KPM

KPM (short for Keith Prowse Maurice) is a British library/production music label whose 78-rpm era sits in the mid-1950s to mid-1960s.

The KPM Recorded Music Library was launched in 1956 with a budget of £5,000 for the first twenty-five 10-inch 78-rpm discs; this marks the practical “established” date for KPM as a recorded library label, distinct from the much older publishing roots of Keith, Prowse & Co. (1830).

Corporate ownership evolved quickly: Keith Prowse Music Publishing was acquired by Rediffusion in 1955; following a 1959 merger with Peter Maurice Music, the combined company used the KPM name (Keith-Prowse-Maurice). K.P.M. Music Ltd. was legally incorporated on 20 May 1960.

Primary London address during the classic library era was 21 Denmark Street, London WC2, where KPM maintained offices and studios; this is the address most closely associated with the transition from 78-rpm discs to LPs under library head Robin Phillips in the mid-1960s. Later, KPM operated from 127 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H.

Format timeline: KPM’s 78-rpm “Recorded Music Library” discs (10-inch shellac) formed the initial catalogue from 1956; by the mid-1960s KPM phased out 78s and pivoted to 12-inch LPs, inaugurating the famous “KPM 1000 Series” in late 1965/1966. In other words, the 78-rpm label activity was effectively defunct by the mid-60s as the company standardized on LP.

U.S. presence: KPM’s catalogue has long been administered in the United States by APM Music (Associated Production Music) in Hollywood. APM’s current headquarters address (U.S. & Canada) is 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Los Angeles, CA 90036 (with additional offices also listed historically on Sunset Blvd.). Practically, this meant KPM’s England-originated recordings were licensed and supplied to U.S. broadcasters, studios, and advertisers through APM.

Brief history (focus on the U.S. angle): After launching its recorded library in 1956, KPM quickly became a go-to source for production cues used widely on British TV and, via its U.S. partner APM, on American television and educational programming (e.g., selections turning up on Sesame Street and other U.S. shows).
The company’s switch from brittle 78s to durable LPs in the mid-1960s both expanded running time and reduced breakage, fueling broader international usage. KPM remained a leading library under EMI ownership and, more recently, within Sony Music Publishing; in 2019 its historical catalogue (including material first issued on 78 rpm) was fully digitized for online access.