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EMI Music Australia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

EMI Recorded Music Australia
Parent company
Founded1948 (1948)
StatusActive
GenreVarious
Country of originAustralia
LocationSydney, New South Wales
Official websiteemimusic.com.au

EMI Recorded Music Australia Pty Ltd (called EMI Music Australia until May 2013) is an Australian imprint of Universal Music Australia, formerly a subsidiary label of EMI Recordings Ltd and, between 1979 and 1996, that of Thorn EMI.[1][2] It is Australia's largest major dance music label as well it was one of Australia's largest major labels overall until the Universal acquisition. Corporate headquarters are located in Sydney, Australia.

History

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EMI Recorded Music Australia Pty Ltd has its origins as the local branch of The Gramophone Company in 1925.[3] Together with other labels taken over by RCA Corporation it became EMI in 1931 with the local branch in Australia known as The Gramophone Co. (Australia).[3] According to Australian music commentator, Duncan Kimball, "the vast majority of jazz and dance records released here between the two world wars were by British artists and orchestras."[3] In 1949 the branch was incorporated as EMI (Australia) Pty Ltd and was headquartered in Sydney as a wholly owned subsidiary of United Kingdom's EMI.[3] Due to its house labels, it dominated the Australian market from the mid-1920s to the early 1960s.[3]

By October 1951 EMI Australia's catalogue held over 10,000 titles, which comprised 80% of recorded music in the country.[4] In January 1952 EMI announced they were recording major works by Sydney Symphony Orchestra.[5]

Current artists

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Some artists are from EMI Records (UK) and Capitol Music Group (U.S.), but distributed in Australia by EMI.

Former artists

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Albums

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EMI Music Australia releases its own compilations and singles, most of which are mixed by prolific DJs from Australia and occasionally overseas although rarely release compilations mixed in-house.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "EMI: a giant at war with itself". The Telegraph. 18 January 2008.
  2. ^ "Vote solid for Thorn demerger". Independent. 17 August 1996.
  3. ^ a b c d e Kimball, Duncan (2002). "EMI Records (Australia)". MilesAgo. Archived from the original on 19 March 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Classical Records". The Sunday Herald. No. 142. 14 October 1951. p. 13. Retrieved 25 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Our music on record". The News. Vol. 58, no. 8, 868. Adelaide. 10 January 1952. p. 6. Retrieved 25 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
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