BMG
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Profile
Headquarters: Gütersloh, Germany
Parent Corporation: Bertelsmann AG
Formation Date: 1987
Joint Sony-BMG Music Entertainment Venture: August 2004
Sold to Sony Corporation of America: October 2008
German based publishing conglomerate, Bertelsmann, entered the music business with the founding of Ariola Records in 1959. Following the acquisition of the American label Arista Records in 1979, Bertelsmann sold a 50% stake in the label to General Electric in 1983 and formed the joint venture RCA/Ariola International in 1985. When GE acquired RCA in 1986, it sold its 50% interest in RCA/Ariola to Bertelsmann the following year. By 1987, the music group became BMG, reviving both the RCA "lightning bolt" logo and the RCA Victor label. In 2004, BMG went into a joint venture with Sony, forming Sony-BMG Music Entertainment. In October 2008, Bertelsmann sold all its label holdings to its partner, becoming Sony Music Entertainment.
Structure
- Arista Associated Label Group (2003-04)
- BMG Ariola
- BMG Berlin Musik GmbH (Repertoire division of BMG GSA Holding GmbH)
- BMG Classics (1987-2000)
- J Records
- Jive / Zomba Records
- Provident Music Group
- RCA Label Group Nashville
- RCA Music Group (2000-04)
- RCA Victor Group (1987-2003)
- Verity Records