In the depths of the Great Depression, the Columbia Phonograph Company (founded in 1888) in the U.S. In 1929, ARC was founded through a merger of several smaller record companies, which, ultimately, transformed into one enterprise known as SME. History 1929–38: American Record Corporation Main article: American Record Corporation 3 List of Sony Music Entertainment labels.1.5 2008–present: Return to Sony Music Entertainment and restructuring.1.4 2004–08: Sony BMG: Joint venture with Bertelsmann.1.3 1991–2004: Birth of Sony Music Entertainment.1.1 1929–38: American Record Corporation.Out of the ' Big Three' record companies, with Universal Music Group being the largest and Warner Music Group, SME is middle-sized. The buyout led to the dissolution of BMG, which then relaunched as BMG Rights Management. When Sony acquired BMG's half of the conglomerate in 2008, Sony BMG reverted to the SME name. In 2004, SME and Bertelsmann Music Group merged as Sony BMG Music Entertainment. It is the world's second largest music company, after Universal Music Group. In 1987, Sony Corporation of Japan bought the company, and in 1991, renamed it SME.

In 1966, the company was reorganized to become CBS Records. In 1929, the enterprise was first founded as American Record Corporation (ARC) and, in 1938, was renamed Columbia Recording Corporation, following ARC's acquisition by CBS. Sony Music Entertainment (sometimes known plainly as Sony Music or by the initials, SME) is an American music corporation managed and operated by Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Sony Corporation.

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