"No detailed discussions have yet taken place and there can be no assurance that a transaction will result," EMI said.
The Bertelsmann approach concerns combining Bertelsmann's music division with EMI. EMI shares rose on the news.
At the beginning of October, EMI and Time Warner Inc called off a 50:50 merger of their music interests in response to competition concerns.
On October 5 European Commission competition officials confirmed they had been informed of a decision by EMI and Time Warner to call off their merger.
Earlier the two groups had announced they had abandoned the merger on Commission concerns that the merger could result in over-concentration of control in the recorded music sector into four global groups, with Universal Music, Bertelsmann and Sony Music the three other main players.
The two groups said they were still in talks to "attempt to achieve a combination which is acceptable to all parties".
The original agreement, announced in January, would have led to a joint venture representing 2,500 musicians, from the Rolling Stones to Madonna.
They would have merged their music businesses as Warner EMI Music, although EMI would have remained an independent company with its own listing on the London Stock Exchange.
It is though the Commission might take a more relaxed view of a Bertelsmann-EMI tie-up, as it would not be dominant.
Among the big five music recording groups, Universal Music - part of Seagram and currently in talks with Vivendi - has a market share of 21.2 per cent, Sony Music has 17.7 per cent, EMI 13.2 per cent, Bertelsmann Music Group 12.5 per cent and Warner Music 11.1 per cent. dpa rpm sc
(sda)
1°C / 8°C 
2°C / 8°C 
2°C / 9°C 
2°C / 10°C 
6°C / 17°C 
