Sony Music Entertainment

Credits

Descriptions by
MatthewLMayfield

Captures by
Dison

Editions by
Camenati

Video captures courtesy of
retro VHS trailers, TechBlits, Cesar Blanco, FCN, Broken Saw, 4R Geo and Maxim Atanasov

Background

Sony Music Entertainment (also known as Sony Music Group or simply Sony Music) was originally known as the CBS Records Group until it was sold to Japanese conglomerate Sony Corporation on January 5, 1988; for a time after the acquisition, Sony licensed the CBS name for use on its new recorded music arm. On New Year's Day 1991, it was renamed to "Sony Music Entertainment".

On July 20, 2004, Sony Music Entertainment and Bertelsmann Music Group merged to form Sony BMG Music Entertainment, which was approved by the European Union. On October 1, 2008, Bertelsmann AG agreed to sell the rest of the Sony BMG stake to Sony, with the entire company, now a wholly-owned subsidiary, readopting the name Sony Music Entertainment in early 2009.

The labels under SME currently consist of Columbia Records, Epic Records, RCA Records, Arista Records, Alamo Records and the Orchard. Sony's music arm previously had its own video and film divisions: Sony Music Film, Columbia Music Video, Epic Music Video, Sony Wonder and Zomba Films.

1st Logo (November 28, 2009-)

Visuals: On a white background, there is a simple red paintbrush swoosh drawing downward and the text "SONY MUSIC" in the respective Sony font appears in, as it slowly zooms in afterward.

Variant: An in-credit version exists.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A "swoosh" sound when the paintbrush draws, none, or the end theme of the show.

Audio Variant: On Victorious, after the sound, there is a random quote that varies on each episode of the show (although this is omitted from UK airings, as well as on the show's episode "The Gorilla Club").

Availability: Seen on music video releases. It also appeared on Victorious and Big Time Rush on Nickelodeon and TeenNick.

2nd Logo (2016-)

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Visuals: The first element shown is a red sphere reflected over a white background, which multiplies into several other spheres that move back in three jumpcuts. Then there's a line made out of these spheres, which moves as a visualizer while several other grouped spheres appear moving out quickly in sync to the beat. The visualizer then morphs into a red/purple ripple. The camera turns as a red ring moves above the ripple. The screen then cuts into three of these red rings forming, and air appears moving through them. The screen then cuts into a group of red and black ribbons waving, and the camera changes perspective as the ribbons move back into a red circle, which changes into the paintbrush swoosh from the previous logo with the "SONY MUSIC" text appearing below. Red and purple waves appear from the sides as the logo zooms in while a few black particles appear, then the logo zooms in close for another instance.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Several drumbeats along with a few whooshing sounds.

Availability: It often appears before several Indian movies from the late 2010s. ^[Examples?]

3rd Logo (April 14, 2024-)

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Visuals: On a black background, a set of red dots pop in and shrink to an equal size from top to bottom, forming a circular shape made of said elements. Afterwards, "SONY MUSIC", in the same font as before, fades in below.

Variant: An extended variant exists which begins on a white background instead of a black background. The dots from via shockwave effect and dissappear from left to right. The logo continues normally but the text "SONY MUSIC" is black.

Technique: Flash animation.

Audio: The closing theme of the program or none.

Availability: The logo debuted on Billy Joel: The 100th: Live at Madison Square Garden. It was also on the end of many music videos from Sony Music South.

External Links

• Sony Music Entertainment article on Wikipedia

◄ Sony BMG Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment