| Naxos Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1987 (1987) |
| Founder | Klaus Heymann |
| Genre | Classical,jazz,modern,audiobooks,ebooks |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom (Hong Kong) |
| Location | Hong Kong |
| Official website | www |
Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing inclassical music but alsoaudiobooks and other genres.[1][2][3] The premier label isNaxos Records, which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 17 labels including Naxos Records, Naxos Audiobooks, and Naxos Books (ebooks). They distribute a number of additional labels that are independent of the Naxos Musical Group with a wide range of offerings.[4]
The company was founded in 1987 byKlaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.[5] In September 2025, Kuke Music Holding Ltd (NYSE: KUKE), a leading classical music services platform in China, acquired a controlling interest in Naxos Music Group for US$106 million.[6]
Naxos Records is a record label specializing inclassical music. The company was known for its budget pricing of discs,[7] with simpler artwork and design than most other labels.[8] In the 1980s, Naxos primarily recorded central and eastern European symphony orchestras, often with lesser-known conductors, as well as upcoming and unknown musicians, to minimize recording costs and maintain its budget prices.
In more recent years, Naxos has taken advantage of the expiringcopyrights of other companies' studio recordings by selling discs remastered fromgramophone records. Examples include the complete recordings of opera singers such asEnrico Caruso,Amelita Galli-Curci, andTitta Ruffo and the 1934 world première performance ofHoward Hanson's operaMerry Mount. Legal restrictions prevented some of these recordings from being sold in the United States. Naxos has also recorded the music of contemporary composers, includingLeonardo Balada,Bechara El-Khoury,Laurent Petitgirard, andAlla Pavlova. The label has branched out intojazz,world music, and books on musical subjects. Naxos Spoken Word Library contains non-music products, such asaudiobooks andradio dramas.[4]
In 2003, it began a paid subscription service for listening on theInternet that offers its complete catalogue and the Naxos Music Library.[9] In 2015, it launched a high-definition download and streaming service, ClassicsOnline HD•LL, with a catalogue drawn from a number of classical record labels.[10]
Naxos Global Logistics, based inPoing near Munich, was founded in 2008[11] to expand the services offered to its distributed labels, including manufacturing, marketing, and licensing.[12]
In 2005, Naxos won the Label of the Year Award[13] at Classic FM/Gramophone awards. In 2023, they won the Label of the Year Award[14] at the International Classical Music Awards.
The label of the year award went to the bargain-priced record company Naxos, which was praised for its 'visionary zeal'.
