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Music Industry Recorded Music
15
How The Music Industry Works
The recorded music business.
Unit 216: Lesson 2
matthew.lawton@liv-coll.ac.uk
Aims and objectives
Aim: To understand record labels, their function and roles within it.
Aims and Objectives
Objectives:
- Gain an understanding of the history of record labels.
- Explain key roles and their functions.
- Differentiate between major and indie labels.
Think, pair & share...
Definition
- What is a record label?
- What is the function of a record label?
- What are the roles within a record label?
Q & A
A company/brand responsible for all aspects of producing and selling music.
To market recorded music and music videos. Provide publishing/licensing opportunities for artists.
- What is a record label?
- What is the function of a record label?
- What are the roles within a record label?
A&R, Sales, Marketing, Promotion, Product Management, Production, Finance, Legal, International, Sync.
The Big Three
History
Sony Music Entertainment
Key Artists:
Alicia Keys
Outkast
Britney Spears
Subsidiaries:
Arista
Columbia
Epic
Jive
RCA
Universal Music Group
Key Artists:
Black Eyed Peas
50 Cent
Kanye West
Subsidiaries:
Geffen
Interscope
Island
Motown
Universal
Warner Music Group
Key Artists:
Green Day
Madonna
My Chemical Romance
Subsidiaries:
Asylum
Atlantic
Lava
Reprise
Rhino
Warner Bros
EMI Group (merged with universal)
Key Artists:
The Beatles
Gorillaz
Robbie Williams
Subsidiaries:
Astralwerks
Capitol
EMI
Mute
Virgin
What is an indie label?
Major and Indie labels
Any label that is not controlled by the big three.
Indies
Indies
- Started during the punk era (1970s)
- Major labels were not interested in the music
- Bands would pay for vinyl pressing and sell direct ot shops
- Continued through 80's and 90's with dance music
“With independent labels, they are defined as such as they are independently funded. They can range from small teams of staff from about 1 or 2 people in a back room to maybe 20 or 30 people in a small office up and down the country. You’ve got small medium and large independents as well.”
Leon Hayes, Universal Music A&R
- Founded by Flying Lotus 2008
- Based in LA
- Focus on Instrumenta Hip Hop, Electronica and Jazz
Acts include Flying Lotus, Thundercat, George Clinton, Kamasi Washington, Louis Cole
Majors
- America Record Collection found 1929
- Renamed Columbia in 1938
- Renamed CBS in 1966
- Renamed Sony in 1991
- Universal founded in 1934.
- 2011 EMI bought by Universal
- Warner founded 1958
“There are three main major labels in the world now. A major is basically just defined as those labels part of corporate groups, conglomerates, they have a global reach, large staff teams… as an individual working from your home studio or bedroom, you’re not necessarily going to be able to reach markets in Japan as easily as a label that has offices based over there, or European continental markets and the States as well.”
Leon Hayes, Universal Music A&R
Visit the VLE.
Worksheet
Extension Task
Title
In your One Drive folder, open a new Word document, title it "Record label info".
- Find out what label your artist is signed to.
- Is the label a major, a subsidiary of a major or an indie?