Record Label Research

In the music industry each band/artist is signed to a record label. A record label is a company which is associated with managing a music artist. For example, it would manage the marketing and the production of music and video recordings of the artist that it manages. It also manages the advertisements and promotion of the artists as well as enforcing copyright protection of the band/artists music recordings and videos. They also do things such as marketing albums and singles, promoting album and single releasing by different means such as radio airplay, billboards, flyers, posters etc.

Many artists/bands are extremely reliant on their record label (management) as they do almost everything for them to help them in their careers.

Each artist/band is “signed” to a record label. This means that there is a contract between the management and the artist/band. By signing the contract the record label agrees to invest time and money into the band or artist to get them noticed and out into the spotlight.

There are major record labels and what we call independent record labels. The major record labels are a lot more well-known and usually sign main stream artists, whereas other record labels may be smaller, localized, and known as independent or “indie” record labels. Also major record labels have smaller record labels working within them, for example ‘Epic’ with ‘SONY’.

Major record labels are usually under the management of something called a ‘Music Group’. This is just the larger management that is the ‘boss’ of all the other record labels under its name.

Major Record Labels:

Sony Music Entertainment- Some artists signed to this record label are Olly Murs, Beyoncé, Chris Brown, Pitbull and Willow Smith.
 

EMI Group- Some artists signed to this record label are The Beatles, Coldplay, David Guetta, Katy Perry and The Kooks.
 

Warner Music Group- Some artists signed to this record label are Jason Mraz, Estelle, Bruno Mars and Paolo Nutini.
 

Universal Music Group- Some artists signed to this record label are Billy Ray Cyrus, Black Eyed Peas, Lionel Richie and LMFAO.
 

Independent Record Labels:

• Beatroute Records
• Go! Discs Records
• Launchpad Records
• Pantone Music