Columbia Records
| Columbia Records | |
|---|---|
Logo used since 1999 | |
| Parent company | Sony Music Entertainment (2008–present)
|
| Founded | January 15, 1889 (as Columbia Phonograph Company) in Washington, D.C. |
| Distributors |
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| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | New York City |
| Official website | columbiarecords |
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Music Group, an American subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. Founded on January 15, 1889, Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in the recorded sound business, and the second major company to produce records after Edison Phonograph Company. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship record labels, along with Epic Records, former longtime rival RCA Records, and Arista Records. RCA and Arista were originally owned by BMG until Sony's acquisition at the end of their merger in 2008.