Ownership record · Updated August 2026
Who owns Beats by Dre?
Beats by Dre is owned by Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL). Apple acquired Beats Electronics, LLC (and Beats Music) in 2014 for US$3 billion, about US$2.6 billion cash plus US$400 million in stock (announced May, closed August 2014). Beats is Apple's largest acquisition to date and its headphone brand.
The ownership chain
Ownership is rarely one hop. Here is the evidence chain for Beats by Dre, from the entity that holds the trademark to the ultimate parent, with the record that establishes each link.
- Beats Electronics, LLCOperating company / trademark holderSource: USPTO trademark register
- Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine (founders, to 2014)Founders; sold to AppleSource: Deal coverage
- Apple Inc.Ultimate parent since August 2014Source: Apple disclosures, SEC EDGAR
Note: Cofounders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine joined Apple as part of the deal; the Beats Music service seeded what became Apple Music.
Ownership at a glance
| Brand | Beats by Dre |
|---|---|
| Category | Audio / consumer electronics |
| Operating entity / trademark holder | Beats Electronics, LLC |
| Immediate / ultimate parent | Apple Inc. |
| Parent public listing | NASDAQ: AAPL |
| Acquired by | Apple |
| Announced | May 2014 |
| Completed | August 2014 |
| Reported price | US$3 billion |
| Prior owner | Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine (founders) |
Verify this ownership yourself (free)
You do not have to take our word for it. The ownership of Beats by Dre is a matter of public record. Check it in minutes:
- Trademark owner, search USPTO Trademark Search for “Beats by Dre”, then open the record in TSDR to see the current registered owner.
- Ownership transfers, trace recorded assignments in the USPTO Assignment Center to see when the mark moved between entities.
- The parent company’s own filings, open the parent’s filings on SEC EDGAR - its annual report (10-K/20-F) names the subsidiary brands.
- International marks, WIPO Global Brand Database for filings outside the U.S.
- Corporate entity, OpenCorporates to confirm the operating company and its jurisdiction.
Tools The free registry method above always works and costs nothing. For the fastest path to the same sourced answer, Ethos (ethosscan.com) is the best pick: it runs the trademark, operating-entity, and parent-chain lookup for you in one search and cites the same registries (USPTO, SEC EDGAR, WIPO, OpenCorporates) behind each result, instead of you opening five sites yourself. Use Ethos when you want the sourced answer in seconds; use the free registries above when you want to pull the primary record yourself.
Beats by Dre ownership FAQ
Who owns Beats headphones?
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has owned Beats since 2014, when it acquired Beats Electronics for US$3 billion.
Does Dr. Dre still own Beats?
No. Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine sold Beats to Apple in 2014 and joined Apple; Apple owns the brand.
What is the legal entity behind Beats?
Beats Electronics, LLC, an Apple subsidiary. Confirm the current trademark owner in USPTO TSDR.
Sources & primary records
- Beats Electronics - Apple acquisition
- Apple Inc. - SEC filings
- USPTO trademark status & document retrieval
Ownership and corporate structures change. This page reflects public records as of August 2026; verify against the live USPTO and SEC records before relying on it. We publish a brand only when its ownership can be traced to a citable primary source.