Cirque du Soleil Chooses BMG
In future, BMG will serve as the record label home and music publishing home for the famous circus company Cirque du Soleil from Canada. The partners will also jointly create new songs and releases. The first project of the new partnership is the soundtrack to the theatrical production “Songblazers,” a celebration of country music.
The well-known Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group from Canada will in future entrust BMG with the music it has created. Under the agreement, the Bertelsmann music subsidiary will serve as the record label home for Cirque du Soleil’s catalog of original music, soundtracks and new albums, as well as the music publishing home that administers Cirque du Soleil’s compositions. According to BMG, the two companies will also jointly create new songs and releases.
The first release under the new collaboration is the soundtrack to “Songblazers,” Cirque du Soleil’s latest theatrical production, which pays homage to country music. “Songblazers” celebrates the classics of the genre as well as modern country songs. The “Songblazers” album was recorded at Sound Emporium Studios in the country music mecca of Nashville and produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves, Tenille Townes). The album features the cast of the show as well as a host of acclaimed country musicians.
The partnership with BMG will be led by Cirque du Soleil Studio, Cirque du Soleil's new music division, which was created to serve the company's existing fanbase and attract new fans to the brand. Over the years Cirque du Soleil has released the music of its shows to an appreciative audience across various physical and digital forms. The impressive existing music catalog now has more than 250 million career streams in the US and over 500,000 album equivalents sold in the US alone. Upcoming projects from the collaboration include new Cirque du Soleil soundtracks and releases with artists and songwriters inspired by Cirque du Soleil celebrating cultural moments across the world.
“The power of music has long been a force uniting cultures and peoples in Cirque du Soleil productions around the world,” said Anne Belliveau, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. “As music plays an integral part in our productions, we’re proud to finally dive into the music industry and explore this new avenue. Over the last few years, BMG has brought a fresh vision to the music business, and we look forward to partnering with BMG on a variety of music-related opportunities.”
Marian Wolf, Senior Vice President Music Publishing North America, said, “Cirque du Soleil is one of the most innovative and creative entertainment companies in the world. We are thrilled to be the new publishing and recorded music home for Cirque du Soleil and to collaborate on upcoming new releases. This will provide unparalleled opportunities for BMG’s diverse roster of artists, songwriters, and catalogs. Together we aim to celebrate and elevate global culture by showcasing diverse music releases and transforming the way global audiences discover new music.”
