The very first release was of stereophonic recordings by Sir Thomas Beecham and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, including several pieces previously unreleased.
The label has specialized in historic recordings, including some originally released on 78-rpm discs.
In 1967, Seraphim issued some of the 1937–39 recordings by Arturo Toscanini and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Some opera recordings were released, including Pietro Mascagni's historic 1940 recording of his opera Cavalleria rusticana, complete with the original spoken introduction (in Italian) by the composer.
EMI used the label for CDs consisting of re-released music recorded during the LP era, primarily in stereo.