It was on the 15th of October, 1936 that a Sydney based company known as Featuradio Sound Productions commenced operations in their recording studios at 92 Pitt Street, Sydney. The main source of production was recording and pressing on 16" vinyl discs, serials for broadcast on radio stations around Australia.

Another company also involved in similar operations was The Australian Record Company, based in studios at 29 Bligh Street, Sydney. On the 19th of September, 1938 Featuradio Productions and The Australian Record Company merged. The new corporate name of the joint venture was to be Australian Record Company Pty. Ltd. Eventually the company was commonly known in the industry as A.R.C.

A.R.C. continued with the production of radio dramas and commercials and, in 1939, commenced the recording and distribution of commercial 78 rpm gramophone records. Most of the releases were on the Macquarie label and featured recordings of German orchestras. However, this was short lived. At the outbreak of the Second World War, the Australian Government prohibited the importing of components from Germany for the production of gramophone records. The company maintained its development of radio programmes and then, in 1949, recommended commercial activity by establishing two "house" labels. They were "Rodeo" and "Pacific" records. Pacific specialised in pop and jazz while Rodeo produced country and western music, or as it was called in those days, "Hillbilly Music".

Both labels proved to be top sellers and featured such famous Australian artists as Les Welch, Tim McNamara and our still well known Reg Lindsay. Meanwhile A.R.C. was employing the cream of Australian talent in its radio studios. Rod Taylor, Peter Finch, Ruth Cracknell, Bob Dyer and Roger Climpson were just a few that come to mind in what became known as the Golden Days Of Radio.

All 78 rpm discs and the 16" radio transcription discs were manufactured at the A.R.C. plant which was located in Harrington Street, Sydney, in the famous Rocks area, West Circular Quay.

In October, 1951, A.R.C. acquired two international labels. They were "London" records and "Capitol" records of the USA. It was Capitol that would feature as the big name for A.R.C. The first 78 release on Capitol was "How High The Moon" by a husband and wife team, Les Paul and Mary Ford. They were unique because they used the "Multiple Dub" process, whereby all musical instruments and voices were totally those of the two artists. Many more hits followed. Then came Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and Kay Starr.

The distribution of these great labels was carried out by G.J. Aitken and Company, located at 335 Dowling Street, East Sydney. G.J. Aitken was also General Manager of A.R.C. The Managing Director was Dudley M. Fegan.

October, 1953 saw A.R.C. become a public company. It's new corporate name was now to be Australian Record Company Limited. October 1953 was destined to be the start of a new era for A.R.C. when they produced the first LP and 45 rpm discs for the local market. The LPs were 10" and ran for 15 minutes per side. Later came 12" LPs which dominated Australian record lovers until their demise in 1991. At this point of time it is interesting to note that the LP record was invented by Columbia Records of the USA, and the 45 rpm disc was conceived by RCA Corporation of the USA (known today as BMG Records).

The year saw a new investment for A.R.C., a brand new manufacturing plant to be situated at 15 Waltham Street, Artarmon. Later in 1954 the original plant at Harrington Street was closed down.

A.R.C. continued to grow and then in March, 1956, EMI International purchased the world rights of Capitol Records of USA. EMI's official corporate title is Electrical Musical Industries of Hayes (Middlesex) UK. A.R.C. was given a three month "sell" period before handing the label to EMI.

In May, 1956, a pressing and distribution agreement with Columbia Records of the USA was signed. All Columbia repertoire was now to be the responsibility of A.R.C. Up until now all Columbia, USA products were pressed and distributed by EMI, Australia and New Zealand. Because EMI had registered a Columbia label in Australia many years before, A.R.C. Columbia products would be released on the "Coronet" label. This was to be an octagonal shaped label and in fact was the only octagonal record label in the history of the industry, worldwide.

The first 78 rpm release on Coronet was "The Bible Tells Me So" by Mahalia Jackson. The first 12" LP was "Presenting Father MacEwan" and the first 45 rpm disc was "Ninety Nine Years" by Guy Mitchell. However, the biggest selling LP to be released on Coronet was "My Fair Lady", featuring Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews. The album was produced for records by Mr. Goddard Lieberson who was the President of Columbia Records, USA.

Whilst all this history was taking place, another change was to be introduced to Australia, a change that would see the closure of A.R.C.'s famous Radio Studios. "Television" arrived on the 16th of September, 1956. The recording rooms were transferred from Bligh Street to Artarmon in 1960, and on the 29th of April, 1960, the board of A.R.C. resigned and along with two Australians and four Americans were set up to takeover A.R.C. operations. The four Americans were all associated with Columbia Records of USA, one of the four none other than Mr. Goddard Lieberson, the then current President of Columbia.

Later in 1960, A.R.C. acquired two more famous US labels to their increasing catalogue. Warner Brothers Records and United Artists Records became top sellers across all styles of recorded music. Later followed Chess, Hickory and Kapp Records, and by now A.R.C. labels were challenging the well-established catalogue of EMI. On the 10th of February, 1961, the registered office of A.R.C. moved from 29 Bligh Street to 11-19 Hargrave Street, East Sydney, G.J. Aitken and Company changed to become known as Coronet Records, and all facilities transferred to Hargrave Street. Not long after these changes took place, a new company was incorporated at Hargrave Street. It would be called The Australian Record Club, giving direct access to the public by a mail ordering system, and run in line with Columbia Record Club of USA.

By mid-1967, A.R.C. introduced an automatic pressing machinery to its vinyl plant at Artarmon. All the 12" and 7" pressing equipment was designed and manufactured by Columbia, USA, although many components (where possible) were made locally in Australia. The first LP pressed on the "Auto" line was "Camelot" for Warner Brothers Records.

Changes to the company structure and new innovations followed in the years ahead:

- A.R.C. established a printing plant which was located at Artarmon in 1970.

- Another new company was structured – CBS Musical Instruments, located at Artarmon, designed to distribute "Fender Guitars" and "Rogers Drums" among many other hundreds of musical instruments and accessories.

- A.R.C. opened up a retail outlet selling musical instruments and electronic equipment. Located in Oxford Street, Sydney, it was known as "Fender Sound House".

- The central Record Warehouse relocated from Hargrave Street to Artarmon.

- A cassette manufacturing facility was established on Easter Tuesday, 1973, and
located at Artarmon.

On the 17th of October, 1977, A.R.C. changed its name to CBS Records Australia Limited. During the next few years CBS Australia was to continue expanding and changing the corporate structure of the company;

- Printing Division and Record Warehouse moved from Artarmon to 10 Carter Street, Lidcombe.

- Musical Instruments and Fender Sound House closed down.

- Australian Record Club was sold to Record Clubs of Australia.

- The warehouse closed at Lidcombe and EDC takes over all distribution. They were located at the old EMI Building, at Parramatta Road, Homebush. EDC is a joint-venture between CBS and EMI.

- In the early 1980s compact discs were introduced to the Australian marketplace. Initially they were manufactured for CBS externally.

- Cassette manufacturing was moved from Artarmon to Lidcombe where manual compact disc assembly was introduced at Lidcombe.

On the 5th of January, 1988, the Sony Corporation of Japan, purchased CBS Records on a worldwide basis. All manufacturing and administration of CBS affiliates was now under the umbrella of this mighty electronic conglomerate. Three years later on the 11th of January, 1991, CBS Records Australia changed its corporate identity to become Sony Music Australia Limited.

The company surged ahead to become the biggest record company in Australia. Under the leadership of its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Denis Handlin, Sony Music gained chart and market percentages never seen before in the history of the company.

In 1991 the writing was on the wall for the vinyl LP record. The compact disc began to overtake and so on the 28th of June, 1991 the Artarmon Vinyl Plant closed its doors. However, the Sales Division and Mastering Services remained on the office level of the building. A short time after the close of vinyl production, EDC left the Homebush address and set up operation at the Huntingwood complex. The Sony Corporation of Japan negotiated with EMI to gain exclusive use of the Columbia label for Australia.

In December of 1992, Denis Handlin proudly opened the Hi-Tech CD Manufacturing Plant, at Huntingwood. At the end of March, 1993 the Lidcombe operation was phased out. Printing and cassette manufacturing moved to Huntingwood. Not long after, mastering services vacated Artarmon and also sets up studios at Huntingwood.

On the 23rd of February, 1995, Sony Music Australia Limited, changed its identity to become Sony Music Entertainment (Australia) Limited.

December 1997 saw the launch of Sony Music Australia's web site - www.sonymusic.com.au. Since then it has been consistently the most popular record company web site in Australia as ranked through Hitwise (Australia's leading e-metric company) and as voted by the public in every Australian Online Music Awards (ONYAS) since inception in 1999.

In October 2001, Sony Music Manufacturing started production of it's first local DVDs, although Authoring for DVD titles had commenced earlier that year. November 2001 also saw the opening of Sony Music Mastering's state of the art multi-channel audio mastering studio (as used for DVD).

Sony Music Studios was completely rebuilt in November 2002 to accomodate a 72 channel Neve VRSP mixing console as well as a High Definition ProTools recording system, making Sony Music Studios arguable the best medium sized recording studio in Australia.

Also in November of 2002 came the set-up of a new division within the company - Sony Music Digital Services. In some ways an extension of the already established Online Department, but with the view to broadening the Online definition to include wireless and other technologies relevant to a music company.