The company that operates today as Warner Music International was founded by Nesuhi Ertegun and Phil Rose in 1970.
Records operations were quickly established in the UK (later named WEA Records Ltd.), Canada, Japan, Australia, Germany and France.

In 1971, in order to comply with US monopoly laws, Warner Bros. Records changed the name of its non-US operations to Kinney Music. Later, US monopoly laws changed and the company name became WEA Records.

During the rest of the 1970s and 1980s, subsidiaries were formed in many more countries. In 1988, WEA International acquired TELDEC and Magnet Records. Further acquisitions followed.

In 1990, the WEA name was changed to Warner Music International,and all affiliate companies became Warner Music followed by country name (e.g. Warner Music UK).