Now! That's What I Call Music

What Now! That's What I Call Music does

Now! That's What I Call Music operates a 40-year-old UK-originated music compilation franchise, legally structured as NOW That's What I Call Music LLP and headquartered at 2 Canal Reach, Kings Cross, London. The core business is curating and releasing multi-artist compilations of chart-topping pop tracks by securing licensing rights from major record labels, then packaging and selling these collections in physical formats. The product portfolio extends well beyond the flagship numbered series (currently at NOW 124, launched July 2026 with 41 tracks across 2CDs) to include thematic sub-brands: the NOW Yearbook series covering year-by-year retrospectives from the 1960s through the 1990s, the newer NOW Yearbook – THE VAULT line for deeper-cut discoveries, NOW 12" 80s for extended club mixes, NOW ERA for genre- and era-specific collections, NOW Christmas for seasonal releases, NOW Millennium for 2000s compilations, multi-disc NOW Box Sets, and branded merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, notebooks, tote bags). Products are issued across vinyl (3LP, 5LP boxsets, colored and numbered limited editions priced up to $134.99) and CD formats (4CD standard and special-edition hardback book packaging), with extensive pre-order exclusives such as numbered prints.

Name

Now! That's What I Call Music

Legal name

NOW That's What I Call Music LLP

Website

https://nowmusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Now! That's What I Call Music is a UK-based privately held LLP that curates and sells multi-artist pop compilation albums across physical CD, vinyl, and merchandise formats directly to global music collectors and enthusiasts through its online store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Compilations

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)

akta.pro primary industry

Recorded Music Retail & D2C Merch Bundles (MPAIAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pop Culture, Licensed & Fandom Gifts Retail (CRALAJAK)

Keywords

• Music compilation albums
• Physical music retail
• Vinyl record sales
• Pop music licensing
• Music merchandise sales

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Physical Music Sales: Sale of compilation albums in physical formats including CD and vinyl (3LP, 2LP, 5LP boxsets). Products sold as one-time purchases with various editions (standard, special edition, numbered print editions).
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, mugs, notebooks, and tote bags through the online store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Now! That's What I Call Music curates and releases multi-artist pop music compilation albums in physical formats (CD, vinyl LP, multi-disc box sets) and sells branded merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, notebooks, tote bags). Products are sold direct-to-consumer through the official NOW Music online store (nowmusic.com) with international shipping and multi-currency support, spanning the flagship numbered NOW series plus themed sub-series including Yearbook, Vault, 12" 80s, ERA, Christmas, Millennium, and Box Sets.

Product overview

Now! That's What I Call Music is a music compilation company offering a diversified portfolio of curated album releases across physical formats (vinyl, CD) and digital. The core offering is the numbered NOW That's What I Call Music! series, which releases periodic compilation volumes featuring current chart hits. Supporting product lines include: the Yearbook series (year-by-year historical retrospectives from 1960s-1990s), THE VAULT (deeper-cut discoveries from specific years), NOW 12" 80s Series (extended club mixes), ERA (genre and era-themed compilations like disco and 90s pop), Millennium (2000s decade compilations), NOW Christmas (seasonal releases), Box Sets (multi-disc genre celebrations), and branded merchandise (apparel, accessories). Products are available in standard, special edition (hardback packaging), and numbered/limited formats across vinyl and CD configurations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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.

• KP SnacksminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 February 2026Promotional partnership for Nik Naks Xtra Hot 'N' Fiery crisp launch. NOW That's What I Call Music featured as part of promotional campaign offering consumers and retailers cash and music-related prizes. The partnership leverages NOW brand recognition for consumer engagement.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• HMV: UK high-street music and entertainment retailer that sells NOW CDs, vinyl, and merchandise in physical stores. Comparable as a physical music retail channel partner that competes for the same end consumer's physical media spend.

Broad incumbents

• Universal Music Group: Major label that both licenses catalog to NOW and operates its own in-house compilation brands. Broad incumbent in recorded music with overlapping compilation capabilities but at much larger scale across the wider recorded music portfolio.
• Warner Music Group: Major record label providing catalog to NOW and operating its own compilation releases. Comparable as a content owner/distributor with overlapping compilation presence in physical retail.
• Sony Music Entertainment: Major label that supplies content to NOW and owns competing compilation franchises (incl. Bravo). Wider portfolio across recorded music, publishing, and merch that overlaps with NOW's compilation and merchandise model.

Direct peers

• Café del Mar: Iconic chill-out/lounge compilation brand selling physical CDs, vinyl, and merch. Comparable to NOW on curated themed compilations, multi-format physical retail, and brand-driven collector appeal.
• Bravo Hits: Long-running European compilation series (German market) featuring chart hits in CD format. Closely matches NOW on numbered multi-artist pop compilations, CD-led retail, and pan-European music merchandising.
• Ministry of Sound: UK-based dance/pop compilation brand that curates multi-artist albums and sells physical formats plus merchandise. Directly comparable to NOW on multi-artist compilation series, retail of CD/vinyl box sets, and event-led brand marketing.
• Hed Kandi: Compilation brand focused on house/lounge music, releasing multi-disc CD compilations and merchandise. Comparable to NOW's themed ERA and12" 80s lines through curated multi-artist themed compilations and physical retail.

Regional players

• Putumayo World Music: US-rooted curated compilation label with a distinct genre focus but very similar multi-artist themed compilation model and physical retail distribution. Comparable on curation-first compilation philosophy even though genre and primary geography differ.

Emerging players

• Vinyl Me, Please: Vinyl subscription and curation service offering themed curated records with exclusive colored pressings. Adjacent to NOW's collector-driven vinyl strategy, particularly the limited colored5LP box sets, targeting a similar high-engagement vinyl collector demographic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Now! That's What I Call Music