27 Facts About Sony Music

Sony Music Entertainment, known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company.

In 1966, the company was reorganized to become CBS Records, and Sony Music Corporation bought the company in 1988, renaming it under its current name in 1991.

Sony Music grew for the next several years, acquiring other brands such as the Columbia Phonograph Company, including its Okeh Records subsidiary, in 1934.

Sony Music was later renamed Columbia Recording Corporation, and changed again to Columbia Records Inc in 1947.

Also on January 1, 1991, to replace the CBS label, Sony Music reintroduced the Columbia label worldwide, which it previously held in the United States and Canada only, after it acquired the international rights to the trademark from EMI in 1990.

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The Columbia Records trademark's rightsholder in Spain was Bertelsmann Music Group, Germany, which Sony Music subsequently subsumed via a 2004 merger, and a subsequent 2008 buyout.

However Sony continued to operate its Japanese music business independently from Sony BMG while BMG Japan was made part of the merger.

In March 2010, Sony Corp partnered with The Michael Jackson Company in a contract of more than $250 million, the largest deal in recorded music history.

Sony Music underwent restructuring upon Morris' arrival; with some artists switching labels while other labels were eliminated altogether.

Sony Music previously served as chairman and CEO of Columbia Records.

Sony Music has experienced a number of changes with its international labels.

In February 2012, Sony Music reportedly closed its Filipino office due to piracy, and Ivory Music had been handling distribution for its catalog a few months earlier in July 2011.

In July 2013, Sony Music withdrew from the Greek market due to an economic crisis.

In June 2017, Sony Music announced that by March 2018 it would be producing vinyl records in-house for the first time since ceasing their production in 1989.

Sony Music UK is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment in the United Kingdom.

In June 2017, it was announced that Sony Music would be merging its two independent distribution companies The Orchard and Red Essential.

Sony Music artists won a total of five individual awards at the BRITs 2015, including Best Female Solo Artist for Paloma Faith, and Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk", which picked up Best British Single.

In 2017, Sony Music UK celebrated the most successful BRIT Awards in the company's history, winning seven of the 11 awards.

Sony Music UK signed Robbie Williams, who released his 11th album The Heavy Entertainment Show in 2016.

Sony Music UK incorporated the independent sales and distribution company Essential Music and Marketing - renamed to Red Essential.

In 2021, Sony agreed to buy Kobalt neighboring rights division and independent distribution company AWAL, from the Kobalt Music Group for $430 million.

Sony Music sued in the UK in 1992, asking to be released from his contract.

Sony Music ultimately prevailed in the courts in 1994, but Michael's contract was bought out by other labels.

Sony Music was concerned that for years Sony had been pressuring him to sell his share in its music catalog venture; he feared that Sony might have had a conflict of interest, since if Jackson's career failed, he would have had to sell his share of the catalog at a low price.

In July 2002, Jackson alleged that the then-Sony Music chairman Tommy Mottola was a "devil" and "racist" who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own gain.

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Sony Music charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger".

Sony Music refused to renew Jackson's contract, and claimed that a promotional campaign had failed because Jackson refused to tour in the United States.