Media pp

RESEARCH AND PLANNING

By Laxmi Shiyani

RECORD COMPANIES

Record companies are media institutions. They are commercial organizations, which mean

that they only exist to make money. Record labels are associated with marketing of the music

recording and music videos and are known as a trademark or a brand. Many artist start their

music based careers on independent record labels as it allows more freedom and control

while other start on major record labels which operates with the funding of the big four. The

job of record companies is to:

-do talent scouting and development of new artists

-manage bands and artists

-do the production, distribution and manufacture the records (key part)

-do the marketing and promotion of the music video

-manage the copyright protection.

MAJOR RECORD LABELS

Major record labels are usually part of an international

media group. They function differently within the media

industry as they are large companies in the media

industry that may and can own independent record

labels. They can at any time represent majority of the

music sold and ultimately make up 75% of the music

sold within a year. A lot of artists who have been a part of

major record labels, after a certain years, drop in sales

which lead to contracts being cancelled and them starting

their own label. For example Toby Keith and Garth Brooks.

INDEPENDENT RECORD LABELS

Independent record labels are small and localized. They are

independent “Indie”. They function differently within music

industry as they a record companies that are not under control

by the big four and are independent. They are known as the

term “indie label” as their releases are non-mainstream music

and more independent. A lot of good bands and music acts

begin on independent record labels.

LIST OF INDEPENDENT RECORD LABELS

Dancing Turtle

Records

Fiddler Records

Native Records

Jungle Records

Audio Antihero

Glass Records

Blue Horizon

Some Bizzare

Records

VIP Records

Sons Ltd.

Warp Records

Young Turks

(record label)

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO

An independent record label is operated without the funding

of the big four. However the major record labels are.

Independent record labels have limited staff whether major

record labels have lots of staff.

Major record labels function similarly with music industries as

they are mainstream while independent are different.

THE BIG 3The Big 3 record labels are the four major record labels which are:

Sony BMG

Universal Music Group

Warner Music Group

Artists that are signed to be funde3d by the Big Four record label are

signed to the central label or subsidiary label. For example a band can be

either signed to Sony or Sony subsidiary label Columbia records. The

subsidiary labels have staff in which decide the financial side and

signing the artists on by them selves.

As my group are thinking of doing a music video based on

the Pop genre this research of the major and independent

records will really be useful and will give us a vague idea

on what record label our artist will be with. As we are

planning to go with the Pop genre, our artist will therefore

be mainstream and will work with the major record label.

This therefore links back to the culture industry by

following it as the artist will be presented in a way that all

pop artists are to appeal to their target audience. The

artist will therefore be presented in a ‘standard’ way being

classed as ‘normal’ by creating songs, merchandise and

having a style which is mainstream.