Sony Music Publishing has returned after 25 years with a new brand identity and a redesigned logo.
After several months of work behind the scenes, the major rebrand for Sony/ATV is now rolling out globally for the market-leading publisher. It means the end of the Sony/ATV name after 25 years, and a new era as Sony Music Publishing.
Driven by the leadership of chairman & CEO Jon Platt, the renewal of the Sony Music Publishing name further aligns the business with Sony’s entertainment brands. The rebrand reflects the identity of Sony, which describes itself as “a creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology.”
Celebrating its “modern and energised aesthetic”, the company said that Sony Music Publishing honours its heritage as a Sony company and “lays the foundation for its future as a songwriter-first, universally inclusive company”.
The new brand identity is embodied with 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”.
Jon Platt said: “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-energising 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.”
Our new brand embodies a modern vision to be an authentic reflection of the music and songwriters we represent
Jon Platt
Sony Corporation chairman, president and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said: “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.”
The company won Publisher Of The Year at the Music Week Awards in 2020.
The rebrand follows a series of publishing acquisitions in recent years as Sony consolidated its market strength.
Sony/ATV was originally 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 (famously, Paul McCartney had advised Jackson on the advantages of owning publishing rights without expecting it to include his own interests in The Beatles). 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 American film and television catalogues. In 2012 Sony, along with a group of investors, purchased EMI Music Publishing. Six years later, Sony bought out the remaining ownership interests in EMI, which cemented Sony/ATV’s status as market leader. After marking its 25th anniversary last year, Sony/ATV will – along with EMI Music Publishing – become a name for the music industry history books.
Sony Music Publishing’s classic catalogues including Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Queen, Ashford & Simpson, Motown, Carole King, Leiber & Stoller, Leonard Cohen, Stevie Wonder and Claudia Brant. The publisher also represents contemporary songwriters such as 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.
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