) is listed as an others. PIAS is listed as a regional player.
Does ACT have an API?
No public API is recorded for ACT.
What industry is ACT in?
ACT's product category is Independent Jazz Record Label & Music Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAA, Record Labels (Major & Independent), with a secondary code of MPAGAAAF, Artist Booking, Talent Buying & Agency Services. Its NAICS code is 512230 and its SIC code is 5735.