| Parent: | Universal Music Group (1999-present) PolyGram (1995-1999) |
| Founded: | 1995 |
| Country: | Venezuela, United States |
Rodven Records was a Venezuelan record label that belonged to the Cisneros family owned ODC Group, then proprietors of one of the largest TV networks in the country, Venevision. They also owned a nationwide AM radio network (RadioVision, which later expanded into the FM realm as FM Center) and a record stores chain (DiscoCenter), thus serving as a channel for those artists who belonged to the roster of either of those companies (mostly signed to Venevision).
In its beginnings, SonoRodven (As it was originally named) emerged as a local source for international compilation albums (mostly those produced in the U.S. by companies such as K-Tel). Then it started handling a small roster of local luminaries, some of them also performing as actors for its sister TV network, such as Guillermo Dávila, Karina, Ricardo Montaner, Jose Luis Rodriguez "El Puma", Marcelo, and others. Then the roster began to grow up, and it became the second biggest local record label in Venezuela, alongside Sonográfica, its biggest competitor, from the rival group "Empresas 1BC" (proprietors of rival TV network RCTV, rival radio network RCR, rival record stores chain "Recordland"). Later, in the early-middle eighties, it became the Rodven Group, also comprising Video-Rodven, a commercial home video company, as well as other small record labels that previously existed in the country, such as Velvet (thus becoming VelvetRodven and later TH-Rodven, an outlet for all Latin dance music oriented artists, and later for other youth and pop acts, such as the late 80s boyband "Los Chamos", from which emerged the Venezuelan singer Carlos Baute), Love Records, and forming alliances with other record labels from around the world for local distribution purposes (thus forming EMI-Rodven, Hispavox-Rodven, Ariola-Rodven, Wea-Rodven et al.). This made Rodven's roster even bigger, allowing for the distribution of both local and foreign acts through a complete radio/TV/distribution platform, which later gave birth also to an artist management and show services company: "Big Show Productions".
By 1994, the label was responsible for releasing about 10% of the Latin music market in the United States, and had its American headquarters in Miami.[1] It was ultimately acquired by PolyGram in 1995[2] (which itself was later acquired by Universal Music Group in 1999).[3] The record label was well known for popular Latin pop and salsa singers during the 1980s and 1990s. El Club de Los Tigritos alumni and teen idol Douglas Vale released his debut album Aun Soy Chamo only in Venezuela under Rodven and the breakthrough album Hieroglyphics associated with Maverick Records and Warner Music Group.
The Rodven catalog is currently owned by Universal Music Group through Universal Music Latin Entertainment with Machete Music managing the Tropical catalog and Universal Music Latino managing the non-Tropical catalogs.