The Sony Music Entertainment Records consist of digital images of business records from the Sony Music Entertainment archives of information relating to historic recording sessions by its exclusive recording artists from approximately 1926 through 1988. The images includes session sheets, recording cards, and artist cards of Sony labels RCA and CBS Records; specifically CBS Artist Contract Cards (61 artists; 2,150 files) and Label Copy (71 artists; 10,208 files), and RCA Artist Files (27 artists; 2,847 files) and Label Copy (21 artists; 1,592 files). All individuals featured are Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees. All images are watermarked; some have been redacted per the gift agreement.
Biography / Administrative History
In 1929, what is now known as Sony Music Entertainment (SME) was founded as American Record Corporation (ARC). ARC was renamed Columbia Recording Corporation in 1938, following its acquisition by CBS. In 1966, the company was reorganized to become CBS Records. NBC's parent company, RCA, was sold to General Electric in 1986, which then sold off all other RCA units, including the record division, which was bought by Ariola Records, later known as Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG). In 1987, Sony Corporation of Japan bought the company, and in 1991, renamed it Sony Music Entertainment. In August 2004, Sony entered into a joint venture with equal partner Bertelsmann by merging Sony Music and BMG, Germany, to establish Sony BMG Music Entertainment. The merger made Columbia and Epic sister labels to RCA Records. On October 1, 2008, Sony acquired Bertelsmann's 50% stake in Sony BMG. The company, once again named SME, became a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation through its U.S. subsidiary, Sony Corporation of America. SME is the world's second largest music company, after Universal Music Group, with record companies Columbia, RCA, Epic, Arista Nashville, RCA Nashville, Columbia Nashville, Legacy Recordings, Sony Music Latin, Masterworks, Vested in Culture, RCA Inspiration, and Provident Label Group under its umbrella.
Existence and Location of Originals
The originals of the digitized documents remain with the donor.
Notes
Acquisition Note: The Sony Music Entertainment Records were received by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc., as a gift from Sony on June 28, 2013.
Citation: [Identification of Item], Sony Music Entertainment Records, Library and Archives, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Language Note: English.
Processing Information: Processed by Jennie Thomas, Head Archivist. Completed September 1, 2015. Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS and local processing manual.
Access
Available upon advanced request only. Consult the Library and Archives staff to access these materials. Some of the materials in the collection are confidential and, therefore, are RESTRICTED. Redacted access copies of the confidential documents are available in the collection.
Use
Sony has agreed that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. (the "Rock Hall") may make digitized Sony documents (with watermark) available for public view at computers in the Library and Archives. Patrons viewing these documents at the Rock Hall are permitted to: (1) view and describe the documents including the information contained therein; (2) quote from the documents; and (3) refer to the documents in materials written and/or published by or on behalf of such person. These documents may not be reproduced, published or otherwise exploited without Sony's prior written consent. The Rock Hall may provide a patron with a copy of the Sony documents without a watermark only with the written permission of Sony, and it is the patron's responsibility to obtain such permission from Sony and provide it to the Rock Hall. Collection is open for research. Patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights statement on the Researcher Registration form before using this collection. Consult the Library and Archives in advance of your visit to ensure access to these materials is available.
