Record Labels

What does a record label do?

  • Essentially a brand or trademark
  • Responsible for production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion of albums.
  • Enforce copyright laws
  • Conduct scouting and development of artists
  • Maintain contracts with recording artists and their managers.
Production- editing, song writing, recording of instruments and voice, concept (bought by record label).
Distribution- where to sell the song/album, finding someone to sell it
Marketing- tours, viral marketing

Vertically integrated record labels do all of this.

4 major record labels: Warner Bros, Universal, EMI and Sony (all are vertically integrated) 
They are parent companies of smaller labels- conglomerate (parent company).

Media Ownership

Universal is the largest media owner of the music industry- 31.71%

Independent labels are smaller and often focused on more alternative genres. 

Warner- 15%
Sony BMG- 25.61%
EMI Group- 9.55%
Independent labels- 18.13%


What do A and R people do?

A and R stands for Artists and Repetoire. Division of record label responsible for talent scouting and the artistic and commercial development of the artist. 

 3 main responsibilities:
1. Finding talent
2. Overseeing recording process
3. Assisting with marketing and promotion 

 Who makes money?

 The contract will dictate the percentage of ownership of any profit made from a single song or album. 

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