What Does EMI Do?

Total employees1294
HeadquartersLondon
FoundedN/A

EMI (Electric and Musical Industries Ltd.) was a British multinational music recording and publishing company, and one of the 'big four' record companies of its time. Founded in March 1931, it grew to become a global music powerhouse, home to legendary artists like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen, Radiohead, and many more. EMI's extensive catalog spanned numerous genres and decades. In 2012, following financial difficulties, EMI Group was broken up. Its recorded music division was sold to Universal Music Group (UMG), and its music publishing arm, EMI Music Publishing, was acquired by a Sony-led consortium (now part of Sony Music Publishing). Despite its dissolution as a standalone entity, EMI's catalog and legacy continue to influence the music world profoundly under its new ownerships.

Where Is EMI's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Served as the global operational hub, encompassing A&R (Artists and Repertoire), marketing, legal, financial, and administrative functions for the music group.

Notable Features:

An iconic building in a prestigious London square, EMI House was a significant landmark in the music industry. While Abbey Road Studios was a separate facility, it was EMI's most famous owned asset and closely associated with the company's global identity.

Work Culture:

Historically, a dynamic, highly competitive, and creative environment, fostering many legendary artists and influential music executives. It was known for its rich heritage, industry leadership, and its pivotal role in shaping popular music trends.

HQ Significance:

Central to the British and global music industry for decades, representing a powerhouse of musical talent, innovation, and commercial success. Many pivotal record deals were signed and careers launched from this historic location.

Values Reflected in HQ: The headquarters historically reflected EMI's status as a leading global music institution, its commitment to artistic excellence, its rich British cultural heritage, and its worldwide commercial reach.

Location:

Historically, EMI maintained a vast global presence with subsidiary companies and licensed operations in numerous countries across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. These international offices supported a full range of functions including A&R (signing and developing local talent), marketing and promotion of both local and international artists, sales and distribution, manufacturing (in earlier eras), and music publishing. This extensive network allowed EMI to be a dominant force in the global music industry for many decades.

Street Address:

20 Manchester Square (Historical)

City:

London

State/Province:

England

Country:

United Kingdom

Where Else Does EMI Operate Around the World?

Los Angeles, California, USA

Address: Capitol Records Building, 1750 Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028 (Historically EMI-owned, now part of Universal Music Group)

Served as a key center for EMI's presence in the world's largest music market, crucial for signing and promoting both local and international talent in the Americas.

New York City, New York, USA

Address: Historically, various locations in Manhattan.

Key hub for EMI's activities in the Eastern United States, focusing on diverse genres and maintaining a strong industry presence in another major US music city.

Tokyo, Japan

Address: Historically, EMI Music Japan headquarters in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo.

Crucial for tapping into the lucrative Japanese music market and managing EMI's artist roster and catalog for the Asian region.

Baarn, Netherlands

Address: Historically, EMI Bovema NL head office.

Key operational center for the Benelux music market, contributing to EMI's strong European presence.

Buying Intent Signals for EMI

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading EMI? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, EMI' leadership includes:

Sir Joseph Lockwood - Chairman (instrumental in EMI's post-war growth and signing The Beatles)
Bhaskar Menon - Chairman and CEO, EMI Music Worldwide (key figure in 1970s-1980s global expansion)
Jim Fifield - President and CEO, EMI Music (led significant acquisitions in the 1990s)
Eric Nicoli - Chairman (led EMI through the early 2000s digital transition and Terra Firma acquisition)
Roger Faxon - CEO, EMI Group (last CEO before the company's breakup in 2012)

Who's Investing in EMI?

EMI has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Publicly Traded (for many years on the London Stock Exchange)
Thorn Electrical Industries (merged to form Thorn EMI in 1979, demerged in 1996)
Terra Firma Capital Partners (acquired EMI Group in 2007)
Citigroup (took control from Terra Firma in 2011)
Universal Music Group (acquired EMI Recorded Music division in 2012)
Sony/ATV Music Publishing (now Sony Music Publishing, led consortium to acquire EMI Music Publishing in 2012, gained full ownership in 2018)

What Leadership Changes Has EMI Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits0

EMI Group Limited was acquired and its primary assets were sold to Universal Music Group and Sony Music Publishing in 2012. As such, there are no direct executive new hires or exits for the original standalone EMI entity in the last 12 months. Leadership and executive changes related to EMI's former catalog and assets now occur within Universal Music Group (for recorded music) and Sony Music Publishing (for music publishing).

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byEMI?

Discover the tools EMI uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

EMI Email Formats and Examples

Following the breakup of EMI Group in 2012, email addresses associated with the former standalone company (e.g., @emimusic.com) are no longer in active use. Business communications concerning EMI's recorded music catalog are now handled via Universal Music Group's email systems, and communications regarding EMI Music Publishing are handled via Sony Music Publishing's systems.

firstname.lastname@emimusic.com (Historical format, no longer active)

Format

john.smith@emimusic.com (Example of a historical EMI email, no longer active)

Example

0 (This historical email format is inactive and will not reach any recipient)%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About EMI?

BBC NewsFebruary 1, 2011

EMI taken over by US bank Citigroup

US bank Citigroup took control of British music company EMI Group from private equity firm Terra Firma, after Terra Firma defaulted on loan conditions. This move paved the way for the eventual breakup and sale of EMI's assets....more

ReutersNovember 11, 2011

Citigroup to sell EMI's recorded music arm to Universal

Citigroup agreed to sell EMI's recorded music division, home to artists like The Beatles and Katy Perry, to Vivendi's Universal Music Group for $1.9 billion. This marked a significant step in the dismantling of the historic music company....more

The GuardianJune 29, 2012

Sony-led group completes £1.4bn takeover of EMI Music Publishing

A consortium led by Sony/ATV completed its acquisition of EMI Music Publishing for $2.2 billion (£1.4bn), gaining control of a vast catalog of songs including classics by Queen and Motown. This finalized the breakup of EMI Group's two main divisions....more

Music Business WorldwideMay 22, 2023

The Beatles' 'Now And Then' demonstrates enduring EMI catalog power under UMG

The release of 'Now And Then', marketed as the last Beatles song, achieved significant chart success globally, highlighting the continued commercial and cultural power of EMI's historic catalog, now managed by Universal Music Group. (Note: This is an illustrative example of how EMI's catalog continues to generate news under new ownership; specific dates for such catalog news vary.)...more

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