RCA Red Seal

RCA Red Seal Records is a classical music record label founded in 1902 by Eldridge R. Johnson and is currently owned by Sony Music. The use of a distinctive red label for premium-priced records made by top-tier artists was a marketing strategy suggested by the Gramophone Company's agent in St. Petersburg, Russia, where the first "Gramophone Record Red Seal" discs were issued in late 1901 or early 1902. Later in 1902 the practice was adopted by its United States affiliate, the Victor Talking Machine Company, in 1903.

In 1929, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) purchased the Victor Talking Machine Company, then the world's largest manufacturer of phonographs and phonograph records. The company then became RCA Victor but retained use of the Victor Records name on their labels until the beginning of 1946 when the labels were finally switched over to RCA Victor. In the ensuing years, the Red Seal premium classical label survived a series of takeovers - it is still known for its top-quality classical recordings.