Sony/ATV to be re-named Sony Music Publishing

By Emmanuel Legrand

Sony Music Group's music publishing division Sony/ATV has been re-named Sony Music Publishing, as part of a re-branding which includes a new name, a redesigned logo and revitalised mission, reflecting's Sony ethos of "A Creative Entertainment Company with a Solid Foundation of Technology.” Sony Music Publishing has also embraced a new mission statement with "every voice matters."

  "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," said the company in a statement.

  The new Sony Music Publishing "honours its heritage as a Sony company and lays the foundation for its future as a songwriter-first, universally inclusive company," added the company. The refreshed logo is designed as" an abstraction of sound waves — with resonance and vibrations that express infinitely expanding opportunities for songwriters."

A modern vision

  “Sony Music Publishing has always embraced the power of songwriting to connect cultures and bring people together," said Platt (pictured, below). "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/ATV was set up in 1995 as a joint venture between Sony Music Publishing and Michael Jackson's ATV Music, which he had acquired in 1985 for $47.5 million from Australian billionaire Robert Holmes a Court. ATV owned Northern Songs, the music publishing company owning the rights to the songs composed by the Beatles. In 2016, Sony agreed with the Jackson estate to pay $750 million for the 50% interest it owned in Sony/ATV, making it a wholly-owned Sony company. 

A future-forward company

  Under the leadership of Marty Bandier, Sony/ATV also acquired in 2007 the Famous Music catalogue, which included scores to American films and television shows, and in 2012, Sony/ATV led a consortium of investors who bought EMI Music Publishing. In 2018, Sony bought out the remaining ownership interests in EMI, becoming the world's leading music publishing company.

  “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," said Sony Music Group Chairman Rob Stringer. "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.”