It was founded in 1937 as CNR Records by Cornelis Nicolaas Rood, who made his fortune as a producer of lampshades and other lighting materials.

It mainly focussed on local talent such as André van Duin, Benny Neyman and Tol Hansse, but it also had hit singles with licensed international productions like Baccara's "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" and "Sorry, I'm a Lady".

In 1988 Rene Froger released his first top 10 hit ("Winter in America"), a Doug Ashdown cover on the CNR label.

It also underwent several management, licensing and name changes, including a joint venture with American rock label Roadrunner Records in 1998.

In August 2011, CNR announced a joint venture with the Dutch branch of Rough Trade to oversee the distribution of their material.