Create Music Group Has Acquired Indie Label !K7

Create Music Group has announced the acquisition of indie electronic label !K7. The deal was already in motion before the death of !K7 Founder Horst Weidenmueller in February 2025 at age 60.

A representative shared the following statement from Weidenmueller. “This transition is a deeply personal one for me, but I know that with Create Music Group, !K7 is in the right hands. Create Music Group shares our commitment to artists, labels, and creativity, and I am confident that this partnership will strengthen !K7’s legacy while opening new doors for the future. I want to thank our incredible team, partners, and artists for being part of this journey—what we have built together will continue to thrive and evolve for years to come.”

Create Music Group (CMG) acquired the independent label for an undisclosed sum, marking its second major acquisition this year. The first was a $55 million Deadmau5/Mau5trap catalog deal that CMG struck in March. The !K7 acquisition strengthen’s CMG’s electronic music portfolio, leveraging 40 years of brand equity and !K7’s physical distribution network.

“Though Horst Weidenmueller, the founder of !K7 is no longer with us, his words and vision continue to resonate,” shares Tom Nieuweboer about the acquisition. “Over the past 40 years, !K7 has grown into a global force while staying true to its independent spirit. This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for !K7, allowing us to scale our vision while staying true to our core values of independent artistry, innovation, and quality.”

“We are thrilled to welcome !K7 and its iconic DJ-Kicks series to the Create Music Group family,” adds CMG’s Senior VP of Global Corporate Development and M&A Eric Nguyen. “This acquisition not only deepens our footprint in electronic music but also reinforces our commitment to forward-thinking music across a wide spectrum of specialist genres represented by its globally respected imprint Strut Records. We’re proud to support the innovative spirit that defines the !K7 catalog. We look forward to powering the next chapter for !K7, it’s exceptional roster of artists, and its visionary label partners around the world.”