Sony Music Entertainment
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| Type | Subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America |
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| Genre | Various |
| Predecessor | American Record Corporation (1929 - 1938) Columbia/CBS Records (1938 - 1987) Sony Music (1987 - 2004) Sony BMG (2004 - 2008) Sony Music (2008 - Present) |
| Founded | November 17, 1987 (original date) October 2, 2008 (relaunch) |
| Headquarters | New York, NY, United States |
| Industry | Music & Entertainment |
| Products | Music & Entertainment |
| Revenue | ▲2.2% $3.9 bilion (USD 2008)[1] |
| Parent | Sony Corporation of America |
| Website | www.sonymusic.com |
Sony Music Entertainment is the second-largest global record company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America.
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[edit] History
The company's origins go back to the formation of the Columbia Phonograph Company in the United States in 1888 which was ultimately acquired by the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (which had been founded by the record company, but then sold) in 1938 through its acquisition of parent company American Record Corporation. CBS only had the rights to the Columbia name in the United States and Canada. The Columbia Phonograph Company had international subsidiaires and affiliates such as the Columbia Graphophone Company in the United Kingdom, but they were sold off prior to CBS acquiring American Columbia. So when it founded its international arm in 1961, it was as "CBS Records." In March, 1968, CBS/Sony Records was formed in Japan as a joint venture between CBS and Sony.[2] On November 17, 1987, the Sony Corporation of America acquired CBS Records for US$2 billion. CBS Inc., now CBS Corporation, retained the rights to the CBS name, and Sony renamed the record company Sony Music Entertainment in 1991. CBS founded a new CBS Records in 2006.
Sony re-introduced the Columbia label after it bought the international rights to the name from EMI. Epic Records is the other major branch of Sony Music. The only country where Sony does not have rights to the Columbia name is Japan, where the name is controlled by Columbia Music Entertainment. Columbia label recordings from outside Japan are issued in Japan on the Sony Records label, sharing the same Walking Eye logo as Columbia outside Japan.
[edit] Joint venture with BMG
In August 2004, Sony Music Entertainment created a joint venture with BMG to form Sony BMG Music Entertainment; however, Sony continued to operate its Japanese music business independently from Sony BMG.
[edit] Return to Sony Music Entertainment
The international media and entertainment companies Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann AG announced on August 5, 2008, that Sony agreed to acquire Bertelsmann's 50% stake in Sony BMG. The company, renamed as Sony Music Entertainment Inc. (SME), which was also Sony Music's name before the merger, became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Sony Corporation of America.
According to Variety, on October 2, 2008, Sony had completed its acquisition of Bertelsmann Music Group.[3]
[edit] List of Sony Music Entertainment labels
Further information: List of Sony Music Entertainment labels
[edit] List of Sony Music Entertainment artists
Further information: List of Sony Music Entertainment artists
[edit] Subsidiaries
- Columbia Records
- Epic Records
- RCA Music Group
- Zomba Label Group
- Legacy Recordings
- Sony Music Nashville
- Provident Music Group
- Sony Masterworks
- RED Distribution
- Syco Music
- Sony Music international companies
[edit] See also
- Sony Music Entertainment Japan
- Sony/ATV Music Publishing
- Sony Urban Music
- List of record labels
- Sony BMG CD copy protection scandal
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Official Sony Music France site
- Yahoo! - Sony Music Entertainment Company Profile
- Sony Music Entertainment channel at YouTube
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