The Big Four record companies are EMI, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, and Sony BMG. Together they represent the majority (around 75%) of the global recorded music market. In the past, EMI and Warner enjoyed success in the 1950s-1970s by representing artists like the Beatles, Cliff Richard, and Frank Sinatra. Universal is now the largest due to its market share and global operations. Sony BMG was formed as a joint venture between Sony Music and Bertelsmann music.

1. The Big Four
Charlotte Vincent

2. Emi
• Emi (Electric and musical industries) is a British multinational music
company, who have headquarters within London and are the fourth
largest business group and family of record labels in the recording
industry, and is one of the ‘big four’ record companies. From the late
1950’s to the early 1970’s managed to enjoy success in the popular
music field when they were under management of Sir Joseph
Lockwood. With the strong combination of Emi, and its subsidiary
labels which include Parlophone, Hmv, Columbia and Capitol
Records along with groups such as The Beatles, and single artists
such as Cliff Richard and Frank Sinatra helped to make EMI the
best known and most successful recording company in the world at
that time. In 1971, Electric And Musical Industries changed their
name to EMI Ltd. Then in 1973, Gramophone company then
became EMI records Ltd as well. Thorn Electircal industries merged
into Emi which then formed Thorn EMI. Thorn Emi then bought 50%
interest from Chrysalis records which helped to complete the buyout
two years later, after six months of this Thorn Emi then bought Virgin
Records from Richard Branson.

3. Warner Music
• Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family
of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big
four. It is unable to trace its ancestry unlike the other four big record
companies. In 1963, Warner Bros records purchased Reprise
Records, which three years earlier, was founded by Frank
Sinatra, was so he could have more control over the creativity of his
recordings. After Warner was sold to Seven Arts Productions in
1967, it purchased Atlantic Records, founded in 1947 and Warner
Music Group’s oldest label. Two years after being purchased by
Seven Arts, the Warner Bros- Seven Arts company was sold to the
Kinney National Company. During the 1970’s, the Warner group
built up a commanding position in the music industry. In 170, it
bought Elektra for $10 million, bringing in leading rock acts including
The Doors, Tim Buckley etc. Around the 1980’s Warner’s name was
changed to Time Warner, and throughout the 1990’s was the largest
media company in the world, where their assets where in excess of
$20 billion.

4. Universal Music Group
• Universal Music group is a multinational music
company, being the largest of the big four.
Reasons for this include, its leading market share
and its multitude of global operations. UMG helped
to co-developed Vevo, the site in which has been
designed for music videos, and tend to be in a
higher quality then the ones that are streamed
from you tube. Universal music was once known
as the music company that was attached to the
film studio Universal Pictures. The UMG main
global headquarters are located in Santa Monica.

5. Sony Bmg
• Sony BMG, was a recorded music company, and
began as a result of the 50-50 joint venture
between Sony Music and Bertelsmann music. It is
one of the big four and includes ownership and
distrubtion of recording labels such as Arista
Records, Columbia Records, Epic Records etc. In
October 2007, it was announced that Sony BMG
successfully sued Jammie Thomas, the single
mother who managed to make $36,000 a
year, was then ordered to pay $222,220 in
damages for making 24 songs available for
download.

6. This graph shows the
differences between
the big four, and then
other less well known
record labels. This
helps us to establish
how well they are doing
in things such as
market shares, who
their owners are, or
may be, and people
that they may be
signing up.

7. The Big four.
• The big four, are known for representing the majority of music sold
nowadays, and altogether made 75% within the music market, or could be
more, depending on what sort of a year it had been for them with music
sales, etc. Artists that get signed up to one of the big for, will either get
signed up to big company itself, or one that the company may have
purchased. These are known as subsidiary companies, and they can tend
to make sign up their own artists so they can ensure that their finances are
ok. If any of the Big Four have any subsidiary companies, they are
responsible for their overall budget and the staff that can tend to be hired
within them.
• In 2005, Universal accounted for 25.5% of the market, with key artists
being, Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West etc. Sony accounted for 21.5% of the
market, with key artists including- Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears etc. Emi
accounted for 13.4% of the market, with key artists being, Coldplay and
Robbie Williams, etc. And finally, Warner accounted for 11.3% of the market,
with their main artists being- My Chemical Romance, Green Day, Madonna,
etc.
• They were known as the Big Four from 2009.