Record Label Research

A record label is a brand/trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. They are also in charge of:

• Talent development• Product marketing• Handling legal aspects of producing music• Providing service to an artist• Sales and distribution• Marketing and promotions• Providing service to the distributors and relations

There are four different types of record labels. These are:1. The major labels (big distribution) that controls 70% of the

music market and 80-90% of the US music market. Examples of major labels are: Sony Music Entertains, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group.

2. The independent labels (lack major distribution) which are also known as the ‘minor majors’. Examples of independent labels are: No Limit Records, Aftermath Records, Priority Records, Side One Dummy Records, Fiction Records, and Way Out West.

3. Sub Labels and Imprints which are separate companies and divisions owned by major labels.

4. Speciality Labels which focus on non-mainstream distribution, e.g. classical/gospel, and use non-traditional distribution.

Advantages of major labels are:• They are well-financed and can afford the best production, distribution,

marketing and manufacturing.• They offer artists ability, prestige and top production resources.• More audience means that more money is made.• They have more money to spend on promotion and vertical integration.Even though they don’t have as much success, and their artists aren’t as

‘big’ as those who work with major labels, independent labels also have their advantages which are:

• They can be more creative as they are not pressured by what most of society want to see.

• They are also able to find and sign more raw talent.• They are not restricted by long corporate approval processes and can

understand artists and trends faster.• They can build better regional connections through publicity and sales.

Artist Similar To Our ArtistTaylor Swift• We thought that we would look at Taylor Swift and the record label she is signed to because

she has a similar voice and sound to our artist.• Taylor is an American singer-songwriter, raised in Pennsylvania, later moving to Tennessee at

the age of 24 to pursue her career in country music. The Record Labels she is signed to are Big Machine Records, Universal Music Group, Mercury Records, and Virgin EMI Records.

A quick background of her music career:• Seven times GRAMMY winner• Only artist to have an album hit the one million first week sales figure three times.• Only artist since The Beatles to log more than six weeks at #1 with three consecutive studio albums.• Her fifth album, ‘1989’, sold almost 1.3million albums in its debut week.

Big Machine Records:• An independent American record label specialising in country music artists.• Based on Music Raw in Nashville, Tennessee, and it is distributed by Universal Music Group.• The label was launched in 2005 and became a joint venture between Scott Borchetta (the founder of Big Machine Records) and country singer Toby Keith.• As of 2014, the company consists of up to 88 employees in all areas including Music Publishing, Management, and Merchandising.• It also oversees numerous imprints, including Valory Music, that are under Big Machine Label Groups.• Examples of artists signed to Big Machine Records are: Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, and Rascal Flatts.

Taylor Swift’s Record Labels

UMG - Universal Music Group:• An American worldwide music corporation that operates as a subsidiary of Paris-based French media conglomerate Vivendi, and is based in California, United States.• It claims to be one of the largest music corporation in the world.• UMG owns Universal Music Publishing Group, which is cited to be the second largest music publishing company in the world.

Mercury Records:• Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group, founded in 1945.• In the United States, it operates through Island Records; in the UK, it is distributed by Virgin EMI Records in the UK and Island Records in the US.• Under their own label, Mercury released a variety of recording styles from classical music to psychedelic rock. However, its subsidiaries focused on their own specialized categories of music.

Virgin EMI Records:• A British record label owned by UMG in 2013.• Virgin EMI was founded in 2013 through the merger of Mercury Records UK and Virgin Records. It operates two distinct A&R and marketing streams – Virgin and EMI Records.• Become one of Universal Music UK’s front-line labels, along side Polydor Records, Island Records, Pecca Records and Capitol Records UK.• Examples of artists signed to Virgin EMI are: The Rolling Stones, Katy Perry and Emile Sande.

Artist Similar To Our ArtistEd Sheeran• We also though Ed Sheeran is similar to our artists as he is British, like our artist,

and has a similar sound and feel to his music.• Ed Sheeran is an English singer-songwriter, born in West Yorkshire and raised in

Suffolk. He moved to London is 2008 to pursue his music career. The Record Labels he is signed to are: Atlantic Records, Asylum Records, Warner Music Group and Elektra Records.

A quick background of his music career:• In 2011 he released an independent extended play, No.5 Collaborations Project, which caught the eye of Elton John and Jamie Foxx. He then got signed to Asylem Records.• His debut album, ‘+’, was certified 6x platinum in the UK. In 2012 he won two Brit Awards and also made an appearance on Taylor Swift’s fourth studio album and wrotes ongs for One Direction.•His 2nd studio album, ‘x’, peaked at No.1 in the UK and US.

Warner Music Group• An American major global record company headquartered in New York City.• It is the largest American-owned music conglomerate worldwide. It operates some of the largest and most successful recording labels in the world, including its flagship labels Warner Bros Records, Parlophone Records and Atlantic Records. They also own Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's largest music-publishing companies.• Formerly owned by Time Warner, the company was publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange until 2011. It was then that they announced its privatization and sale to Access Industries, which was completed later that year. Warner Music Group employs in excess of 3,500 people and has operations in more than 50 countries throughout the world.

Ed Sheeran’s Record Labels

Atlantic Records:• Atlantic Records is a Major American Record Label best known for its numerous

recordings of Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Roll, Jazz, and Hip-Hop.• In it’s first 20 years Atlantic Records became known as one of the most

important American recording labels, specializing in Jazz, R&B and Soul Recordings.

• In 1967 it became a wholly owned subsidiary of the now called Warner Music Group and expanded into signing rock and pop artists.

• In 2004 Atlantic and Elektra Records merged to make Atlantic Records Group.• The record label also has a number of deals with previously independent labels

such as Must Destroy and VP Records.• Examples of artists signed to Atlantic Records are: Wiz Khalifa, Bruno Mars, Led

Zeppelin and Ed Sheeran.

Asylum Records:• Asylum Records is an American record label founded in 1971, taken over by Warner Communications (WMG) in 1972, and later merged with Elektra Records to become Elektra/Asylum Records• Geared primarily towards hip-hop, along with roc and alternative metal.• Owned by Warner Music Group and is distributed through Atlantic Records.

Which Record Label will our Artist be signed to and why?

• We have chosen Universal Music Group however we’ve chosen the Big Machine Records as the sub label because it is a record label that Taylor Swift is signed to and therefore we know this record label will sign artists with this similar genre and sound of music.

Is it a major or independent label? Is it a sub label or a major? If so, which one?

• Big Machine is a sub label of Universal Music Group but is its own independent label, and as our artist is not very well known, it would be a suitable label to be signed to.

Why did you choose that label and how will it help your artist?

• It will help the artists because it has had experience with producing and distributing a range of other artists albums in which some have been fairly successful (such as Taylor Swift).

Which labels did you reject and why? Which other labels did you consider? Why did you reject

them?• Mercury• Virgin EMIWe didn’t chose these record labels as they didn’t particularly specialise in country and country pop.