Sony Music Entertainment: Difference between revisions
Content added Content deleted
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 4: | Line 4: | ||
Although it initially released music-related titles exclusively, it soon began to release titles unrelated to music, particularly after generating three distinct division labels that it would operate alongside its own company: Columbia Music Video, Epic Music Video and Sony Kids' Video (which soon merged with Sony Kids' Music to become better known as Sony Wonder). In May 1993, Sony Music secured an agreement with Viacom-owned MTV Networks, which gave Sony Music the video and music rights to programs from Nickelodeon. As a result of the agreement, video and music labels were formed: [[Nickelodeon Home Video]] and Nickelodeon Audio, respectively. A year later, Viacom acquired Paramount Pictures' corporate parent, Paramount Communications (formerly known as Gulf and Western Industries), but continued to license MTV Networks content to Sony Music for a few years following the acquisition. In the meantime, another agreement with MTV Networks was secured, which gave Sony Music the video rights to programs from MTV and VH1. In July 1996, Viacom terminated the distribution contract for Nickelodeon titles that it had with Sony and transferred the video rights for the network's titles to Paramount. By that point, Nickelodeon Audio became dormant as it had yet to find a new marketing partner. Some Nickelodeon albums from 1996-1998 were released through Interscope Records, owned at the time by Universal Music Group, and some Nickelodeon albums from 1998-2001 were released through Kid Rhino, the children's division label of Rhino Entertainment, owned at the time by Warner Music Group. Sony would lose the video rights for the remaining MTV content in September 2001. In the interim, Sony Music became the distributor for Random House Home Video, as well as the video back catalog of ''Sesame Street'' (beginning in Q2 1995), Together Again Video Productions (known for ''Kidsongs''), and Golden Books Family Entertainment (which, at the time, had owned the pre-1974 Tomorrow Entertainment and Rankin/Bass catalogs) (beginning in Q4 1997). In Q2 1998, Sony Music purchased Sunbow Entertainment, which it in turn sold to TV-Loonland AG in October 2000. In August 2001, Golden Books Family Entertainment was acquired by and folded into Classic Media in a move that broadened the deal already in place with Sony Music by giving its Sony Wonder arm the video rights to titles from Harvey Entertainment and UPA, as well as American video rights to the Japanese ''Godzilla'' franchise, and, eventually, the video rights to titles from Big Idea Entertainment. Sony Music also was the original distributor for [[Shout! Factory]] and held exclusive Canadian video rights to programs produced by Cinar (later known as Cookie Jar Entertainment). In 2004, Sony Music Entertainment and the Bertelsmann Music Group merged to form Sony BMG Music Entertainment. |
Although it initially released music-related titles exclusively, it soon began to release titles unrelated to music, particularly after generating three distinct division labels that it would operate alongside its own company: Columbia Music Video, Epic Music Video and Sony Kids' Video (which soon merged with Sony Kids' Music to become better known as Sony Wonder). In May 1993, Sony Music secured an agreement with Viacom-owned MTV Networks, which gave Sony Music the video and music rights to programs from Nickelodeon. As a result of the agreement, video and music labels were formed: [[Nickelodeon Home Video]] and Nickelodeon Audio, respectively. A year later, Viacom acquired Paramount Pictures' corporate parent, Paramount Communications (formerly known as Gulf and Western Industries), but continued to license MTV Networks content to Sony Music for a few years following the acquisition. In the meantime, another agreement with MTV Networks was secured, which gave Sony Music the video rights to programs from MTV and VH1. In July 1996, Viacom terminated the distribution contract for Nickelodeon titles that it had with Sony and transferred the video rights for the network's titles to Paramount. By that point, Nickelodeon Audio became dormant as it had yet to find a new marketing partner. Some Nickelodeon albums from 1996-1998 were released through Interscope Records, owned at the time by Universal Music Group, and some Nickelodeon albums from 1998-2001 were released through Kid Rhino, the children's division label of Rhino Entertainment, owned at the time by Warner Music Group. Sony would lose the video rights for the remaining MTV content in September 2001. In the interim, Sony Music became the distributor for Random House Home Video, as well as the video back catalog of ''Sesame Street'' (beginning in Q2 1995), Together Again Video Productions (known for ''Kidsongs''), and Golden Books Family Entertainment (which, at the time, had owned the pre-1974 Tomorrow Entertainment and Rankin/Bass catalogs) (beginning in Q4 1997). In Q2 1998, Sony Music purchased Sunbow Entertainment, which it in turn sold to TV-Loonland AG in October 2000. In August 2001, Golden Books Family Entertainment was acquired by and folded into Classic Media in a move that broadened the deal already in place with Sony Music by giving its Sony Wonder arm the video rights to titles from Harvey Entertainment and UPA, as well as American video rights to the Japanese ''Godzilla'' franchise, and, eventually, the video rights to titles from Big Idea Entertainment. Sony Music also was the original distributor for [[Shout! Factory]] and held exclusive Canadian video rights to programs produced by Cinar (later known as Cookie Jar Entertainment). In 2004, Sony Music Entertainment and the Bertelsmann Music Group merged to form Sony BMG Music Entertainment. |
||
On March 13, 2007, Sony BMG announced an intention to focus on its core music business. All of its non-music video distribution contracts were |
On March 13, 2007, Sony BMG announced an intention to focus on its core music business. All of its non-music video distribution contracts were cancelled or transferred to other companies, such as Genius Entertainment and Vivendi Entertainment. The remainder of Sony Wonder's operations were transferred to [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]], which subsequently operated it as a family entertainment label; SPHE renamed Sony Wonder to Sony Pictures Kids Zone in 2020. In 2008, Sony purchased Bertelsmann AG's stake in the music arm, readopting the Sony Music Entertainment name for it. |
||
==Catalog number prefixes== |
==Catalog number prefixes== |
||