Major labels since 2012 (Big Three)Universal Music Group (part of EMI's recorded music division absorbed into UMG)

Sony Music Entertainment (EMI Music Publishing absorbed into Sony/ATV Music Publishing)

Warner Music Group (EMI's Parlophone and EMI/Virgin Classics labels absorbed into WMG on 1 July 2013)[2]

Prior to December 1998, the industry was dominated by the "Big Six": Sony Music and BMG had not yet merged, and PolyGram had not yet been absorbed into Universal Music Group. After the PolyGram-Universal merger, the 1998 market shares reflected a "Big Five", commanding 77.4% of the market, as follows, according to MEI World Report 2000:

Universal Music Group — 28.8%Independent labels — 22.6%Sony Music Entertainment — 21.1%EMI — 14.1%Warner Music Group — 13.4%

Universal Music Group

• Universal music group is the largest music corporation in the big three which means they are the largest in the entire world.

• It was founded in 1934 as Decca Records but in 1996 the name was changed to what it is currently.

• UMG have a lot of recent artists and bands signed to them, such as Disclosure, Bastille and Coldplay.

Sony Music Entertainment

• In 1929, the enterprise was first founded as American Record Corporation.

• SME is the middle sized of the ‘big three’ record companies.

• They had artists such as Michael Jackson signed to their label and currently have artists such as Usher and SIA signed with them.

Warner Music Group

• 3rd largest recorded music and music publishing company in the big three.

• Signed artists range from Madonna to Red Hot Chili Peppers.

• Despite the wide variety of signed artists WMG’s income has been dropping in the past few years due to lack of CD sales because of illegal download and companies which do digi-sales such as Apple.

Independent record labels

• An independent record label or other known as an ‘indie record label’ are record labels which operate without any funding outside their organisations or other major record labels. There are a great number of artists and bands which are still successful through an independent record label.

Rough Trade Records• This is an example of an indie record

label which has had successful bands and artists signed to them.

• Rough Trade records was founded in 1972.

• Arcade Fire, Palma Violets, The Libertines and The Strokes are some examples of bands which are signed to Rough Trade.

• Arcade Fire headlined Glastonbury 2014 which reveals that are a recognised and respected band by the media.