Record Labels

One of the biggest major record labels in the the world is the Universal music group. Well known artist that are signed to this record label include Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Robin Thicke. The universal music group own smaller companies who have associated labels within them.  The universal music group are linked with Vevo as they co-developed them. This allows for free, ad-supported streaming of music video and other music content. They also have a website which allows them to promote their artists by telling the public when their evens or singles are being released.

A second major record label in the world is sony entertainment they have artists such as Britney Spears, J. Cole and Justin Timberlake. The sony entertainment group own other labels such as Arista UK who own Bistro, Filth and Rowdy music groups. The Arista music group have baby face, Gary glitter and Taylor Hicks signed to them. The company signed a content deal with the popular video sharing community being Youtube. This allowed the company to promote their music videos on Youtube and be able to impress the target audience. They also have a website which is songbmr.com, this promotes their artists and allows them to show the audience when their albums are being release etc.

The last major record label i am going to look at is Emi, like the other two record labels this is a world wide record label.The rolling stones, Robbie William and the red hot Chili Peppers were all signed to this record label. A smaller record company that EMI own are capitol who also own priority record company, This company have people such as Deana Carter, Jameson Clark and Jessi Colter. Emi own Emi films and have links to HMV, so they can easily have a selling opportunities for their artists to make their album or single known and sold.

Ace records  was started in 1978 and they are an independent music company who are based in Mississippi but the name is also used in the UK to sign artists.They stick to the rock and roll genre music artists although they have been associated with other genres such as pop. They were based in the us but could promote their artists in the UK to help to try to make them a success globally. The artists that they have signed include BB king, Joe Tex and the champs.

I think one of the big cons of the music industry being dominated by a select few record labels is that big artists would only want to sign to these labels as they feel they would get noticed a lot more than being signed to an independent company. If a well-known artist was to sign to a independent record label it would give that record label a financial boost and more artist will follow. This has a negative effect on this industry as people do not care about the smaller companies they just worry about the bigger on and the artists singed to the bigger record labels.  The independent record labels are not as a success as the major labels as they do not have any well known artists signed to them, they do are not known to the public and so are their artists. The independent record labels do offer new and fresh artists that no one has heard of before which might get noticed by the major record labels.