Rykodisc

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Rykodisc
Image:Rykodisc.jpeg
Parent company	Warner Music Group
Founded	1980
Founder(s)	Arthur Mann, Rob Simonds Doug Lexa and Don Rose
Distributing label	Rykodisc (In the US); WEA (Outside the US)
Genre(s)	Pop, Rock
Country	US
Web address	http://www.rykodisc.com/

Rykodisc Records is an American record label, and subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Reputedly one of the first CD-only independent record labels in the United States, Rykodisc, was founded in 1980 in Salem, Massachusetts. by Arthur Mann, Rob Simonds, Doug Lexa and Don Rose. The word "ryko" means approximately "sound from a flash of light" in Japanese, a reference to their intention to concentrate on the then-new compact disc technology, although the label did eventually produce cassette and vinyl versions of many releases.

Rykodisc had some notable successes in the CD-reissue industry, being the first label to publish the music of Elvis Costello, David Bowie, Frank Zappa and Mission of Burma on CD. Rykodisc still retains the rights to the Zappa and Mission of Burma catalogs. Rykodisc also has re=released the classic SST Records-era recordings by the Meat Puppets. Image:Rykodisctray.jpg

Over the years the label has acquired Hannibal Records, Tradition Records, Gramavision Records and Restless Records, as well as founded a distribution company, Ryko Distribution and a music publishing company, Rykomusic. The label's catalogue now exceeds 1,200 titles.

In 1999, Chris Blackwell left Island Records and bought Rykodisc for a reported $35 million as a means of acquiring music marketing and distribution expertise for his new venture, a media company called Palm Pictures. In 2001 Blackwell parted ways with Rykodisc. The label is now located in New York with offices in Los Angeles and in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Rykodisc sets apart their CD issues with their trademarked green-tinted jewel boxes, which the company began using in 1988. The label began limiting the use of the green-tinted cases on new releases in 2002.

On March 23, 2006 — it was announced that Warner Music Group acquired the Ryko Corporation for $67.5 million.

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