ESSENTIAL MUSIC & MARKETING LIMITED
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Cash
£814k
-49.2% vs 2024
Net assets
£13m
+25.8% highest in 3 filed years
Employees
74
-24.5% lowest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
£4.2m
+3.9% highest in 3 filed years
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
Material uncertainty over going concern
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. The directors have received notice from group company Orchard Enterprises NY, INC., that it will support the operational needs of the company in order to allow it to meet its liabilities as and when they fall due for a period of at least 12 months from the date of approval of the financial statements. Therefore, the directors believe that preparing the financial statements on a going concern basis is appropriate due to the continued financial support of Orchard Enterprises NY, INC.
-
Going-concern uncertainty disclosed
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-03-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-03-31 | 2024-03-31 | 2025-03-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £95,416,231 | £104,384,924 | £105,414,019 | +1% | |
| Operating profit | £2,270,203 | £4,365,440 | £5,335,187 | +22.2% | |
| Profit before tax | £2,214,910 | £4,003,835 | £4,158,631 | +3.9% | |
| Net profit | £1,641,349 | £3,037,274 | £2,761,628 | -9.1% | |
| Cash | £813,307 | £1,604,441 | £814,296 | -49.2% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £7,681,891 | £10,719,165 | £13,480,793 | +25.8% | |
| Net assets | £7,681,891 | £10,719,165 | £13,480,793 | +25.8% | |
| Equity | £7,681,891 | £10,719,165 | £13,480,793 | +25.8% | |
| Average employees | 81 | 98 | 74 | -24.5% | |
| Wages | £3,992,030 | £5,692,772 | £5,184,981 | -8.9% | |
| Directors' remuneration | — | — | — | — |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-03-31 | 2024-03-31 | 2025-03-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 2.4% | 4.2% | 5.1% | |
| Net margin | 1.7% | 2.9% | 2.6% | |
| Return on capital employed | 29.6% | 40.7% | 39.6% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | — | 83.5% | 84.7% | |
| Current ratio | 1.10x | 1.13x | 0.95x | |
| Interest cover | 24.63x | 9.49x | 4.11x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Material uncertainty disclosed
“The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. The directors have received notice from group company Orchard Enterprises NY, INC., that it will support the operational needs of the company in order to allow it to meet its liabilities as and when they fall due for a period of at least 12 months from the date of approval of the financial statements. Therefore, the directors believe that preparing the financial statements on a going concern basis is appropriate due to the continued financial support of Orchard Enterprises NY, INC.”
Group structure
- ESSENTIAL MUSIC & MARKETING LIMITED · parent
- Above Board Distribution Limited 100%
- Napalm Records Handels GmbH 49%
Significant events
- “During the financial year there was an impairment of £1,199,286 (2024: £nil) reflecting the renewal of contracts with the company which has previously been contracted with Above Board Distribution Limited.”
- “During the year the company also acquired 49% shareholding for consideration of £14,507,906 in Napalm Records Handels GmbH which operates as a label.”
- “Since launching our industry-leading Childcare Policy in October 2022, to help parents claim up to £15,000 annually for childcare expenses, we have seen a 11% improvement in female retention across the Sony Group.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
6 active · 9 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAHADUR, Prashant | Director | 2018-10-25 | Sep 1972 | Indian |
| MCCRADY, Tucker | Director | 2018-10-25 | Sep 1965 | American |
| NAVIN, Bradley Peter | Director | 2018-10-25 | Dec 1970 | American |
| SIEK, Denis Frederic | Director | 2018-10-25 | May 1980 | American |
| SMITH, Michael Anthony | Director | 2016-03-02 | Mar 1959 | British |
| THEIS, Colleen Louise | Director | 2018-10-25 | Feb 1969 | American |
Show 9 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| VAN DER STRAETEN, Sonja | Secretary | 2003-07-26 | 2016-03-02 |
| ABERGAN REED NOMINEES LIMITED | Corporate Nominee Secretary | 2003-07-22 | 2003-07-26 |
| CHADWICK, Michael Alan | Director | 2004-05-28 | 2019-07-04 |
| GILBERT, Erik | Director | 2013-10-01 | 2015-08-31 |
| GOLDSCHMIDT, Martin | Director | 2003-07-26 | 2018-09-10 |
| MEADE, Lance Julian | Director | 2013-10-01 | 2018-11-01 |
| ROSS, Neil | Director | 2018-10-25 | 2022-12-16 |
| WHITE, James Paul | Director | 2015-11-04 | 2017-09-20 |
| ABERGAN REED LIMITED | Corporate Nominee Director | 2003-07-22 | 2003-07-26 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony Music Entertainment Uk Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 91 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-24 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-05-08 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-11-07 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-05-14 | AD02 | address | Change sail address company with old address new address | |
| 2025-05-13 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-03-18 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-03-17 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2024-09-21 | DISS40 | gazette | Gazette filings brought up to date | |
| 2024-09-17 | GAZ1 | gazette | Gazette notice compulsory | |
| 2024-05-21 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-05-21 | AD02 | address | Change sail address company with old address new address | |
| 2023-09-27 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2023-09-25 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-06-08 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-01-18 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-12-19 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2022-05-23 | PSC05 | persons-with-significant-control | Change to a person with significant control | |
| 2022-05-23 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2022-02-18 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-01-02 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 3
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.