Sony Music Entertainment

Background: Sony Music Entertainment was originally known as the CBS Records Group until it was sold to Sony Corporation of Japan on January 5, 1988, when Sony licensed the CBS name and was renamed as "Sony Music Entertainment" on January 1, 1991. On July 20, 2004, Sony Music Entertainment and Bertelsmann Music Group merged their 50% of their music enterprise to form "Sony BMG Music Entertainment", which was approved by the European Union. On October 1, 2008, Bertelsmann AG agreed to sell the rest of the Sony BMG stake to Sony, renaming the enterprise back as Sony Music Entertainment as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

CBS Music Video Enterprises

(1986-1991)

Nicknames: "The Triangles", "The Pyramids", "CMV"

Logo: On a black background, we see a 3-D pyramid spinning around, with the letters "C", in red, on one side, "M", in green, on another side, and "V", in blue, on the other. Then, two more triangles just like the first one slide out of the pyramid and they all spin. Then, the pyramids get together, and as they do that, each of them turn into triangles, and the letters turn white. "E N T E R P R I S E S" fades in under "CMV".

FX/SFX: Excellent CGI! It holds up very well today despite being made in the 1980s.

Music/Sounds: A modern-sounding synth theme with ticks throughout and 3 deep bangs as the pyramids turns into triangles.

Availability: Very rare. It can be found on CBS Music Video releases, such as the 1987 VHS release of Billy Joel: Live at Yankee Stadium and a Laserdisc release of The Forbidden Dance is Lambada.

Editor's Note: TBA

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Sony Music Entertainment

1st Logo (1991-2004?)

Nicknames: "The Triangles II", "The Pyramids II", "SMV"

Logo: Same as the CMV Enterprises logo, but the "C" is replaced by an "S", the font is bolder, and the colors are a bit brighter.

Variant: On the 1996 VHS of Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, the logo is shortened to the last few seconds.

FX/SFX: Same as the CMV Enterprises logo. It warrants a mention that this logo somehow is able to change parts of the previous logo without resorting to cheap chyron effects.

Music/Sounds: Same as the CMV Enterprises logo. On the variant, we hear just re-arranged drumbeats and the synth strum.

Availability: Uncommon. It can be seen on many Sony Music Video releases from the era such as the VHS/DVD releases of Celine Dion: Unison, Celine Dion: All the Way - A Decade of Song and Video, and Mariah Carey: #1's. It can also be found on many 90's MTV Home Video releases from the era, such as early Beavis and Butt-Head and MTV Unplugged VHS releases. The short variant appeared on the 1996 VHS of Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie.

Editor's Note: TBA

2nd Logo (1996-2004)

Nicknames: "SMV II" "The Smoking Circles"

Logo: On a black background, we see a yellow ball moving upward. Then, two blue balls move downward, left and right of the yellow ball. These move away, as it fades into 3 black smoking circles with the left and right circle with blue outlining and the middle circle with yellow outlining. These outlines then spin around, as the smoke disappears and the letters "S" on the left circle, in white, "M" on the middle circle, in blue, and "V" on the right circle, in white. The circles turn to the colors of the outlines of the circle. The words:

s o n y m u s i c

entertainment

appear one-by-one. "sony music" is spaced out more to fit the width of "entertainment".

FX/SFX: More great CGI.

Music/Sounds: Same as the last two logos.

Availability: Seen on many Sony Music Entertainment VHS and DVD releases from the era, including Computer Animation Festival, Alice in Chains: Music Bank - The Videos, Jennifer Lopez: Feelin So Good, and Kathy Smith re-releases from the company. It also appears on many late 1990's-early 2000's MTV Home Video releases such as MTV Gamebrain, Beavis and Butt-Head and The Real World video tapes. Strangely, this logo made a surprise appearance on the packaging of the 2006 Shout! Factory DVD sets The Super Mario Bros. Super Show and The Best of the Electric Company, but this logo never appeared on the DVDs themselves.

Editor's Note: TBA

3rd Logo (2009- )

Nickname: "The Red Paintbrush"

Logo: On a white background, we see a simple red paintbrush effect drawing down and the text "SONY MUSIC" in the respective Sony font appears in. The logo would slowly zoom in afterward.

Variant: An in-credit version appears on reruns of the two shows listed below.

FX/SFX: The paintbrush drawing. The zooming in.

Music/Sounds:


 * On Big Time Rush, the end theme of the show plays over.
 * Victorious has a "swoosh" sound when the paintbrush draws followed by a random quote that varies on each episode of the show.
 * Split-screen credits (later generic) airings of both shows has this logo silent.
 * On most Nickelodeon UK airings of Victorious, there is no quote.

Availability: Seen on music video releases. It also appeared on Victorious and Big Time Rush on Nickelodeon and TeenNick.

Editor's Note: TBA

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Sony BMG Music Entertainment

(2005-2009)

Nicknames: "Spinning Treble Clef", "Symbol Clef"

Logo: On a white background, we see a spinning fuchsia and blue treble clef. It slowly zooms out to the words "SONY" and "BMG" (in their corporate fonts) and the treble clef falls on the words. Then a flash occurs and two lines and the words "MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT" in Trajan Pro Bold font fade in. The treble clef shines.

Variants:


 * On the 2006 DVD of Transformers the Movie, the words "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" fade in a few seconds later.


 * On movies from the company, the word "FILM" appears by a light effect.

FX/SFX: The treble clef spinning, the names zooming out, all in great CGI.

Music/Sounds: Wind sounds, followed by a loud synth chord and some twinkling sounds.

Availability: Common. It appeared on many music DVDs and DualDisc releases such as Michael Jackson: Thriller 25, Beyonce B-Day, and the infamous Trapped in the Closet series. The home entertainment variant appears on Transformers The Movie: 20th Anniversary Edition. The "FILM" version is uncommon, and it appeared on the films Ghosts of Cité Soleil and Feel the Noise. It was also seen on the trailer for Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten.

Editor's Note: TBA

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Sony Music Film

(December 5, 2008)

Logo: TBA

FX/SFX: The logo forming.

Music/Sounds: A majestic synth track.

Availability: Rare. Seen on the film Cadillac Records. A still version appeared on the trailer of the film.

Editor's Note: TBA