Sony Music Entertainment

What does Sony Music Entertainment own?
Sony Music Entertainment owns a portfolio of record labels including Columbia Records, Epic Records, RCA Records, Arista Records, Legacy Recordings, and Masterworks, among many others. Through Sony Music Publishing, the company owns or administers one of the world's largest music publishing catalogs, including the Beatles' song catalog. SME is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.

Is Sony Music Entertainment publicly traded?
No, Sony Music Entertainment is not independently publicly traded. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under ticker 6758 and on the NYSE as an ADR under ticker SONY. SME's financial results are reported as part of Sony Group's Music segment.

Who founded Sony Music Entertainment?
Sony Music Entertainment traces its origins to American Record Corporation (1929) and Columbia Records (acquired by CBS in 1938 as CBS Records). Sony Corporation acquired CBS Records in 1988 for approximately $2 billion and renamed it Sony Music Entertainment. The company's current form was shaped by the 2004 to 2008 Sony BMG joint venture with Bertelsmann, which Sony fully acquired in 2008.

Where is Sony Music Entertainment headquartered?
Sony Music Entertainment is headquartered in New York City, New York, USA. The company has significant operations in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, and other major music markets worldwide. Sony Music Publishing is also headquartered in New York City.

How many record labels does Sony Music Entertainment own?
Sony Music Entertainment owns dozens of record labels across all genres of music. The major labels include Columbia Records, Epic Records, RCA Records, Arista Records, Legacy Recordings, and Masterworks. Each major label typically operates several sub-labels and imprints. Sony Music Publishing administers one of the world's largest music publishing catalogs.

Who owns Sony Music Entertainment?
Sony Music Entertainment is wholly owned by Sony Group Corporation, a publicly traded Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Sony Group trades on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under ticker 6758. Sony Group itself has a broad institutional and retail shareholder base with no single controlling shareholder.

Sony Music Entertainment traces its origins to multiple predecessor companies. American Record Corporation was founded in 1929 through the merger of several early record labels. Columbia Records, one of the most important labels in the history of recorded music, was part of the American Record Corporation before being acquired by CBS Inc. in 1938, becoming CBS Records.

CBS Records grew to become one of the world's largest record companies under CBS ownership, with Columbia Records as its flagship label. The label signed artists including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, and many others who became defining figures in popular music.

Sony Corporation acquired CBS Records in 1988 for approximately $2 billion, renaming it Sony Music Entertainment. The acquisition was part of Sony's broader strategy to combine hardware (electronics) with software (content), reflecting the belief that owning content would provide competitive advantages for Sony's consumer electronics products.

In 2004, Sony Music Entertainment merged with BMG Music (owned by Bertelsmann) to form Sony BMG Music Entertainment, a joint venture that was the world's second-largest music company. The joint venture was dissolved in 2008 when Sony acquired Bertelsmann's 50% stake for approximately $1.2 billion, making Sony Music Entertainment a wholly owned Sony subsidiary again.

Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) became the world's largest music publisher following Sony's 2018 acquisition of Michael Jackson's estate's 50% stake in the Sony/ATV catalog for approximately $750 million. The catalog includes the Beatles' song catalog, one of the most valuable music publishing assets in history.

In 2021, Sony Music Publishing was renamed from Sony/ATV Music Publishing to Sony Music Publishing, reflecting the company's evolution beyond its original joint venture structure with ATV Music.

For fiscal year 2025 (Sony's fiscal year ended March 31, 2025), Sony Group's Music segment reported revenue of approximately 1.6 trillion yen, reflecting continued growth in streaming revenue.

Sony Music Entertainment has faced scrutiny regarding artist compensation in the streaming era, with some artists arguing that streaming royalty rates are insufficient. The company has also been involved in legal disputes with artists over contract terms and ownership of master recordings.

Sony Music Publishing's ownership of the Beatles catalog through its acquisition of ATV Music Publishing has been a subject of ongoing legal and commercial interest. Paul McCartney successfully reclaimed the rights to his portion of the Beatles catalog in 2017 under US copyright termination law.