Bärenreiter is one of the largest publishers of classical music in the world. Its publication program encompasses not only standard concert repertoire, but also contemporary music, educational music, music journals, encyclopedias, and books.

Founded by Karl Vötterle in 1923 and currently under the leadership of Barbara Scheuch-Vötterle and Leonhard Scheuch, the Kassel-based Bärenreiter has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the United States of America, and the Czech Republic.

Bärenreiter has been a pioneer in the publication of new scholarly editions and practical Urtext editions that have truly become "the musicians' choice" and include the authoritative works of Bach, Berlioz, Gluck, Handel, Mozart, Schubert, and others. The new and definitive editions of such popular operas as Beethoven's Fidelio, Bizet's Carmen, Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, and Johann Strauss's Fledermaus and A Night in Venice are staples in the world's opera repertory.

Two of Bärenreiter's subdivisions, Alkor-Edition and Editio Bärenreiter Praha, are publishers in their own right as well as distributors of Bärenreiter publications in their respective territories.

In North America, hire material, licensing, and administration are handled by Baerenreiter Music Corporation.