BMG Direct (BMG’s direct marketing company/club editions)
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BMG’s direct marketing company that was primarily active in the UK but was also credited on US releases (starting circa 1995).
If the release text states BMG Direct Marketing, Inc., please use that label instead.
Not a ‘true’ label, but treated as one in MB, for now. When you spot BMG Direct on a release please:
- Add BMG Direct as label with the D###### code as the catalogue number
- Add other visible labels with their respective catalogue numbers
- Add ‘BMG club edition’ to the disambiguation
- If you see Mfd. for BMG Direct, add the manufactured for release-label relationship
BMG Direct Marketing, Inc. was the US company that owned the BMG Music Service record club, and by extension, BMG Direct.
The company was formed in 1988, when Bertelsmann Music Group acquired RCA, owner of the RCA Music Service record club. The record club was then renamed BMG Music Service. BMG Music Service acquired Columbia House in June 2005. BMG Music Service ceased operations on June 30, 2009.
Catalog numbers of the original label appear on BMG Direct pressings as normal.
For legacy releases: If, on a release, BMG Direct is credited as a label, instead add the release's actual label(s) and catalog number(s) as the label credit, and format BMG Direct's using the manufactured by release-label relationship, or whatever relationship is applicable.