Who Owns Sony Music Entertainment?

Sony Music Entertainment's sustainability initiatives fall under Sony Group's broader environmental program, "Road to Zero," which targets a zero environmental footprint by 2050. Sony Group has committed to achieving carbon neutrality across its global operations by 2040.

Specific to the Music segment, Sony has implemented initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of physical music production. Vinyl record pressing, which has seen a major resurgence, is energy-intensive and uses PVC plastic. Sony Music has explored more sustainable pressing methods and packaging materials for physical releases.

Sony Music has also addressed ethical concerns in the music industry. The company updated its artist contract structures following criticism of "360 deals" that captured revenue from all artist activities, not just recorded music. In 2021, Sony Music became the first major label to commit to paying legacy artists royalties on pre-1972 recordings, addressing a long-standing industry dispute about royalty obligations for recordings made before federal copyright protection applied.

The company has faced scrutiny over its use of AI in music production and its approach to protecting artists' intellectual property from unauthorized AI training. In 2024 and 2025, Sony Music sent takedown notices to AI companies that were using its recordings to train generative music models without authorization. The company has positioned itself as a defender of artist rights in the AI debate, though critics note that major labels' own use of AI tools for A&R and marketing raises questions about transparency.

Sony Music Entertainment has not been subject to product recalls in the traditional sense, as music recordings do not pose safety risks. However, the company has faced several controversies:

In 2015, Sony Music Entertainment was sued by a group of artists including the heirs of Michael Jackson and members of the band Toto, alleging that Sony and the estate of Michael Jackson had improperly withheld royalties. The lawsuit was settled in 2018 for an undisclosed amount. The case highlighted ongoing tensions between major labels and artists over royalty accounting practices.

In 2020, Sony Music was among the major labels criticized for their response to the Black Lives Matter movement. The company pledged $100 million to social justice initiatives and declared a "Black Out Tuesday" in June 2020, but some artists and industry executives questioned whether the commitments translated into structural change within the company's leadership ranks.

In 2024, Sony Music sent copyright takedown notices to AI companies including Suno and Udio, alleging that these platforms used Sony's recordings to train generative AI music models without authorization. This action was supported by many artists but criticized by some AI advocates who argued it could stifle technological innovation. The legal and ethical questions surrounding AI training on copyrighted music remain unresolved as of 2026.

Sony Music has also faced periodic disputes with streaming platforms over royalty rates. In 2023, the company was involved in negotiations with Spotify and Apple Music over royalty terms, with Sony pushing for higher per-stream payouts. These negotiations are confidential, but they periodically result in public disputes when contract renewals coincide with platform policy changes.