Concord has acquired the 5,000-song catalog of Mothership, including an interest in works popularized by The Marías (pictured). Photo Credit: Julio Enriquez
Concord’s acquisition streak isn’t finished yet, as the company’s officially purchased the assets of Mothership Music Publishing – chief among them a 5,000-song catalog.
Nashville-based Concord and Mothership reached out with word of the transaction today. The selling operation set sail 13 years ago as a partnership between Epitaph founder Brett Gurewitz, longtime exec Lionel Conway, and Pythagoras Music Fund partner Hein van der ree (formerly Epitaph’s Europe MD).
During this decade-plus run, Mothership – besides having a sub-publishing pact with Concord outside the States – developed a roster featuring The Marías (which inked with UMPG in October 2025), The Menzingers, Falling in Reverse, Wargirl, and many others.
Regarding active agreements, Concord confirmed “the continuation of deals” with Mothership’s current songwriters. And on the catalog side, the transaction also encompasses the initially mentioned “more than 5,000 copyrights,” which are said to span genres including but not limited to rock, pop, and Latin.
“Having known and worked with the Mothership team over the years,” added Concord chief publishing executive Jim Selby, “I have watched them build a company dedicated to elevating great artistry. They have assembled a fantastic catalog and a great roster of songwriters.
“Thanks to Brett, Lionel, Doug [Mark], and Hein for entrusting Concord to carry on supporting great songwriting,” concluded the Concord higher-up of more than a decade.
And on the opposite side of the agreement, Lionel Conway (who’s “had 71 uninterrupted years in the music biz”) underscored that “Mothership was built on a simple belief: great songwriters deserve real, long-term support and a publisher who truly understands their vision.”
“We’re fortunate to have built something very special together, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved,” Conway proceeded. “Concord has been part of that journey since the beginning, and there is no better home for our songwriters as they continue to grow globally. I also want to thank our incredible team at Mothership for giving our writers so much care and attention over the years.”
As initially highlighted, today’s buyout is the latest in a line of recent plays for Concord, which has to this point in 2026 backed Irving Azoff’s Giant Music, scooped up Ninja Tune, and, earlier in April, unveiled a strategic venture with Victor Victor Worldwide (not to be confused with Victory Records).
But does Concord itself have a buyer? Time will tell; since January reports suggested that Bertelsmann might be exploring a possible acquisition, neither side has commented publicly on the subject.
However, based on the significant competition for song rights, the sizable pile of existing deals, and the huge amount of earmarked-but-undeployed capital (to the tune of at least $3.5 billion confirmed during 2026 alone), it appears that IP-heavy whole-business deals will keep on pouring in.
Earlier in April, following Kobalt’s sale to Primary Wave in March, Reservoir-partnered PopArabia bought Viral Wave. Meanwhile, the likes of Avex, Bella Figura, Seeker, MusicBird, CTM, Dynamite, BMG, and Pophouse are continuing to fire off deals for individual bodies of work.
