Metronome Musik GmbH

German record company, established in 1977 as the successor to Metronome Records GmbH.
Appears sometimes also as Metronome Music GmbH, mainly as the phonographic copyright holder.
Metronome Musik GmbH operated the Metronome label and distributed a number of foreign labels in Germany. The company was shut down on December 31st 1996.

Please note: this is a company, not a label. Metronome Musik GmbH may be entered as a company as outlined in the guidelines. Do not enter it as a Label but use company credits like 'Distributed By'.

Name variations as found on this profile:
- Metronome Musik GmbH
- Metronome Musik/GmbH
- Metronome Musik GmbH, Hamburg
- metronom musik gmbh

The releases usually show a 7-digit cat#. Some early releases still have the typical 5 digit cat# as on Metronome Records GmbH versions without the 00 prefix.
The 6 digit cat# - for example ## ###-# or ## ### # are usually Club Editions, in the meantime Bertelsmann Club - but also other Clubs are possible.

Early LP releases until the end of Jan. 1978 are commonly pressed by Phonodisc GmbH. This can be identified by the pressing plant codes 0701.### till late 1977, and 0702.### in later 1977 and early 1978. At approximately 0702.300 - beginning of Feb. 1978 the pressing plant was renamed to PRS Hannover. The codes are chronologically and went on to 0703.###, 0704.###. They should be mentioned at the cat# field at the LCCN. If there are two pressing plant codes, the latter one is valid for dating.
Some repress versions still show the earlier 0664.### pressing plant codes from the first half of the 1970s. If not sure how to handle it, please ask at one of the linked threads you can find in the history here.

The Metronome companies took over the MCA Records distribution in Germany later in 1976. Earlier releases may be still pressed by the previous distributor Teldec. We frequently find a bunch of different versions from the Metronome period, so please always try to submit these versions with clear and readable images. There are different company credits on the rear cover - and sometimes there are mixes of older covers with Metronome only mentioned as distributor or Metronome Records GmbH - but Metronome Musik GmbH at the label perimeter text. This should be documented accurately.
The distribution run until some point in 1979. When MCA acquired ABC Records in early 1979, Metronome started to release some of the newly available artists. These previously ABC Records releases with Metronome credits dates into 1979.
Since later in 1978 Ariola Eurodisc GmbH also started to distribute the MCA Records releases. This runs until late 1983.