Downtown Music Publishing Africa forms part of Downtown Music Holdings. With this close, we are now proudly part of Virgin Music Group.
Los Angeles & Amsterdam – 20 February 2026 – Virgin Music Group (VMG) today announced it has completed its acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings LLC (Downtown), marking a significant milestone in the creation of a global, end-to-end solution that meets the evolving needs of independent entrepreneurs, artists, and rights holders. At the same time, Pieter van Rijn was appointed Chief Operating Officer, having been CEO of Downtown since last year. He will report to co-CEOs Nat Pastor and JT Myers and will continue to be based in Amsterdam.
Downtown founder Justin Kalifowitz confirmed he is stepping away from the company he founded in 2007, sharing a Founder’s Letter on Downtown’s website. Andrew Bergman, previously chairman of Downtown, will transition into a senior advisory role.
Initially established in 2007, Downtown collectively serves more than 5,000 business clients and over four million creators in 145 countries. Today, the company has core divisions across Artist & Label Services, Distribution, and Music Publishing. The company’s portfolio of businesses includes FUGA, Downtown Artist & Label Services, CD Baby, Downtown Music Publishing and Songtrust.
With extensive leadership experience across both Downtown Music and FUGA, van Rijn has been a key architect in the development of innovative, scalable services designed to empower the independent community. As COO of Virgin Music Group, he will oversee global operations, tech, product and strategic integration across the combined businesses, as well as ensuring continuity for Downtown’s clients, teams and brands while unlocking new opportunities for growth and collaboration.
Nat Pastor said: “Pieter’s appointment signals our intent to bring these businesses together thoughtfully and strategically. This is about making both Virgin Music Group and Downtown even better — preserving their distinct strengths while increasing the investment, technology and global resources available to independent entrepreneurs. Pieter’s experience and leadership make him the right person to help guide us forward.”
Pieter van Rijn said: “This combination enhances the choice, service and global reach available to the independent community. I’m grateful to Justin and Andrew for their vision in building Downtown, and to Nat and JT for their trust as we enter this next chapter. Our focus is clear: strengthen what makes both companies special and deliver even greater value to the entrepreneurs we serve.”
JT Myers said: “Today recognises the extraordinary company the Downtown team has built. Justin’s pioneering spirit — and the leadership of Andrew, Pieter and colleagues worldwide — created an organisation defined by its powerful belief in independent creators. We deeply respect what this team has built and are committed to backing it, protecting what makes Downtown successful, and expanding opportunities for the global independent community.”
Andrew Bergman said: “I’m extremely proud of the culture we created, grounded in trust, long-term partnership and the constant pursuit of excellence. Pieter van Rijn epitomises that culture and watching my friend grow into such an exceptional leader has been extremely gratifying. Justin and I look forward to cheering on Nat, JT, Pieter and the combined teams as they continue to create new opportunities for the global music community.”
What this means for Downtown Music Publishing Africa
Downtown Music Publishing Africa remains focused on publishing: protecting songwriters’ rights, keeping works accurately registered, and supporting licensing readiness so African songs can travel cleanly across territories.
Practically, the acquisition close means we operate within Virgin Music Group as part of the broader Downtown Music Holdings ecosystem — with the same day-to-day priority: accurate metadata, clean splits, and consistent rights administration so royalties flow as intended.
Sources
Company-stated announcement from Downtown Music (20 Feb 2026). Original announcement: Downtown Music — “Virgin Music Group Completes Acquisition Of Downtown; Pieter van Rijn Named Chief Operating Officer Of VMG”.
