The British record company was actually called Grammofono, but due to the famous painting by Francis Barraud "La voce del padrone" which portrays the little dog Nipper listening to a gramophone, used a trademark on the label, it soon took on this unofficial name.

The company name was VCM (Voce del Padrone - Columbia - Marconiphone), and this denomination remained until 1967, when it was translated in EMI Italiana; the headquarters was established in Milan, in via Domenichino 14 (later it was moved to piazza Cavour 2), and the director was Aldo Mario De Luigi.

With the outbreak of the World War II the company, like many others of English property, was placed under seizure, and resumed its activity in Italy in 1946; while giving priority to the distribution of foreign artists in the peninsula, it also dealt with the launch of Italian singers such as Beniamino Gigli, Carlo Buti or Renato Carosone (who recorded for the sub-label Pathé) and, in the 1960s, the Nomadi, Al Bano, Francesco Guccini and Adamo.

Mostly from the post-war period onwards, the directors of the company were British such as the famous Stephen Gottieb who directed EMI Italiana throughout the 1960s; the first Italian was Alexis Rotelli in 1981, followed in 1986 by Roberto Citterio.

In 1997 it changed the company name to EMI Music Italy S.p.A. and in 1999 it moved to Milan, selling the Caronno Pertusella facilities which became IMS dedicated to CD printing.