[11] In 1938, ARC was acquired by the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) under the guidance of chief executive William S. Paley.

[20] By 1966, Columbia was renamed CBS Records and was a separate unit of the parent company, CBS-Columbia Group.

[24] In the 1980s to the early 1990s, the company managed several successful labels, including CBS Associated Records,[25] which signed artists including Ozzy Osbourne, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Jett, and Henry Lee Summer.

[41] The merger made Columbia and Epic sister labels to RCA Records, which was once owned by CBS rival, NBC.

[45] On July 1, 2009, SME and IODA announced a strategic partnership to leverage worldwide online retail distribution networks and complementary technologies to support independent labels and music rights holders.

[46][47] In March 2010, Sony Corp partnered with The Michael Jackson Company in a contract of more than $250 million, the largest deal in recorded music history.

[48] From 2009 to 2020, Sony owned 50% of Syco Entertainment, which operates some of the world's most successful reality TV formats, including Got Talent and The X Factor with Simon Cowell.

[57] In early 2018, their distribution deal with Ivory expired and SME resumed its operations in the Philippines, with the new offices still located in Ortigas Center, Pasig.

[59] Albums released by Sony Music in Greece from domestic and foreign artists would then be carried by Feelgood Records.

[60] In June 2017, Sony announced that by March 2018 it would be producing vinyl records internally for the first time since ceasing its production in 1989.

[61] Reporting the decision, the BBC noted that, "Sony's move comes a few months after it equipped its Tokyo studio with a cutting lathe, used to produce the master discs needed for manufacturing vinyl records" but added that "Sony is even struggling to find older engineers who know how to make records".

[62] On February 5, 2019, a group of 1970s-era musicians including David Johansen and John Waite filed lawsuits accusing Sony Music Entertainment and UMG Recordings, Inc. of improperly refusing to let them reclaim the rights to songs they had signed away earlier in their careers.

[64] The plaintiffs claim that Sony and UMG have "routinely and systematically" ignored hundreds of notices, having taken the position that recordings are "works made for hire" and are therefore not subject to being reclaimed.

[63] In April 2021, the Brazilian media company Grupo Globo sold its domestic record label Som Livre to Sony Music for an undisclosed amount.

[66][67][68] In 2022, Sony Music Entertainment acquired boutique branding and merchandising agency, Ceremony of Roses (CoR).

[70] The newly acquired company would merge with Sony's existing merch division and continue under the CoR banner.

The merger brought together artists like Adele, A$AP Rocky, and Lil Nas X under one merchandising house.

[71] In January 2023, Sony Music and Alamo Records founder Todd Moscowitz launched Santa Anna, an artist and label services company.

[77] In June 2017, it was announced that Sony would be merging its two independent distribution companies The Orchard and Red Essential.

Sony Music UK signed Robbie Williams, who released his 11th album The Heavy Entertainment Show in 2016.

Jason Iley commented that the agreement was "a once in a lifetime signing with the biggest male solo artist of our generation".

In August 2016, Sony Music acquired Ministry of Sound Recordings, home to London Grammar, DJ Fresh and Sigala.

[citation needed] For 2021, experts estimated the company's share in the Russian recording market at approximately 15-20%.

[94] British artist George Michael, signed to Columbia in the U.S. and Epic worldwide, advised Sony executives in 1990 that he would not be appearing in music videos to support his forthcoming album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol.

[97] In July 2002, Jackson alleged that the then-Sony Music chairman Tommy Mottola was a "devil" and "racist" who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own gain.

[101] The plaintiff's claims in the court document filed at the Supreme Court of British Columbia read: "The IsoHunt Websites have been designed and are operated by the defendants with the sole purpose of profiting from rampant copyright infringement which defendants actively encourage, promote, authorize, induce, aid, abet, materially contribute to and commercially profit from.