JIVE Records Is Back!

JIVE Records has been revived as a standalone label by Sony Music Entertainment’s RCA Records. Former UnitedMasters executives Mike Weiss and David Melhado will serve as Co-Presidents.

Why it matters:

• Founded in 1981 by Clive Calder, JIVE was home to artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Aaliyah, Backstreet Boys, Usher, and Outkast.

• Also on JIVE were Justin Timberlake, P!NK, Chris Brown, *NSYNC and Britney Spears, who remain part of the RCA roster.

• JIVE became part of Sony Music in 2004 and the RCA Music Group in 2008.

Structure:

• Weiss and Melhado will report to RCA Records Chairman and CEO Peter Edge, and COO John Fleckenstein.

• In announcing the appointments of Weiss and Melhado, Edge praised their work at indie artist services and distribution platform UnitedMasters, and their success with acts such as Brent Faiyaz, BigXthaPlug, Floyymenor, and more.

• JIVE will operate out of Sony Music’s New York City headquarters.

New focus:

• JIVE will focus on new signings across all genres.

What they said:

• Mike Weiss: “JIVE Records is deeply personal to me – it shaped entire generations and the way I learned this business. Relaunching this iconic label with David allows us to carry forward JIVE’s legacy of creative and operational excellence while proving that major labels can deliver both innovation and fairness for artists. The same artist-first philosophy that guided us at UnitedMasters is what we plan to bring to JIVE, and I’m grateful to Rob Stringer, Peter Edge, and John Fleckenstein for trusting us with this legendary brand.”