Warner Music Group announced the acquisition of Zebralution Music GmbH from Bookwire on November 3, 2026. Zebralution Music is the spin-off music division of Zebralution. Bookwire has since integrated the business units related to spoken word, podcasts, and e-books into its own operations following its acquisition of the company in early 2026.
At Zebralution Music, the leadership team led by co-CEOs and founders Konrad von Löhneysen and Sascha Lazimbat will remain on board and is expected to continue steering the company’s sales operations. They will work closely with Niels Walboomers, President Warner Music Central Europe, to align strategic operations.
Zebralution Music’s partner labels will also „continue to benefit from the distributor’s deep local expertise,“ the new partners announced. In addition, they will gain direct access to the advanced technology from Warner Music’s portfolio. The major music label points, among other things, to tools for distribution, analytics and financial solutions, which the company recently acquired through its purchase of the music technology platform Revelator.
Sascha Lazimbat, Co-CEO of Zebralution Music, says: „This is an exciting new chapter for Zebralution Music, but for our label partners and the people we work with every day, it will very much be business as usual. We’ll continue to operate with the same team, the same relationships and the same commitment to delivering the best possible service. What does change is the additional technology and resources now available to us, which will help us build on what we have already achieved.“
Konrad von Loehneysen, Co-CEO of Zebralution Music, adds: „Zebralution Music has always been built around understanding the needs of indie labels and providing a personal, flexible service. Our partners can expect the same people, the same approach and the same independence they’ve always valued. It’s easy to say for me, as my label Embassy of Music has been a client for 20 plus years and will continue to be so.“
Niels Walboomers, President, Warner Music Central Europe, adds: „Konrad and Sascha have built one of the most trusted homes for independent music in Europe, and a team that labels genuinely believe in. Zebralution’s deep regional expertise, combined with our technology and global reach, gives its partners world-class capabilities without asking them to give up their independence.“
Walboomers had recently hinted at potential acquisitions: „We’re on a clear growth trajectory and are very actively exploring M&A opportunities and strategic acquisitions,“ he said in an interview with MusikWoche. The goal, he explained, is to create „the necessary infrastructure and room for future growth.“ „We are constantly screening the market for options that are a natural fit for us and offer strategic value.“ Warner Music has apparently been somewhat more cautious in this area than its competitors recently: „Going forward, however, we want to seize such opportunities in a much more active and targeted manner,“ said Walboomers, who is now following through on that promise with the Zebralution deal.
With this merger, Warner Music and Zebralution are building on a shared history that dates back to January 2007: At that time, word first leaked out during Midem that Warner Music had secured a stake in the digital distribution company led by Kurt Thielen and Sascha Lazimbat. Ten years later, four shareholders bought Zebralution from Warner Music. In 2019, GEMA entered the digital distribution market with Zebralution and took full ownership of the company five years later. In January 2026, the New York-based private equity firm Insight Partners announced the „indirect acquisition of a stake and control“ of Zebralution; however, its subsidiary BookWire emerged as the actual buyer shortly thereafter.
