Record Labels Ms Georgiou

Major Record Labels / Parent Companies.

Major Record Labels

Definition:
Large companies within the music industry that may also own smaller record labels. In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protection of sound recordings and music videos.

Task:
1) Major labels currently ;

· Sony Music
· Emi Group
· Warner Music Group
· Universal Music Group

2) Who do the major labels manage ;

· Sony Music Entertainment – Manages artists from Jenifer Lopez, Jls, and Jordin Sparks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sony_Music_artists
· Emi Group – Manages artists from Celine Dion, Fuel, Ginuwine and Jon B. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/550_Music
· Warner Music Group – Manages artists from Chris Brown, Craig David, Diddy and Flo Rida. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Warner_Music_Group_artists
· Universal Music Group – Manages artists from Coco Lee, Nine Days and Mandy Moore. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/550_Music

3) Do the major labels own smaller companies and which artists do they manage?

Sony Music Entertainment; owns smaller companies which are;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Music_Entertainment


· Def Jam Recordings (1985–1993) – Artists Fabulous, Justin Bieber, Jeremiah and Lady Gaga. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_Def_Jam_Recordings_artists
· Loud Records (1999–2002) – Artists Mobb Deep, Method Man and Tbeats. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loud_Records
· Chaos Recordings (1993–1995) – Not Available.
· The Work Group (1995–2000) – Artists Fiona Apple, Diana King and Midnight Oil.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_Records
· Date Records – Artists Oasis, Pitbull, Ricky Martin and R Kelly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sony_Music_artists#N

4) Are there any links within media e.g. TV/film/magazines etc.
Sony Music Entertainment –
· American Record Corporation
· Columbia/CBS Records
· Sony BMG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Music_Entertainment

Emi Group –
· EMI Films
· EMI Records
· EMI Televisa Music /Capitol Latin
· EMI Songbook Series
· http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMI_Group


Warner Music Group –
· Warner Bros. Records official site
· Warner Music Italy official site
· Warner Music Latina official site
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Music_Group


Universal Music Group –
· Universal Music Publishing Group
· Universal Music Group Distribution
· Interscope-Geffen-A&M
· Island Def Jam Music Group
· Universal Motown Republic Group
· Universal Music Group Nashville
· Verve Music Group
· Decca Label Group
· Universal Music Latin Entertainment
· Universal Music Enterprises
· Show Dog-Universal Music
· Fontana Distribution
· V2/Co-operative Music
· Polydor Records
· Mercury Music Group
· Island Records Group
· Universal Music TV
· Universal Classics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Music_Group


Independents

Definition:
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. It is also music labels that operate one or few music labels. Independent labels can be just as successful but operate from a smaller company base. They are traditionally known as offering more ‘organic’ music rather than manufactured mainstream.

Task:

1) Independent labels in the uk and there brief history ;
Independent labels have a long history of promoting developments in popular music, stretching back to the post-war period in the United States, with labels such as Sun Records, King Records, Stax, etc.

In the United Kingdom during the 1950s and 1960s, the major record companies had so much power that independent labels struggled to become established. Several British producers and artists launched independent labels as outlets for their work and artists they liked, but the majorities failed as commercial ventures or were swallowed up by the majors.

The punk rock era saw a plethora of independent labels. The UK Indie Chart was first compiled in 1980, and independent distribution became better organized from the late 1970s onwards.
In the late 80's Seattle based Sub Pop Records was at the center of the grunge scene. In the late 1990s and into the 2000s as the advent of mp3 files & digital download sites such as Apple's iTunes changed the recording industry, an Indie Neo-soul scene soon emerged from the urban Underground soul scenes of London, NYC, Philadelphia, Chicago & L.A., primarily due to commercial Radio & the major label's biased focus on the marketing, promotion & Airplay of Pop & Hip Hop music during this period. Independent Labels such as Dome Records & Expansion Records in the U.K. and Ubiquity Records in the U.S. and a plethora of others around the world as well as various "online stores" such as www.dustygroove.com, www.soultracks.com, etc, support the Nu soul movement today.

2) The artsists signed to these labels are ;
· Shontelle
· Stevie Wonder
· Snoop Dogg
· Tpain
· Taio Cruz
· Taylor Swift
· Wale
· Will.i.am

3) Is it right from a music point of view as well as an industry point of view that 4 companies dominate the music industry?

I agree with this because I think that if it wasn’t for the music industry then these larger companies wouldn’t be anywhere without them, because they are helping these large companies sell their music products. Also 4 companies dominating in the music industry is a very good idea because it will help open the company even wider in the future and therefore this will advantage to more customers.

4) What affect does this have on industry?

The affect this can have on the industry is that it can help make the music industry a lot larger and will also allow the industry to aim their products and music at a larger target audience because of the growing industry.

5) Are independent labels as successful as major labels, how do you judge this?

Yes they are because the smaller the industry the more money and customers they can make.

6) Is there anything that independent labels offer the industry that the majors do not?

Independant labels offer to a mch smaller market and do not have as many companies signed up with them.


Summary of record labels :

We need them because a good label actually gives an artist more creative freedom. Even in this day and age of Myspace pages and blog buzz, it is still unrealistic for an artist to expect to simply be able to write and record something, put it out there and find a huge audience. There has to be an element of business marketing to gain an audience. It is a business and like any business there is a lot of work to be done. Marketing a release requires a lot of commitment, and for go it alone artists that commitment means an even lesser amount of time being creative and more time doing business. If you agree with the argument that generally quality is related to time spent, then the more time an artist spends being creative the more likely he or she will produce more quality work. A good record label can take away much of the business from the artist and allow them to focus on being creative, but without interfering unnecessarily in the process or the outcome. A good label therefore allows artists creative freedom, and the time to be creative.