Polygram N.v.

PolyGram N.V. is involved in the creation, acquisition and production of recorded music which it markets and distributes in the form of compact discs, music cassettes, record albums, digital compact cassettes, video tapes and laser disks. The company is also active in music publishing and the production of films and television programming. PolyGram is one of the world's largest recorded music companies. Its labels in the popular music sector include Motown, Mercury, Polydor, Vertigo, Fontana, A&M, Island and Verve, while the company's classical music business includes the labels Decca, Deutsche Grammophone and Philips Classics. In 1997, 78% of recorded music was sold in compact disk form, 17% as music cassettes and 5% as singles. PolyGram is also the world's third largest music publisher, with rights to some 250,000 song titles. In the area of filmed entertainment PolyGram launched Gramercy Pictures in 1993, which is a film distribution joint venture with Universal Pictures. Recorded music accounted for 84% of 1997 revenues and filmed entertainment, 16%.