The press releases on this website are provided for historical reference purposes only.
Please note that certain information may have changed since the date of release.
February 12, 2021
Celebrates Sony Legacy and Revitalizes Mission with Launch of New Brand Identity
(New York, NY) February 10, 2021 – The Sony Music Publishing name celebrates its return after 25 years and introduces a new brand identity with a redesigned logo and revitalized mission.
Driven by the leadership of Chairman & CEO Jon Platt, the renewal of the Sony Music Publishing name signifies an important step in the company’s evolution and further aligns the business with Sony’s powerful entertainment brands. The rebrand reflects the identity of Sony, as “A Creative Entertainment Company with a Solid Foundation of Technology.”
With a modern and energized aesthetic, the new Sony Music Publishing honors its heritage as a Sony company and lays the foundation for its future as a songwriter-first, universally inclusive company. The central visual of the new brand identity is a refreshed logo, which is designed as an abstraction of sound waves—with resonance and vibrations that express infinitely expanding opportunities for songwriters. Complementing the symbol, the Sony Music Publishing ethos is ‘every voice matters’, elevating the vision and goals of songwriters.
Sony Music Publishing Chairman and CEO Jon Platt commented, “Sony Music Publishing has always embraced the power of songwriting to connect cultures and bring people together. Since its inception, Sony Music Publishing has supported the careers of songwriters and continues to defend their rights. Returning to the Sony Music Publishing name reconnects us to our legacy and further unifies our mission and culture with the Sony Corporation. Our new brand embodies a modern vision to be an authentic reflection of the music and songwriters we represent.”
Sony Music Group Chairman Rob Stringer added, “By re-energizing the Sony Music Publishing brand, Jon and the company are charting a new course for the business and an exciting path forward for its songwriters and its people. The publishing division’s bold new image also conveys Sony Music Group’s evolution as a future-forward creative entertainment company, adding distinction to our positioning.”
Sony Corporation Chairman, President and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida stated, “Sony Music Publishing’s dynamic new brand conveys the promise of our creative approach and our leadership in the music and entertainment space. Jon and Rob are continuing to advance Sony’s business and strengthen our reputation as a “Creative Entertainment Company with a Solid Foundation of Technology” with artists and songwriters around the globe. As a company that has been and continues to empower songwriters, I strongly believe that its inclusive brand message will lead to bringing people closer together, more than ever.”
Sony Music Publishing is home to the world's greatest songwriters, with classic catalogues including Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Queen, Ashford & Simpson, Motown, Carole King, Leiber & Stoller, Leonard Cohen, Stevie Wonder, and Claudia Brant, as well as beloved contemporary songwriters like Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Calvin Harris, Cardi B, Daddy Yankee, Gabby Barrett, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Luke Bryan, Maluma, Miranda Lambert, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, Sara Bareilles, Sean `Diddy' Combs and many more.
Sony/ATV was established in 1995 through a joint venture with Michael Jackson that brought together the original Sony Music Publishing with Jackson’s ATV Music. Jackson had acquired ATV Music, which owned the Northern Songs catalogue, in 1985. Northern Songs owned the rights to all the songs that John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote during their time with the Beatles. In 2016, Sony acquired the Michael Jackson Estate’s 50% share of Sony/ATV making it a wholly owned Sony company.
In 2007, Sony/ATV acquired Famous Music which included some of the great American Film and TV catalogues and in 2012 Sony, along with a group of investors, purchased EMI Music Publishing. In 2018, Sony bought out the remaining ownership interests in EMI which cemented Sony/ATV’s status as the world’s leading music publisher In 2020, the company marked 25 years of supporting songwriters.