# Image Entertainment

> US record label, video label and distribution company

**Wikidata**: [Q10301418](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10301418)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_Entertainment)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/image-entertainment

## Summary

Image Entertainment was a US-based record label, video label, and distribution company founded in 1981 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The company operated from Chatsworth before relocating to Los Angeles, and was eventually replaced by RLJ Entertainment. It specialized in the distribution of music recordings and music videos across multiple formats and platforms.

## Key Facts

- **Founded**: 1981
- **Location of Formation**: Chatsworth, United States
- **Headquarters**: Los Angeles, United States (coordinates: 34.23553889° N, -118.5811444° W)
- **Country**: United States
- **Industry**: Phonographic industry (record label, video label, distribution company)
- **Replaced By**: RLJ Entertainment
- **Instance Of**: Video label, record label
- **Wikipedia Languages**: English, Portuguese
- **Sitelink Count**: 2
- **Freebase ID**: /m/08wjc1
- **VIAF ID**: 123398544
- **MusicBrainz Label ID**: 565b553f-8eb4-4c71-a4d4-02ce93a36b79
- **Discogs Label ID**: 37818
- **IMDb ID**: co0013585
- **TMDB Company ID**: 3086
- **Library of Congress Authority ID**: no95013200 (qualified as "Image Entertainment (Firm)")
- **ISNI**: 0000000102854606
- **Logo**: Available via Wikimedia Commons (Image_Entertainment_logo.svg)
- **Crunchbase Organization ID**: image-entertainment

## FAQs

**What type of company was Image Entertainment?**

Image Entertainment was a US record label, video label, and distribution company operating in the phonographic industry. It handled the marketing and distribution of music recordings and music videos, functioning as both a record label and video distribution entity.

**Where was Image Entertainment located?**

The company was formed in Chatsworth, California, and later headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. The headquarters was located at coordinates 34.23553889° N, -118.5811444° W.

**When was Image Entertainment founded?**

Image Entertainment was founded in 1981, operating for several decades before being replaced by RLJ Entertainment.

**What identifiers and database references exist for Image Entertainment?**

Image Entertainment is catalogued across multiple international databases: VIAF (123398544), MusicBrainz (565b553f-8eb4-4c71-a4d4-02ce93a36b79), Discogs (37818), IMDb (co0013585), Library of Congress (no95013200), ISNI (0000000102854606), and various national library systems including France (BnF ID: 14282052f), Poland (MMS ID: 9810610568905606), and Israel (J9U ID: 987007270716405171).

**What happened to Image Entertainment?**

Image Entertainment was eventually replaced by RLJ Entertainment, indicating a merger, acquisition, or rebranding process.

**How is Image Entertainment related to the record label industry?**

As a record label, Image Entertainment functioned as a brand and trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos within the phonographic industry. It operated as a commercial imprint distinct from the operational record company handling logistics and finances.

## Why It Matters

Image Entertainment represents a significant entity in the American music and video distribution landscape. Founded in 1981 during a transformative period in the music industry, the company contributed to the commercialization and distribution of music recordings and videos across the United States. Its existence illustrates the structure of the phonographic industry, where record labels (as brands and trademarks) operate distinct from the underlying record companies that manage business operations.

The company's presence in multiple international databases—including the Library of Congress, VIAF, MusicBrainz, and various national library systems—demonstrates its documented role in music information infrastructure. Image Entertainment's cataloguing across these platforms reflects its integration into global knowledge systems that track music industry entities.

As a video label and distribution company alongside its record label functions, Image Entertainment occupied a dual role in content distribution that was common among media companies responding to consumer demand for both audio and visual entertainment formats. Its replacement by RLJ Entertainment indicates industry consolidation patterns common in the media sector.

## Notable For

- **Dual Function**: Operated as both a record label and video label, distinguishing it from single-focus distributors
- **International Documentation**: Catalogued in multiple international bibliographic and database systems across at least 8 countries
- **Industry Integration**: Connected to major music industry databases including MusicBrainz and Discogs
- **Historical Significance**: Founded in 1981, representing an era of growth in home video and music distribution
- **Media Presence**: Listed in IMDb (co0013585) and The Movie Database (TMDB company ID: 3086), indicating involvement in film/TV distribution

## Body

### Corporate History and Formation

Image Entertainment was established in 1981 in Chatsworth, California, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. The company emerged during a period of significant expansion in the music and video distribution industry, capitalizing on the growing demand for recorded music and home video content. The founding year places Image Entertainment at the forefront of the home video revolution that transformed consumer entertainment in the early 1980s.

The company later relocated its headquarters to Los Angeles proper, positioning itself in one of the global epicenters of entertainment production and distribution. The coordinates 34.23553889° N, -118.5811444° W indicate its location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area, facilitating connections with major studios, recording facilities, and distribution networks.

### Industry Classification and Operations

Image Entertainment operated within the phonographic industry as both a record label and a video label. This dual classification indicates the company was involved in:

- **Record Label Functions**: Marketing music recordings and music videos, likely including artist management, production coordination, and distribution
- **Video Label Functions**: Distribution of video content, potentially including films, television programs, and music videos
- **Distribution Company Operations**: Physical and/or digital distribution of media products to retail outlets and consumers

The distinction between a "record label" (brand/trademark) and a "record company" (operational entity) applies to Image Entertainment's structure. As a label, it represented the commercial identity under which music and video products were marketed, distinct from the operational functions of production and logistics.

### Geographic Context

The company's formation in Chatsworth and subsequent headquarters in Los Angeles placed it in the heart of the American entertainment industry. Los Angeles serves as the largest city in California and a global metropolis known as the "City of Angels," home to Hollywood and a primary hub for film and music production. The city's significance as a business cluster for the entertainment industry provided Image Entertainment with strategic access to talent, production facilities, and distribution networks.

The United States, with the world's largest nominal GDP and a dominant position in global entertainment exports, provided a substantial domestic market for Image Entertainment's products. The US music industry, as the largest in the world, offered both challenges and opportunities for independent distributors.

### Database and Identifier Infrastructure

Image Entertainment's presence across multiple international database systems demonstrates its integration into global knowledge infrastructure:

**Bibliographic Identifiers**:
- VIAF (Virtual International Authority File): 123398544
- Library of Congress Authority ID: no95013200 (qualified as "Image Entertainment (Firm)")
- ISNI (International Standard Name Identifier): 0000000102854606

**Music Industry Databases**:
- MusicBrainz Label ID: 565b553f-8eb4-4c71-a4d4-02ce93a36b79
- Discogs Label ID: 37818

**Film/Video Databases**:
- IMDb ID: co0013585
- TMDB Company ID: 3086

**National Library Systems**:
- Bibliothèque nationale de France ID: 14282052f
- National Library of Poland MMS ID: 9810610568905606
- National Library of Israel J9U ID: 987007270716405171
- Canadiana Name Authority ID: ncf10567871
- NUKAT ID: n2015061721
- RERO ID (legacy): A020502848
- BIBSYS ID: 6011198

**Technology and Business Databases**:
- Freebase ID: /m/08wjc1
- Crunchbase Organization ID: image-entertainment
- EIDR Party ID: 10.5237/C7E0-5164

### Digital Presence

Image Entertainment maintains a limited digital footprint with sitelink count of 2, indicating presence on two Wikipedia language editions (English and Portuguese). The company logo is preserved on Wikimedia Commons at the path Image_Entertainment_logo.svg, providing a visual record of the company's brand identity.

The Quora topic "Image-Entertainment" suggests some discussion or coverage on that platform, though the relatively low sitelink count indicates the company was not among the most extensively documented record labels in Wikipedia's ecosystem.

### Corporate Succession

Image Entertainment was replaced by RLJ Entertainment, indicating a corporate transition that may have resulted from acquisition, merger, or strategic rebranding. RLJ Entertainment likely absorbed Image Entertainment's catalog, intellectual property, and business operations, continuing the distribution legacy under a new corporate identity.

### Relationship to Related Entities

The connected entities in the source material provide context for Image Entertainment's position within broader systems:

- **Los Angeles**: The city serving as the company's headquarters, one of the world's leading entertainment industry clusters
- **United States**: The company's country of incorporation, home to the largest music market globally
- **Record Label (Class)**: The broader category defining Image Entertainment's industry function as a brand and trademark for marketing music recordings and videos

### Classification Standards

Image Entertainment's classification as both a "video label" and "record label" reflects industry standards where companies often operate across multiple media formats. This dual classification aligns with Wikidata properties and Music Ontology standards (mo:Label) that define label entities across different media types.

The company's documentation in the Library of Congress classification system (ML3792.A-ML3792.Z, covering "Individual record companies and labels, A-Z") places it within established bibliographic frameworks for music industry entities.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. Library of Congress Name Authority File
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. MusicBrainz
5. [Crunchbase](http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/image-entertainment)
6. Quora
7. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File