Warner Music Group’s search for a buyer of its publishing arm Warner/Chappell is partly intended to clear a path to buy all of British recording giant EMI, a person familiar with the matter said.

EMPG, or Education Media & Publishing Group, began life in its current guise in 2007 with the $4 billion takeover of the Harcourt US Schools Education business from European information and publishing group Reed Elsevier.

Time Warner has confirmed that it has sold its recorded music and music publishing business for $2.6bn (€2.2bn).