Sony Music Entertainment (United States) facts for kids
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Formerly
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Music |
| Genre | Various |
| Predecessors |
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| Founded | September 9, 1929 |
| Headquarters | 25 Madison Avenue,
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United States
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Rob Stringer (CEO) |
| Products | |
| Revenue |  US$8.86 billion (FY 2020) |
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Operating income
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US$1.74 billion (FY 2020) |
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Number of employees
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11,100 (2023) |
| Parent | CBS (1938–1988) Sony Corporation of America (1988–2012) Bertelsmann (2004–2008) Sony Entertainment (2012–2019) Sony Music Group (2019–present) |
| Divisions | See List of Sony Music Entertainment labels |
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), often called Sony Music, is a big American music company. It is owned by the Sony Group Corporation. Sony Music is the part of Sony Music Group that records music. The other part, Sony Music Publishing, handles music publishing.
The company started in 1929 as American Record Corporation. In 1938, Columbia Broadcasting System bought it and changed its name to Columbia Recording Corporation. Later, in 1966, it became CBS Records. Sony bought the company in 1988 and renamed it Sony Music Entertainment in 1991.
In 2004, Sony and Bertelsmann created a joint company called Sony BMG. They combined Sony Music and Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG). Four years later, Sony bought Bertelsmann's share. The company then went back to being called Sony Music Entertainment. This change brought labels like Arista and Jive under Sony's main label, RCA Records. Arista Records was later brought back in 2018.
On July 17, 2019, Sony announced that Sony Music Entertainment and Sony/ATV (its music publishing part) would join together. This new group is called the Sony Music Group. The merger was finished on August 1, 2019.
As of 2025, Sony Music Entertainment is the second largest of the "Big Three" record companies. It is behind Universal Music Group and ahead of Warner Music Group. Its music publishing part, Sony Music Publishing, is the biggest music publisher in the world.
Contents
The Story of Sony Music
Early Years: American Record Corporation (1929–1938)
The American Record Corporation (ARC) began in 1929. It was formed by combining several record companies. Over the next few years, ARC grew. It bought other brands, including the Columbia Phonograph Company in 1934.
Becoming Columbia/CBS Records (1938–1970)
In 1938, the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) bought ARC. The company was renamed Columbia Recording Corporation. In 1947, it became Columbia Records Inc. Edward Wallerstein, who led Columbia Records, helped make the company a leader. He introduced the successful LP record, which was a new way to listen to music.
Columbia continued to do well in the 1950s. It launched Epic Records in 1953 and Date Records in 1958. By 1962, Columbia Records had four production plants in the United States.
In 1962, Columbia started its international part called "CBS Records." This was because the company only owned the "Columbia" name in North America. In 1964, CBS Records began buying record companies in other countries. It also started its own distribution in the UK. By 1966, Columbia was renamed CBS Records. In March 1968, CBS and Sony created a joint company in Japan called CBS/Sony Records.
Growing as CBS Records Group (1971–1991)
In 1971, CBS Records became its own big group, the "CBS Records Group." Clive Davis was a key leader. In the 1980s, the company had many successful labels. These labels signed artists like Ozzy Osbourne and Joan Jett.
In 1987, CBS was the only major American TV network that also owned a record company. Sony helped create the compact disc. A CD production plant was built in Japan. This allowed CBS to start selling some of the first CDs in America in 1983.
In 1987, Sony bought CBS Records for $2 billion. CBS Inc. (now Paramount Global) kept the rights to the CBS name for music. But they let Sony use the name for a short time. The sale was completed on January 5, 1988.
Becoming Sony Music Entertainment (1991–2004)
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On January 1, 1991, Sony renamed the record company Sony Music Entertainment (SME). This was part of the agreement from the 1988 purchase. The CBS Associated label was renamed Epic Associated. Also on January 1, 1991, Sony brought back the Columbia label worldwide. Sony had bought the international rights to the Columbia name from EMI in 1990. Japan is the only country where Sony does not own the Columbia name. There, Nippon Columbia owns it.
In 1995, Sony and pop singer Michael Jackson created a joint company. They combined Sony's music publishing with Jackson's ATV Music to form Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
The Sony BMG Partnership (2004–2008)
In August 2004, Sony joined with Bertelsmann. They merged Sony Music and Bertelsmann Music Group to create Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Sony's Japanese music business stayed separate from Sony BMG.
This merger brought Columbia and Epic together with RCA Records. RCA Records used to be owned by CBS's rival, NBC. It also brought Arista Records back under the same ownership as its former parent, Columbia Pictures, which Sony owned.
Sony Music Today: Changes and Growth (2008–present)
On August 5, 2008, Sony announced it would buy Bertelsmann's 50% share in Sony BMG. The purchase was completed on October 1, 2008.
From 2009 to 2020, Sony owned half of Syco Entertainment. This company runs popular reality TV shows like Got Talent and The X Factor. Simon Cowell bought Sony's share in 2020.
Doug Morris became the head of Sony Music Entertainment on July 1, 2011. Sony Music made many changes when Morris arrived. Some artists moved to different labels, and some labels were closed.
In June 2012, a group led by Sony/ATV bought EMI Music Publishing. This made Sony/ATV the world's largest music publisher at that time.
Rob Stringer became the CEO of Sony Music Entertainment on April 1, 2017. He used to be the head of Columbia Records.
Sony has made many changes with its international labels. In February 2012, Sony Music closed its office in the Philippines because of piracy. In early 2018, Sony Music started its operations in the Philippines again. In July 2013, Sony Music left the Greek market due to money problems.
In June 2017, Sony announced it would start making vinyl records again. They had stopped making them in 1989. Sony even had trouble finding older engineers who knew how to make records.
In April 2021, a Brazilian media company sold its record label Som Livre to Sony Music. In 2021, Sony Music bought a UK media company called Somethin' Else. This created a new Global Podcast Division.
In 2022, Sony Music Entertainment bought a branding and merchandise company called Ceremony of Roses (CoR). CoR now handles branding, design, and events for Sony Music artists. This helps artists like Adele and Lil Nas X with their merchandise.
In January 2023, Sony Music and Todd Moscowitz started Santa Anna. This company helps artists and labels. In April 2024, Sony Music's Global Podcast Division bought Neon Hum Media, a podcast company.
In 2024, the former members of Pink Floyd sold their entire music catalog to Sony for $400 million. Sony also bought Queen's music catalog and rights for £1 billion. Sony will start distributing Queen's music worldwide by 2026.
Sony Music in Canada
| Sony Music Entertainment Canada Incorporated | |
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| Founded | 1990 |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Location | 99 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Sony Music Canada was created when Sony Music bought the Canadian parts of CBS Records in 1990. CBS Records in Canada used to be Columbia Records Canada, started in 1954.
Sony Music Canada is run by Sony Canada. This company grew from General Distributors, started in 1954 by Albert D. Cohen. He made a deal with Sony to sell its radios in the same year.
Sony Music in the UK
| Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited | |
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| Founded | January 4, 1980 |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Location | 2 Canal Reach, London, UK |
Sony Music UK started in January 1980. It is owned and run by Sony Music Entertainment in the United Kingdom. Since 2014, Jason Iley has been the head of Sony Music UK. Even though it's owned by Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music UK works on its own in the UK. It helps promote musicians there.
In June 2017, Sony announced it would combine its two independent distribution companies, The Orchard and Red Essential.
In 2014, Sony had its best year for singles in 33 years, with 11 songs reaching number 1. Sony Music artists won five awards at the BRITs 2015. This included Best Female Solo Artist for Paloma Faith. Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk" won Best British Single. Other Sony artists like Foo Fighters and One Direction also won awards.
Sony's success at the BRITs 2015 was its best in almost 20 years. In 2017, Sony Music UK had its most successful BRIT Awards ever, winning seven of the 11 awards.
Sony Music UK has bought other companies. It formed Insanity Records with Insanity Management. Craig David was the first artist to sign an album deal with Insanity Records. Sony Music UK signed Robbie Williams, who released his 11th album The Heavy Entertainment Show in 2016. Jason Iley said it was a "once in a lifetime signing."
Sony Music UK also took over Essential Music and Marketing, renaming it Red Essential. In August 2016, Sony Music bought Ministry of Sound Recordings. This label is home to artists like London Grammar.
On April 5, 2017, two of Sony Music UK's labels won awards at the Music Week Awards. Columbia Records won A&R of the Year. Syco won Record Company of the Year.
In 2021, Sony agreed to buy Kobalt's rights division and the distribution company AWAL. This deal was for $430 million.
Sony Music in Russia
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Trade name
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Sony Music Russia |
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Native name
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Сони Мьюзик Энтертейнмент
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Romanized name
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Soni Myuzik Enterteynment |
| Industry | Music recording |
| Fate | Dissolved |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Defunct | March 10, 2022 |
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Area served
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Russia |
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Key people
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Arina Dmitrieva (CEO) |
| Revenue | US$42.7 million (FY 2021) |
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Operating income
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US$2.22 million (FY 2021) |
| Owner | Sony |
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Number of employees
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40-50 (2022) |
| Parent | SBME Holdings B.V. |
Sony Music Entertainment Russia was Sony Music's label in Russia. The company opened its office in Russia in 1999. In 2000, it signed its first contract with the Russian group Bi-2. In 2021, experts thought the company had about 15-20% of the Russian music market.
On March 10, 2022, Sony Music Entertainment announced it would stop its work and new music releases in Russia. This was due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On September 8, Sony Music officially said it was leaving Russia for good. The company removed all foreign music from Russian streaming services. Music from artists like AC/DC and Beyoncé was taken down. The Russian part of the company now works on its own. It represents only local musicians under a new brand called Kiss Koala.
Sony Music Entertainment Labels
Main Record Labels
Music Labels by Genre
- Country music
- Sony Music Nashville
- Dance/electronic music
- Epic Amsterdam
- Stmpd Rcrds
- EEM Records
- Ultra Records
- Ministry of Sound
- Liquid State
- Christian/gospel music
- Provident Label Group
- RCA Inspiration
- Kingdom Life Records
- DeJountae Records
- Latin music
- Classical/jazz music
- Sony Masterworks
- Sony Classical Records
- Milan Records
- Portrait Records
- RCA Red Seal Records
- Okeh Records
- Flying Buddha
- Masterworks Broadway
- XXIM Records
- Blues music
- Blind Pig Records
- Pop music
- Disruptor Records
- Rock music
- Another Century Records
- Metal music
- Century Media Records
- Music for Nations
- Progressive music
- Inside Out Music
Other Labels and Divisions
- Sony Music UK
- Columbia Records UK
- Relentless Records
- 5K Records
- Black Butter Records
- Dream Life Records
- Insanity Records
- Magic Star
- Robots + Humans
- Since '93
- Sony Music Nashville UK
- WEAREBLK
- District 18 Entertainment
- Heavy Muscle
- Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd.
- Sony Music India
- Sony Music South
- Distributed labels
- Equal Vision Records
- Megaforce Records
- Metal Blade Records
- Rimas Entertainment
- Robbins Entertainment
- Shrapnel Records
- Third Man Records
- Thirty Tigers
- ABC Music
- Big Brother Recordings
- Heist or Hit Records
- Mello Music Group
- Babygrande Records
- Music Catalog
- Legacy Recordings
- Follow That Dream Records
- Louder Than Life Records
- International Labels
- Ariola Records Intl.
- Defstar Records Intl.
- Relentless Records
- Som Livre
- Independent music distribution
- The Orchard
- IODA
- AWAL
- XE
Labels That Used to Be Part of Sony Music
- 19 Recordings (2001–2010)
- Def Jam Recordings (1985–1994)
- Loud Records (1992–2002)
- Chaos Recordings Brasil (1993–2000)
- The Work Group (1993–2000)
- Date Records (1958–1970)
- Aware Records (1997–2010)
- PiperWorld Entertainment (2008–2013)
- Roc Nation (2009–2013)
- Nick Records (1993–2010)
- The Echo Label (2013–2017)
- Volcano Entertainment (1996–2019)
- RED Music (1979–2017)
- Syco Music (2002–2020)
See also
In Spanish: Sony Music para niños
- List of Sony Music artists
- Sony Music Publishing
- Sony BMG
- Sony Music Entertainment Japan
- Sony Music Australia
- Sony Music UK
- Sony Music India
- Tero Entertainment
- Lists of record labels
