EU Antitrust Authority Opens Probe Into Proposed Music Industry Merger

BRUSSELS—The European Union’s antitrust authority launched an in-depth probe into Universal Music Group’s proposed $1.9 billion acquisition of EMI’s recorded music business because of concerns the deal could give the merged company a dominant market share in some EU member states.

In a move that usually means changes must be made to the terms of an acquisition, such as divestitures, the European Commission said the deal could cause problems in the wholesale of physical and digital-file recordings because of the merged company’s “high market share and increased market power.”

“The proposed acquisition could reduce competition in the recorded music market ...