Country superstar Jason Aldean is feeling right at home at BMG. The company announced on Thursday that it has acquired the recorded music catalog encompassing Aldean’s first big batch of chart-topping albums, along with publishing and recorded rights from a diverse group of nearly two dozen other artists and songwriters, totaling over 1,000 songs across multiple genres.
The deal brings Aldean’s full discography back under BMG’s umbrella, following its 2017 acquisition of BBR Music Group, which originally released Aldean’s music through its Broken Bow Records imprint. This acquisition spans nine studio albums, from Aldean’s platinum-certified self-titled debut in 2005 to 2019’s aptly-titled 9, four of which reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. BMG continued to release Aldean’s subsequent albums, including Macon, Georgia (2021–2022) and Highway Desperado (2023), which featured the Hot 100-topping hit “Try That In a Small Town.” In April, Aldean celebrated his 40th top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “Whiskey Drink.”
Aldean had previously signed a distribution and marketing deal with BMG in 2019, expanding the company’s rights beyond the U.S. and Canada. This new acquisition ensures BMG controls the full scope of Aldean’s recorded output and neighboring rights (the public performance rights associated with a sound recording).
BMG said the multi-layered acquisition is its largest catalog investment to date and part of broader investment strategy under parent company Bertelsmann’s Boost program, which has surpassed $1.5 billion in music rights investments since 2021. Financial details and the seller were not disclosed.
BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld called the deal a “landmark” moment that “sets a new level of catalog acquisitions” at the company. “By bringing together the iconic catalog of Jason Aldean, we are strengthening our footprint in country music while expanding across genres and deepening our investment in the U.S.,” he said. “This move highlights our ability to maximize the value of music rights and represents a powerful step in BMG’s strategy to be the most effective, artist-first music company in the world.”
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Aldean said he was proud of the deal, noting the long-standing support from BBR and BMG. “Knowing all of my music is in the hands of my long-time label team makes this a full-circle moment,” he said.
Jon Loba, president of Frontline Recordings in the Americas, praised Aldean’s impact on country music, crediting his debut album with helping define the genre’s sound and adding that “while his signature style has remained a common thread across every release, Jason has consistently pushed the envelope both sonically and lyrically.”
