EMI CMG Distribution And Walt Disney Records Announce Partnership
EMI CMG Distribution and Walt Disney Record (WDR) are striking an alliance that will give CBA retailers access to Walt Disney Records vast library of family-friendly audio products, announced Rich Peluso, president of EMI CMG Distribution and Robert Marick, Sr. Vice President and General Manager, Walt Disney Records.
The new agreement, which allows for EMI CMG Distribution to have exclusive rights to the distribution of Disney audio products to the CBA market, provides Christian retailers an opportunity to make their children’s sections the most complete and trusted source for family-friendly educational and entertainment products.
“We are pleased to have EMI CMG deliver our valuable brand to serve the Christian retail marketplace with our diverse line of music and products,” said Marick. “EMI CMG holds an impressive track record in the marketing and distribution of children's products to Christian retail and shares our goal of offering consumers quality choices in family friendly entertainment. Our new partnership will augment WDR's existing distribution agreement with Universal Music & Video Distribution. We are excited for the immense opportunity that lies ahead and we welcome EMI CMG's experienced sales, marketing and distribution team.”
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Beginning August 30, key Disney brands that will be available through EMI CMG Distribution will include 9 titles from the successful Baby Einstein audio series. These titles have earned WDR the #1 Top Midline Classical Imprint and #1 Top Midline Classical Label for the last two consecutive years. Titles such as Baby Mozart, Lullaby Classics and Baby Beethoven continue to dominate the Classical and Children’s charts.
Additional releases for the fourth quarter include two “Sunday Morning Series” Read Along audio titles “Noah’s Ark” and “David & Goliath,” three Playhouse Disney titles, CDs from the Winnie-the-Pooh audio franchise, a new CD from Jim Brickman (expected in October), They Might Be Giants (“Here Come the ABCs” DVD and CD), plus selections from Disney’s Lullaby Series. The final release of the year (November) will be audio products from the highly anticipated Walt Disney Pictures film “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.”
An internal team formed by EMI CMG Distribution will work closely with Walt Disney Records and will call upon the counsel of its key CBA retail leaders to review all products to confirm their appropriateness for Christian retail.
“EMI CMG Distribution and Disney are both sensitive to the trust and confidence Christian retailers have built with their customers, and we will be especially cognizant of that as we develop this new relationship,” said Peluso. “We believe the upside of offering a wider selection of kids’ products and the high regard for the Disney name will be well worth the extra scrutiny we take in preparing these products for Christian retail. We recognize that Christian moms and dads are already buying Disney products for their families and believe our partnership with Walt Disney Records provides new reasons to choose Christian retail for all their educational and entertainment purchases.”
Walt Disney Records is the worldwide leader in family audio entertainment, with over 200 multi-platinum, platinum and gold R.I.A.A. awards. The record company has been named the #1 Children’s label, #1 Soundtrack label and #1 Top Midline Classical label for the past two consecutive years by Billboard Magazine. Walt Disney Records’ newest imprint, Disney Sound was launched in February 2005 with the release of They Might Be Giants’ “Here Come the ABCs” CD and DVD. Walt Disney Records, Buena Vista Records and Disney Sound are all part of The Buena Vista Music Group, the recorded music and music publishing arm of The Walt Disney Company. (http://disney.go.com/disneyrecords)
Billboard Magazine's annual Top Christian Music Distributor since 1995, EMI CMG Distribution was founded in 1994 to serve as the main distribution outlet for EMI CMG's owned and distributed labels to the US Christian and general retail marketplace, and the international Christian marketplace. In addition to distributing EMI CMG labels (CMG Label Group, EMI Gospel and Worship Together) EMI CMG Distribution has exclusive distribution agreements with Tooth & Nail/BEC, Gaither Music Group, Gotee, Big Idea, Dexterity Sounds, Flicker, Hal Leonard, Inpop, Troubadour for the Lord, Vineyard Music Group, Universal Music Group, Cartoon Pizza, Guardian Studios/Bananas, Safe Side and Digital Praise. Awards given to EMI CMG Distribution include CBA Supplier of the Year 1998, 1999 & 2002, CBA Customer Service & Distribution Award 1998-2002 and CBA Impact Award 1998 & 1999. EMI CMG Distribution is a division of EMI CMG, which is a unit of EMI Music, the third largest recorded music company in the world. (www.emicmg.com)
