V2 Records
- V2 redirects here. For the rocket, see V-2 rocket. For other meanings, see V2 (disambiguation).
V2 Records (or V2 Music) is a record label that was started in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI.
Over the years V2 acquired Junior Boy's Own, Gee Street Records, Blue Dog Records, and Big Cat Records. The label also distributed many labels, such as Wichita, Luaka Bop, City Slang, and Modular.
V2 now operates in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States. It was distributed in the US by BMG; however it left for WEA shortly after the formation of Sony BMG. Its headquarters were located at 12 East 4th Street in Manhattan, the former US home of Island Records, which was in the same building as the former Greenwich Village branch of Tower Records.
In 2006 Branson sold V2 Records North America to Sheridan Square Entertainment for $15 million. They since have merged V2 North America with its label Artemis Records. The new label is no longer part of the Virgin group.
In May 2006, much of V2's catalogue, including multiplatinum artists Moby and The White Stripes, was added to eMusic, making the label one of the most high-profile featured on the online music site, which mostly sells DRM-free independent music at a cost considerably lower than many of its competitors.
On 12 January, 2007, V2's United States and Canada branches announced that they were undergoing restructuring to focus on its back catalogue and digital distribution[1]. As a result, their employees were let go and their roster of artists left as free agents.
Ultimately, the label was owned 95% by Morgan Stanley and 5% by Branson. In August 2007, the company was sold for £7 million to Universal.
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Artist roster
Note: some V2 artists were on Gee Street when it was distributed by Island Records
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See also
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External links
- Official site
- V2 Records Japan (Japanese)
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