SPV GmbH (short for ''Schallplatten Produktion und Vertrieb

GmbH (; ) is a type of Juridical person, legal entity in German-speaking countries. It is equivalent to a (Sàrl) in the Romandy, French-speaking region of Switzerland and to a (Sagl) in the Ticino, Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. It is a ...

'', "Vinyl Production and Distribution Company") is a German

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

. Founded on 1 January 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide. It has several sub-labels that it produces and distributes, including the labels Steamhammer ( heavy metal,

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...

), Long Branch Records ( alternative, indie,

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

progressive metal Progressive metal (often shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven sound of the former with t ...

metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...

), Oblivion (

darkwave Dark wave, or darkwave, is a music genre that emerged from the new wave and post-punk movement of the late 1970s. Dark wave compositions are largely based on minor key tonality and introspective lyrics and have been perceived as being dark, ro ...

, gothic), SPV Recordings ( pop, rock), Cash Machine Records (

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

), Select Records (urban), and Synthetic Symphony ( industrial). In November 2020, SPV was acquired by

Napalm Records Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal, hard rock and folk/folk rock/folk metal. Originally, Napalm focused on black metal bands, such as Abigor and Summoning, and folk metal bands, such as Falkenbach a ...

Artists on Steamhammer

Arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

* Angra * Anne Clark *

Blackmore's Night Blackmore's Night is a British-American neo-medieval folk rock band formed in 1997, consisting mainly of Ritchie Blackmore (acoustic guitar, hurdy gurdy, mandola, mandolin, nyckelharpa, and electric guitar) and Candice Night (lead vocals, lyr ...

* Doro * Evildead *

Eric Burdon Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer and songwriter. He was previously the lead vocalist of the rhythm and blues, R&B and Rock music, rock band The Animals and the funk band War (band), War. He is regarded as one of the Br ...

Helloween Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. The band has at times been called one of the most influential European heavy metal bands of the 1980s. Its first ...

Iced Earth Iced Earth is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band currently composed of only Jon Schaffer, formed in Tampa, Florida, and based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist, ma ...

Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...

* Kamelot *

Kreator Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current line-up consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mille Petrozza, Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen Reil, Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli- ...

* MAGNUM * Moonspell *

Monster Magnet Monster Magnet is an American rock music, rock band formed in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar), John McBain (musician), John McBain (guitar), and Tim Cronin (vocals and drums). The band has since undergone severa ...

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...

* Pro-Pain * Prong * Rhapsody of Fire * Running Wild *

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

* Sepultura * Skinny Puppy * Sodom *

Suzi Quatro Susan Kay Quatro (born June 3, 1950) is an American singer, bass guitarist, songwriter, and actress. In the 1970s, she scored a string of singles that found success in Europe and Australia, with both "Can the Can" (1973) and "Devil Gate Drive" ...

* Type O Negative *

Whitesnake Whitesnake are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1978. The group were originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their ow ...

* Vicious Rumors

Artists on Long Branch Records

*22 (NO) * A Pale Horse Named Death (US) * Agent Fresco (IS) * Air Drawn Dagger (UK) * Annisokay (DE) * As Everything Unfolds (UK) * Atlas (FI) * Birth of Joy (NL) * Black Crown Initiate (US) * Black Map (US) * Black Orchid Empire (UK) * Borders (UK) * Cabal (DK) *

Chimaira Chimaira ( ) is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in August 1998, the band's name is derived from the word Chimera (mythology), Chimera, a monstrous creature in Greek mythology. Throughout its history, ...

(US) * CKY (US) * Cold Night for Alligators (DK) * Defences (UK) * Demons of Ruby Mae (UK) * Drowning Pool (US) *

Everlast Erik Francis Schrody (born August 18, 1969), known by his stage names Everlast and Whitey Ford, is an American Rapping, rapper, Singing, singer, and songwriter who was the Lead vocalist, frontman for Hip hop music, hip hop group House of Pain. ...

(US) * Exploring Birdsong (UK) * Fit for an Autopsy (US) * Forgetting the Memories (SE) * Frames (DE) * From Sorrow to Serenity (UK) * Ghost Iris (DK) * Indecent Behavior (DE) * Ivy Crown (DK) * Jonestown (UK) * Julia Marcell (PO) *

Kaiser Chiefs Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who originally formed in 1996 as Runston Parva, before reforming as Parva in 2000, and releasing one studio album, ''22'', in 2003, before renaming and establishing themselves in their cur ...

(UK) * Kid Dad (DE) * KOJ (DE) * Livingston (UK) * Madina Lake (US) * Our Oceans (NL) * Paradisia (UK) * PLAIINS (UK) * Prospective (IT) * Razz (DE) * Rendezvous Point (NO) * Rising Insane (DE) * S8NT ELEKTRIC (US) * Second Relation (AT) * Shields (UK) * Siamese (DK) * Silent Screams (UK) * Silvertomb (US) * The Five Hundred (UK) * The Hirsch Effekt (DE) * The Interbeing (DK) * The Intersphere (DE) * The Jury & The Saints (NZ) * The Low Frequency in Stereo (NO) * The Royal (NL) * Throw the Fight (US) * Tides from Nebula (PL) * Time, The Valuator (DE) * Uneven Structure (FR) * Unprocessed (DE) * Valis Ablaze (UK) * Walking Dead on Broadway (UK) * White Miles (AT) * Within the Ruins (US) * Wucan (DE)

Insolvency

The managing partner, Manfred Schütz, decided to submit an application to commence insolvency proceedings on 25 May 2009 – roughly equivalent to Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US and administration in the UK. In response to this, on 27 May 2009, the District Court of Hannover appointed the attorney Manuel Sack as the provisional insolvency administrator. According to Schütz, together with Sack, the management of SPV GmbH would not only carry on business operations, but also continue working in the areas of production and distribution in the usual way. After a substantial resizing of its business and a partnership venture agreement with

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...

, which obtained the rights for some of the German label's main artists and for part of the catalogue, SPV went back into production with a new staff at the end of 2009.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control German independent record labels Record labels established in 1984 Rock record labels Heavy metal record labels IFPI members Napalm Records Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009

Artists on Steamhammer

Artists on Long Branch Records

Insolvency

See also

References

External links