Record company information
This page is a guide to the major record labels and their subsidiaries. The recording industry is dominated by the Big Five (Universal, EMI, BMG, Warner and Sony) who between them have controlling interests in the majority of the major labels. However there are also successful record companies not associated with the Big Five (often known as 'independent' labels) and some of these are listed here.
It is sometimes very difficult to trace who owns rights to recordings where companies no longer operate - all we can offer is a guide. The list below gives an indication of who owns who although this is by no means comprehensive and is subject to frequent change as labels fold, new ones are created and mergers take place.
