Commercial Parties

Two of the most important international jazz labels, ECM and ACT, are based in Germany. ECM made its name by publishing many important names in avant-garde and free jazz – the label recently celebrated its 50th anniversary – and has released one of the best-selling jazz albums of all times, Keith Jarrett’s “The Köln Concert”. ACT has built an excellent reputation of bringing European Jazz to the world, among them the records of the late Esbjörn Svenson and his Trio e.s.t. Major record companies such as Universal, Sony, Warner, and EMI are also active in Germany. A huge part in album production is played, though, by small record companies run by enthusiasts, often the musicians themselves. These smaller record companies often have a focus on the Germany scene but do release albums by international bands and artists as well. A good overview can be found on the website of VUT, the representation of independent companies in the music business (not only for jazz): https://www.vut.de/ .

Streaming:



Besides the major international players (spotify.com, applemusic.com, youtube.com, deezer.com or qobuz.com) digital music promotion platforms like bandcamp.com and the Berlin based provider soundcloud.com are most relevant in the Germany jazz scene. Also, the platform Patreon.com has gained influence in the German jazz scene recently.