Sony/BMG - update re: reissues

A number of years back, I worked on some CD reissues for Sony/BMG (Legacy). I was speaking to my contact person today and thought I'd share some insight I learned. From my last call with him (maybe a year or 2 ago), I already knew that they had stopped reissuing CDs themselves and stopped licensing to most 3rd parties (like Wounded Bird), but still licensed to a few - like Real Gone Records. Well, since then, they've even stopped licensing to Real Gone or any others. So if you were hoping to see something in the Sony/BMG catalog reissued on CD, it won't be happening. (Not sure if this is the case for Japan, etc.)

I knew Legacy was moving more toward digital releases years ago, but what was also news to me today is that they won't be doing any new COMPILATIONS by an artist digitally. So for instance, some new digital comp for Gloria Estefan, Billy Joel, Manilow, Dionne Warwick ... anyone ... it won't be happening.

It's really sad news. I wonder if the same is true of WB & Universal.

(That said, I also know that if Streisand wants to put out a new compilation like Release Me 2 & 1 - it will happen. But she's about the only one. And also, if there's a soundtrack to a movie - like the Whitney Houston soundtrack to that in-theaters film "I Wanna Dance With Somebody", there can be for that. So under very rare circumstances, like these 2 examples, yes.) But a regular comp, say one that has all the Bruce Hornsby & the Range single versions, I don't see that happening ever.

James, do you know if those reports are talking about using AI to clean up vinyl for streaming? or to take old CDs and "enhance" them in some way for streaming?

I still don't think there's any AI that can perfectly convert a record to a tape-master sounding recording. There's usually a human that has to go into the file and remove things it misses. So I'd be curious to know what AI can do this all, if any.