Waterson, Berlin & Snyder, Inc. was, during the 1920s, one of the largest music publishers of popular sheet music in the country. The firm was based in New York City. What began as the Ted Snyder Company in 1908 evolved into Waterson, Berlin & Snyder, Inc., in 1917 when its founder,

Ted Snyder Theodore Frank Snyder (August 15, 1881 in Freeport, Illinois – July 16, 1965 in Woodland Hills, California), was an American composer, lyricist, and music publisher. His hits include " The Sheik of Araby" (1921) and " Who's Sorry Now?" (1923). ...

(1881–1965), took on two partners – Henry Waterson (1873–1933) and

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

(1888–1989). Berlin had been Ted Snyder's staff lyricist since 1909.

Tin Pan Alley publisher

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It originally referred to a specific place: West 28th Street ...

" was a specific area in New York City on 28th Street, between Broadway and 6th Avenue that, at the turn of the 20th century, was the epicenter of the popular music publishing industry. Many publishing firms were not actually located on that particular block, but, "Tin Pan Alley" was also as much a reference to a music industry district as it was to a music genre (popular music, ragtime – the precursor to what became jazz). Waterson, Berlin & Snyder was a Tin Pan Alley firm. Former addresses of Waterson, Berlin & Snyder, Inc. * 47th Street & Broadway, Strand Theatre Building, New York City

Mills Music, Inc.

Snyder left the company in 1927 to move to California. Waterson, Berlin & Snyder went bankrupt in 1929; and, as part of the bankruptcy sale, Jack Mills, of Mills Music, Inc., purchased its catalog for $5000.

Pioneer publisher of black composers

It was rare for black composers to be involved in Tin Pan Alley, which, for Mills Music, represented a business opportunity. Through subsidiaries (such as Milsons, Exclusive, Grand, and American Academy of Music), Mills marketed Duke Ellington to different audiences. This strategy helped elevate Mills as major player in the music publishing business.Harvey G. Cohen, ''Duke Ellington's America'', University of Chicago Press (2010)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Waterson, Berlin and Snyder, Inc. Music publishing companies of the United States Defunct companies based in New York City Publishing companies established in 1908 1908 establishments in New York City Irving Berlin