Universal Acquiring ATO, Mute, Heavenly, & Other Indie Labels

A whole lot of important indie labels are no longer indie labels. Until very recently, iconic and long-running indies like Mute, Heavenly, and ATO existed under the umbrella of the PIAS Group, a conglomeration of indie labels. (PIAS itself came out of Play It Again Sam Records, an indie that started in Belgium in 1983.) Now, Universal has reportedly bought the PIAS Group and all of its subsidiaries.

Billboard reports that Universal Music Group has purchased all remaining shares of the PIAS Group. Back in 2022, UMG already bought a 49% share in the company. Back then, PIAS co-founder Kenny Gates said that the move would “allow us to offer a truly global distribution and services platform to the independent music community.”