 | |
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Founded | March 1998; 27 years ago (1998-03) (as Buena Vista Music Group) |
| Headquarters | Walt Disney Studios,, U.S. |
Key people | Ken Bunt (president) |
| Products | Albums,records,music videos |
| Services | Music recording,music publishing |
| Parent | Walt Disney Studios |
| Divisions | |
| Subsidiaries | |
| Website | disneymusic |
Disney Music Group (DMG) is themusic recording and publishing arm ofWalt Disney Studios, a division ofDisney Entertainment, which is owned byThe Walt Disney Company.[1] It is located at the studio's headquarters inBurbank, California. The division's subsidiaries consist of two ownedrecord labels—Walt Disney Records andHollywood Records—along withDisney Music Publishing, thepublishing entity that administers the company's music, as well as Disney Concerts. Disney Music'sVevo account onYouTube is currentlyone of the most-viewed YouTube channels as of June 2023.
From the founding ofThe Walt Disney Company in 1923, music has been key to the success of the organization. Both public-domain and original music were used for the initial cartoons, but, since neitherWalt Disney norRoy O. Disney had anymusic industry experience, the studio had to rely on outside music publishers.[MTk 1] In 1928, Walt Disney released the firstMickey Mouse motion picture,Steamboat Willie, which became the first animated short-subject film with sound. Two other unreleased Mickey Mouse shorts had been previously produced and were subsequently given soundtracks prior to their eventual premieres.[ChWDC 1] In 1929, Walt Disney andCarl Stalling wrote "Minnie's Yoo-Hoo", the first song from the Walt Disney Studios, forMickey's Follies.[ChWDC 2] On December 16, 1929, the Disney Film Recording Company, Limited was incorporated as a subsidiary ofWalt Disney Productions.[2]
Saul Bourne atIrving Berlin Music approached the studio after seeingThree Little Pigs with interest in the publishing rights for its theme song, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?". With Disney partnering with Bourne and Berlin, this partnership led to the song being recorded twice by theDon Bestor Orchestra (released byVictor Records) and Bill Scotti Orchestra (released byBluebird Records). The song was a hit and aDepression eraanthem.[MTk 1]
Walt Disney Productions then began licensing out its music with the record company either selecting its own or Disney's talent to record the music. Until 1936, no one had issued an actual song track recording on disc.RCA'sVictor label released a selection of Disney short film music in England with the US release a year later.[MTk 1] TheSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs soundtrack album released by Victor was the first feature film soundtrack. Disney had sold its rights to theSnow White music toBourne Co. Music as they needed more funds to complete the film.[MTk 2]
In 1938,Fantasound—the firstSurround sound system—was designed and tested by Walt Disney Productions for the release ofFantasia.[ChWDC 3] In 1943,Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated Walt Disney Productions for twoAcademy Award categories in recognition ofBambi;Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture andMusic, Best Song for its song, "Love is a Song".[ChWDC 4]
In addition toSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney also sold the music publishing rights toPinocchio andDumbo to Bourne. To date, all attempts to reacquire the music rights to the three films had failed. AfterBambi, the effects ofWorld War II reduced the production of new feature length animation, with Disney either making feature length live films with some animation or themed short film intoanthology films likeMake Mine Music. The latter films contain the bulk of the more commercial music which was done by recording stars thus released by their record company.[MTk 2]
In April 1947, the Walt Disney Music Company (WDMC) was incorporated, with Fred Raphael putting the company together in late 1949 to publish and license songs fromCinderella.[3][MTk 3]Cinderella records appeared in stores along with other merchandise in 1949 before the 1950 release of the movie. The original RCA 78 RPM multi-disc-album release was number 1 on theBillboard magazine pop charts and as a result, Disney Music was moving rapidly into the Big Business category. While WDMC did not produce the records, Raphael did handle the selection, performance and recording.[MTk 3]
James Alexander "Jimmy" Johnson, Jr., a fired Disney publicity staff member who wanted to stay at Disney, moved through a series of jobs there in the traffic department, and then accounting. After a stint in the military, he became assistant to thecorporate secretary, then handled merchandising issues among other additional duties. With Roy Disney's split of the merchandising division from Walt Disney Productions, Johnson became head of the merchandising division's publication department in 1950 and took on managing business affairs for the Walt Disney Music Company.[MTk 3]
Raphael took the WDMC into creating original non-film music. WDMC had several successful songs outside of the films, includingMule Train byFrankie Laine, "Would I Love You (Love You, Love You)" byPatti Page and "Shrimp Boats" byJo Stafford,[MTk 3] however for every non-film hit there were ascore more that flopped.[MTk 4] WhileAlice in Wonderland was a first run failure, its songs became evergreen for the music company with multiple stars performing the music. Raphael moved his office off lot to Hollywood and opened a WDMC in New York.[MTk 4]
Walt Disney Productions formed the Wonderland Music Company in 1951.[4]
Disney's next push into music came fromThe Mickey Mouse Club as eight 6-inch 78 RPM records for the show hit shelves the week it premiered on television. Normal 7-inch 45 RPM versions were cut and released later, both through manufacturing partners of the Walt Disney Music Company. After a year,Golden Records andAm-Par Records turned over production of the show's music back to Disney, leading to the creation of theDisneyland Records label in 1956.[MTk 5]
The Walt Disney Company traces the Disney Music Group back to the founding of Disneyland Records on February 4, 1956.[5] In that year, the Walt Disney Music Company'sDisneyland Records record company was founded on the strength ofFess Parker's 1954 hit recording of the "Ballad of Davy Crockett" using the Disneyland label, which was licensed toColumbia Records.[6] The Disneyland label issued its first album,A Child's Garden of Verses.[ChWDC 5] Also, Disneyland Records issued Parker's "Wringle Wrangle" single from the "Westward Ho the Wagons!" film within a year of starting operations; the single became a hit.
In 1959, Walt Disney Productions founded Buena Vista Records as a Disney-endorsed sub-brand without the "Disney" name; the inaugural release from the label was "Annette", the self-titled album featuring vocalist Annette Funicello.[6]
In November 1989, The Walt Disney Company founded Hollywood Records after acquiring the valuable Queen catalog.
TheLyric Street Records label was founded in July 1997 as a division ofHollywood Records.[7][8] In August 1997Mammoth Records was purchased for $25 million to act as an independent music label within Disney.[9]
The industry recognized founding of the group was in March 1998 with the reorganization in Disney that brought all Disney music labels into one unit, Buena Vista Music Group, in the Walt Disney Studios. The group consisted of Hollywood Records,Buena Vista Records, Lyric Street Records and Mammoth Records withWalt Disney Records andDisney Music Publishing transferred out ofDisney Consumer Products.[9]
In September 2005, BVMG signed withEMI for distribution of its albums in the UK, Europe, South Africa and the Middle East replacingWarner Music Group.[10] In November 2006,Disney Music Publishing and Warner/Chappell Music Inc. agreed to a licensing agreement for Europe and South America major markets.[11] In 2006, BVMG launched a concert production arm, Buena Vista Concerts starting with TheCheetah Girls:The Party's Just Begun Tour andHigh School Musical: The Concert.[12]
In April 2007, Disney decided to semi-retire theBuena Vista brand from the group's name.[13] In November 2008, Disney Music Group formed the Disney Pearl label in conjunction with a multi-part deal withYanni.[14]
Lyric Street launched a subsidiary label, Carolwood Records, in October 2008[15] which was soon shuttered in November 2009.[16] On April 14, 2010, Disney Music Group announced the closure of the Lyric Street label with some bands transferred to other branches of Disney Music Group and others dropped altogether.[17]
On January 31, 2012, DMG chair Bob Cavallo retired with Ken Bunt succeeding him as head of DMG with a promotion to executive vice president from his post as senior vice president of marketing.[18] Bunt became president on March 27, 2013.[19] A unified licensing department was formed with in Disney Music Group by December 2012 under vice president of licensing Dominic Griffin.[20]
Lucy Hale signed with Hollywood Records' Lyric Street sublabel in June 2012 indicated a return to country music[21][22] changed to DMG Nashville with her single release "You Sound Good To Me" in the 2nd quarter of 2014.[23]
In February 2016, Disney Music Group, in collaboration with Philips Lighting, launched LightVibes.[24] In January 2017, DMG acquired the distribution rights to the entireStar Warsmusic catalog fromSony Classical; the soundtrack albums were then released byWalt Disney Records in digital formats the same day.[25][26] Disneydigitally remastered andreissued the originalStar Wars soundtrack albums in physical formats on May 4, 2018.[27]
In early April 2017, DMG andUniversal Music Group Nashville relaunched Buena Vista Records as a joint venture label for country music and worldwide country music genre projects with the label's first signed act of CB30 duo of brothers, Christian and Brody.[28] The company andDigiTour Media formed in June 2017, RMI Recordings, a new label for "digital-first" talent.[29]
DuringAmerican Idol's Disney Night on April 29, 2018,DCappella, Disney Music Group's newa cappella singing group, made their debut.[30] On Friday, August 23, 2019, Disney Music Group debuted their first podcast,For Scores, a composer interview series, and kicked off atD23.[31][32]
Walt Disney Records, the flagship record label of the group, was founded on February 4, 1956 asDisneyland Records, so that Disney would not have to release through third-party labels not associated with the studio, such asRCA Victor orCapitol Records, which had issued Disney albums in the past. Under the Disneyland label, among its other recordings, the studio also released new soundtrack LP's of some of the animated Disney films, including, a 3-LP album set in monophonic sound of all of the classical music heard inFantasia, perhaps the first soundtrack album containing virtually all the music from a feature-length film. (The "Meet the Soundtrack" intermission segment and the jam session were not included, andDeems Taylor's commentary was also omitted.) Disneyland Records released cover versions (rather than soundtracks) of the songs from some of the other animated films, such asLady and the Tramp. In 1989, the label was renamed to its current branding and now releases a broad range of Disney-branded music, such as soundtracks to films fromWalt Disney Pictures,Walt Disney Animation Studios,Pixar, andLucasfilm, original studio albums fromDisney Channel artists, and compilations albums byRadio Disney.[33]
Hollywood Records, primarily focuses on pop, rock, alternative and country genres, as well as film soundtracks fromMarvel Studios,20th Century Studios,Searchlight Pictures, andHulu, as well as20th Television's television series, Disney's cable networks,[34][33] and international series released exclusively onDisney+ throughStar andHulu (except anime contents). Originally, the label was primarily a soundtrack label for non-Disney branded releases fromTouchstone Pictures andHollywood Pictures, with few major artists, likeQueen. The label now releases music from a roster of major artists such as:Breaking Benjamin,Sofia Carson,Olivia Holt andShawn Hook.
DMG Nashville, is the label used by Hollywood Records to specialize incountry music.[35] Patrick Joseph Music and DMG Nashville signed a co-pub agreement with songwriterMelissa Peirce in 2012 with an extension in May 2015.[36] In June 2012,Lucy Hale was signed to Hollywood Record formerly defunct country sublabel, Lyric Street, for a single and album due in 2013.[21][22] In June 2013, Patrick Clifford was named Vice President of Music Publishing and A&R forDisney Music Publishing in Nashville with responsibility for the A&R functions for Disney Music Group in Nashville.[37] In November 2013, DMG and Bigger Picture Group signed an agreement for DMG to handle music licensing for Bigger Picture.[38] After Bigger Picture's closure in 2014, DMG Nashville released its first studio album,Lucy Hale'sRoad Between, on June 3.[39]
Disney Music Publishing, controls thepublishing rights to music from Disney's film, television, theater and theme park divisions. Imprints includeWalt Disney Music Company, Wonderland Music Company, Agarita Music, Bantha Music, Buena Vista Music Co., Falferious Music, Five Hundred South Songs, Fuzzy Muppet Songs, Holpic Music, Inc., Hollywood Pictures Music, Mad Muppet Melodies, Marvel Comics Music, Marvel Superheroes Music, Pixar Music, Pixar Talking Pictures, Seven Peaks Music, Seven Summits Music, Touchstone Pictures Music & Songs, Inc., Utapau Music, and Wampa-Tauntaun Music.[40]
Disney Concerts, formerlyBuena Vista Concerts, is themselves involved in the holding, production, distribution and sponsoring of concert events related to Disney. In November 2024, they announced the Worlds Collide Tour, an interactive live concert celebrating music from theZombies andDescendants franchises. The North American tour begins on July 17, 2025. It will feature performances fromKylie Cantrall,Joshua Colley,Malia Baker andDara Reneé fromDescendants: The Rise of Red, andFreya Skye,Malachi Barton and Mekonnen Knife fromZombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires.[41]
Buena Vista Records, a label founded in 1959[6] largely devoted to authenticsoundtrack albums of mostly live-action Disney film musicals, such asMary Poppins,The Happiest Millionaire,Summer Magic, andBabes in Toyland, as well as recordings by actors then under contract to Disney, such asAnnette Funicello andHayley Mills. Often, at the same time that Buena Vista Records released a genuine soundtrack album of one of the Disney movies,Disneyland Records, another, less expensive Disney label, would release acover version of the songs from that film. Buena Vista Records also operates as an imprint of Walt Disney Records and most recently has been employed to serve as apseudonym for certain releases by Walt Disney Records such as the more adult-orientedAlmost Alice and non Disney-branded releases, as well as releasing traditional albums for Walt Disney Records adult artists such asBilly Ray Cyrus andNathan Pacheco.
Buena Vista Records was relaunched as a country music label in April 2017, as ajoint venture between DMG andUniversal Music Group Nashville. The label's first signed act was the brotherly music duo,CB30, whose track "Marina" has aLuke Bryan appearance.[28]UMG's Music Corporation of America is currently handled the distribution of Buena Vista Records' releases.
RMI Recordings, a new label formed in June 2017 to sign "digital-first" talent. It was formed with the founders ofDigiTour Media, which produces live events with social media artists.[29] The first talent signed to the label was Max & Harvey, a pair of UK twins, in April 2018.[42]
In June 2021,Steve Greenberg announced he would be relaunching his record labelS-Curve Records under a new partnership with Disney Music Group. Artists with releases as a part of the partnership includeAndy Grammer andNetta.[43]
Disney Pearl, also asDisney Pearl Series, was animprint of Disney Music Group for adult contemporary and pop music launched in November 2008 with a deal withYanni forYanni Voices albums including a Buena Vista Concert extensive tour, two YanniPBS specials and deals for the album's four vocal talent,Nathan Pacheco, Chloe, Ender Thomas and Leslie Mills.[14] The label released albums, including fromKenny Loggins andBrian Wilson, until 2012.[44]
Lyric Street Records, was an American record label specializing in country music. President Randy Goodman, formerly a general manager for RCA Records, founded the label in 1997. Among its first artists were Lari White, John Berry, Aaron Tippin, SHeDAISY and extremely popular Rascal Flatts.Carolwood Records was a short-lived subsidiary label of Lyric Street launched in October 2008. In April 2010, the label was folded intoHollywood Records.
Mammoth Records, the formerly independent record label was founded byJay Faires in 1989. In 1993 it became part of a joint venture withWEA-ownedAtlantic Records but hit the market again in 1997, when it was bought by the then Buena Vista Music Group, up until which it was based in North Carolina.[45] It had a very successful alternative artist roster including acts such as Antenna, Blake Babies, Chainsaw Kittens, Dash Rip Rock, Dillon Fence, Frente!, Fun-Da-Mental, Fu Manchu, Jason & the Scorchers, Joe Henry, Juliana Hatfield, Kill Creek, Machines of Loving Grace, the Bats, the Melvins, My Friend Steve, Seven Mary Three, Squirrel Nut Zippers, the Sidewinders, Vanilla Trainwreck, and Victoria Williams. In 2003, the label was folded intoHollywood Records.[46]
Touchstone Records was a record label formed as a joint venture between Buena Vista Records andTouchstone Pictures in 1986. It was folded intoHollywood Records in 1998.
On Friday, August 23, 2019, Disney Music Group debuted their first podcast,For Scores, produced with Treefort Media and longtime Disney Music executive Maria Kleinman and kicked of atD23. The podcast is a composer interview series with the composer working in film, television and games and hosted by journalist Jon Burlingame. The first set dropped has four episodes interviewingHenry Jackman,Pinar Toprak andAlan Silvestri. A second set is slated for October 2019 and a third for early 2020.[31][32]
Originally, Disney Music Group did not have its own distribution network, either in its native market of the US or internationally. It had a licensing deal withWarner Music Group from 1995 to 2005, andBMG inEurope andAustralia. Furthermore,Sony Music Entertainment was also a distributor of Hollywood Records' releases in mainland Asia. After the agreement with Warner expired, Disney engaged in distribution negotiations with other third-party companies.
In 2005, Disney relied mainly onUniversal Music Group andEMI Music, given the territory. UMG'sUniversal Music Distribution was responsible for distribution in theUnited States,Canada,India and other territories acrossNorth America,South America,Asia[47] andJapan.[48] Meanwhile,EMI conducted distribution in theUnited Kingdom,Republic of Ireland,Australia,New Zealand and several other territories acrossEurope,Africa and theMiddle East. In both agreements, Disney handled its own marketing and other similar functions.
In September 2012, Universal Music Group acquired EMI and initially pledged not to renew EMI's European distribution license with Disney.[49] However, in March 2013, Disney Music Group renegotiated their agreement with Universal Music Group, in which distribution and marketing rights were expanded on a worldwide basis, as a method of incurring collaboration between Disney's record labels and artists with Universal's production department.[50] This allows DMG access to Universal's large roster of award-winning music producers and songwriters. In return, UMG now will have access to Disney's extensive marketing entities (including ABC, Radio Disney, Disney Channel, ABC Radio etc.).
Seoul Records, nowKakao M –South Korea's biggest music distributor – formerly handled the Disney music catalog in the 1990s. The catalog was later acquired byS.M. Entertainment. (Universal Music Korea currently handles the Disney music catalog in South Korea.)[51]
... Hollywood Records - which automatically signs Maddie - has an option for a certain period of time to pick up Caleb as well. Hollywood is largely a pop label but it does have a small country affiliate DMG Nashville...
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