LA Reid Moves Epic Records to LA

Sony Music is upping its presence out west as Epic Records moves its headquarters from New York to Los Angeles. Chairman/CEO Antonio “L.A.” Reid, who has led the charge on a run of recent successes, including No. 1 albums by DJ Khaled and Future and a No. 3 Billboard Hot 100 hit for “No” by Meghan Trainor, tells Billboard that his label’s new home on the Sony Pictures Entertainment lot in Culver City — once construction is completed on a new wing later in 2016 — brings with it “a convenience and an advantage.”

“Hollywood is an industry town — it’s music, TV, film and obviously the streaming services have a massive presence,” says Reid, 60. “It is a great way to connect the dots, as we [consider] Epic as much an entertainment company as it is a label.”

Indeed, as recording studios and affordable (for a musician) housing have been pushed off the island of Manhattan into the boroughs or out of business, Los Angeles increasingly has become a hub for creatives, attracting not just artists but songwriters, producers and beat-makers. Being first — or early — to the hot new track is key to gaining a competitive edge, something with which Reid, who has spent three decades in the business, is intimately familiar. Says Reid: “And if I’m honest, I like the idea of Epic as the one Sony label that’s based on the West Coast” (where he also will be the highest-ranking Sony executive).