EMI

EMI served as the label for the UK company EMI Records Ltd., also recognized as EMI Records.

Following a temporary closure, EMI was revived as a label by Universal Music Group in 2020.

The Label Code is: LC 0542 / LC 00542.

EMI did not function as a label until late January 1973, except for a few Indian releases around 1969 and some 60s Australian test pressings related to EMI Studios Sydney. Thus, it should not be listed as a label for any release before that date, aside from the aforementioned Indian releases. Additionally, EMI should not appear 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 boxed EMI logo seen alongside the primary label indicates that the label was part of the EMI Group, not that EMI was a label. In these instances, EMI can be added as a Record Company, since it was the corporate logo of the parent companies Electric & Musical Industries Ltd. / EMI Ltd. (EMI) and not intended as a label.

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

Following that, Universal Music Group now owns significant portions of the former EMI Group, with the former EMI Records Ltd. (encompassing most EMI UK & Europe operations) being renamed as Parlophone Records Ltd. and sold to the Warner Music Group.

EMI was a major label with numerous sub and sister labels that also carried the EMI logo and managed its vast array of releases worldwide.

Regarding EMI country codes: In 1969, an international system was introduced for EMI catalogue numbers, adding a five-digit prefix to the five-digit record number, separated by a hyphen. The first number and letter serve as a code for the country in which the record was made or intended for, typically matching the country field on Discogs. This catalogue number should be entered 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

- 2C = France

- 2M = France (for Music For Pleasure)

- 2S = France (for Sonopresse)

- 2E = Austria

- 2J = Greece

- 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 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

- 11C = Portugal

- 12C = Austria

- 13C = Switzerland

- 14C = Greece

- 16C = Australia (unused on releases)

- 17C = New Zealand (unused on releases)

- 31C = Brazil

- 32C = Chile

- 33C = Mexico

- 82C = South Africa

For unofficial releases that feature the EMI logo and/or claim to be an EMI release, please use the label EMI !

If uncertain, please ask in the forums.