EMI’S PICK AND PACK SHIPPED TO SONY DADC

This is no April Fool’s joke.

EMI Music will outsource its pick/pack and ship distribution functions to Sony DADC, beginning later this summer.

The news comes as the company laid off 100 people at its Jacksonville, IL, manufacturing plant.

EMI will still maintain a dedicated retail customer service department there, while working with Sony to make a “seamless” transition. EMI Christian Music Group will continue to operate its physical distribution function at the plant as well. EMI insists it is now fully dedicating itself to its “digital supply chain.”

EMI had previously outsourced much of its manufacturing to Cinram, which also handles WMG’s pick/pack and ship functions. UMG already uses Sony DADC for distribution and manufacturing (after the latter acquired it from a post-Jim Caparro EDC), along with Sony Music, which splits manufacturing between its own DADC and BMG’s Arvato. Still awake? Good.

“This will in no way impact EMI’s sales/commercial development or marketing teams or its digital supply chain,” according to sources.