A Brief History of EMI
1992-current
1992 was a year of huge change for EMI as it was in this year that the company bought the Virgin Music Group, at the time the largest independent music company in the world with a roster of artists that included the Rolling Stones. This series of deals in the 1990s completely transformed and re-energised EMI, and the company headed into the decade with new momentum.
There were a number of key signings as many of today's best known artists, including Radiohead and Blur, started their careers. From Cliff Richard onwards, EMI has been the home to the UK's top music stars, a tradition that has continued over the last decade with the most successful British pop band, the Spice Girls, and the country's biggest male artist, Robbie Williams.
EMI continued to grow and bring successful companies and entrepreneurs into the Group. In 1996, 50% of the Jobete music publishing catalogue, which was established by Motown founder Berry Gordy and includes over 15,000 classic Motown songs, was acquired. EMI purchased the remaining stake in 2003 and 2004. EMI Music Publishing expanded further in 1999 with the acquisition of 40,000 song copyrights from the Windswept Pacific catalogue and a majority stake in UK publisher Hit & Run.
Given that the roots of EMI stretch right back to the very start of recorded sound and that the company invented stereo recording, it's hardly surprising that EMI has stayed at the forefront of technological change in the industry. EMI's first websites went live in 1993 and 1994 and EMI was the first company to release a digital album download, David Bowie's Hours, backin 1999. EMI also launched the first internet video single, Lenny Kravitz's Dig In in 2001 and in 2002 was the first major music company to make new music available digitally at the same time as it is on the radio.
In addition to EMI's strong presence in physical music outlets, today EMI's music is available through hundreds of digital retailers around the world EMI has partnered with companies developing new ways of finding and enjoying music such as online jukeboxes and mobile phone ring tones. Meanwhile to increase the flexibility of EMI's cost structure in these changing times, in 2004 EMI signed an deal to exit the physical manufacture of CDs in the US and Europe by outsourcing this to a third party.
As a company focused exclusively on music, EMI's labels release some of the most popular and acclaimed music in the world. Whatever the future of music is and however people want to enjoy it, EMI will be there.