EMI Records

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EMI was the label of UK company EMI Records Ltd., also known as EMI Records. After a hiatus, EMI was relaunched as a label by Universal Music Group in 2020, replacing Virgin EMI Records. Label Code: LC 0542 / LC 00542. EMI did not exist as a label until late January 1973 (the exception being a few Indian releases around 1969). See the example image of one of their own introductory advertisements. It should not be added as a label to any release before that date, aside from those Indian releases. Furthermore it should not be added as a label on any release with a primary branded label such as His Master's Voice, Columbia, Pathé, Parlophone, Capitol Records, etc., as the (usually) boxed EMI logo that appears with the primary label simply implies that the label formed part of the EMI Group (please do not confuse with EMI Group Plc), not that EMI was a label. In these cases, it is permitted to add EMI as a Record Company (discussion / more discussion) as it was the corporate logo of the parent companies Electric & Musical Industries Ltd. / EMI Ltd. (EMI) and was not intended as a label.

From 1996 until September 2012 the ultimate parent company / owner of all the EMI labels and companies was EMI Group Ltd. (EMI Group Plc.)

After that date Universal Music Group now owns large parts of the former EMI Group, with the former EMI Records Ltd. (which includes most EMI UK & Europe operations) being renamed as Parlophone Records Ltd. and being sold off to the Warner Music Group.

EMI was a major label and had a lot of sub and sister labels which also carry the EMI logo and manage its huge amount of releases all over the world.

The EMI country codes: In 1969 a new international system was introduced for EMI catalogue numbers. A five-digit prefix was added to the five-digit record number, separated by a hyphen. The first number and letter are a code for the country the record was made in or for. This usually corresponds with the country field on Discogs. Please enter this catalogue number against whichever label is branded on the release.

(C = Country, E = Europe, M = Music For Pleasure)

OC = UK
0C = UK 
1A = Netherlands 
1C = Germany
1M = Germany (for Music For Pleasure)
1E = UK
1J = Spain (1969-1977)
2C = France
2M = France (for Music For Pleasure)
2S = France (for Sonopresse)
2E = Austria 
2J = Greece (until 1977)
3C = Italy 
3E = Switzerland 
4B = Belgium (for Best Seller releases)
4C = Belgium
4M = Belgium (for Music For Pleasure)
4E = Sweden 
5C = Netherlands
5D = Netherlands (for Delta (2) and Sunset 2 Super Pack releases)
5N = Netherlands (for Negram releases)
5E = Finland 
6C = Denmark 
6E = Denmark 
7C = Sweden 
7E = Norway
8C = Norway
8E = Portugal 
9C = Finland 
10C = Spain (from 1977)
11C = Portugal 
12C = Austria
13C = Switzerland 
14C = Greece (from 1977)
16C = Australia (unused on releases)
17C = New Zealand (unused on releases)
31C = Brazil
32C = Chile
33C = Mexico
82C = South Africa

For unofficial releases which use the EMI-logo and/or claim to be an EMI-release please use this label: EMI (2)!

Please ask in the forums if you are in doubt.

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Wikipedia Information

EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its acquisition by Universal Music in 2012, it was the fourth largest business group and record label conglomerate in the music industry, and was one of the "Big Four" record companies (now the "Big Three"). Its labels included EMI Records, Parlophone, Virgin Records, and Capitol Records, which are now referenced under Universal Music due to their acquisition with the exception of Parlophone, as it is now owned by Warner Music. EMI was listed on the London Stock Exchange, and was also once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index, but faced financial problems and US$4 billion in debt, leading to its acquisition by Citigroup in February 2011. Citigroup's ownership was temporary, as EMI announced in November 2011 that it would sell its music arm to Vivendi's Universal Music Group for $1.9 billion and its publishing business to a Sony/ATV consortium for around $2.2 billion. Other members of the Sony consortium include the estate of Michael Jackson, the Blackstone Group, and the Abu Dhabi–owned Mubadala Development Company. EMI's locations in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada were all disassembled to repay debt, but the primary head office located outside those countries is still functional. EMI Music Publishing is now owned by Sony Music Publishing, the music publishing division of Sony Music which bought another 70% stake in EMI Music Publishing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMI