Virgin Music Group
Universal Music Group's global label and artist-services division, active in Africa via a Cote d'Ivoire hub, Virgin Music Group South Africa and distribution deals with Gallo and MiPROMO.
- Founded
- 2022
- Website
- virginmusic.com
Virgin Music Group is the label and artist services division of Universal Music Group. UMG announced its formation on 13 September 2022 as “a new global division”, unifying Virgin Music Label & Artist Services, Ingrooves Music Group and the label arm of mtheory Artist Partnerships under co-chief executives JT Myers and Nat Pastor.
It distributes rather than acquires. Partner labels route their recordings through Virgin’s global distribution and marketing infrastructure while continuing to hold their own catalogues, and in the African partnerships documented by this desk no transfer of masters, publishing or equity has been disclosed.
Its African operations are named in UMG’s own launch announcement, which lists a Cote d’Ivoire hub “servicing African markets and talent”. Virgin Music Group South Africa is a separate named unit, built from the Johannesburg company Electromode, which Ingrooves acquired in 2021 and which began rebranding as Virgin Music Group in late 2023. Nicole Thomas was named its managing director in December 2025.
On 5 February 2026 Virgin announced an extension of its global distribution partnership with Gallo Record Company and Content Connect Africa, both of Johannesburg. It has also signed a distribution deal with Ghana’s MiPROMO.