Music Labels and Brand Research

1. Music Labels and Brand Research
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the
marketing and sales of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record
label is the company that manages:
• Brands and trademarks,
• Manufacture
• Distribution
• Marketing and promotion
• Enforcement of copyright protection of sound recordings and music videos
4 Of the Main Major Music labels:
1. Warner Music Group:
Warner Music Group (WMG) is the world's third largest recorded music and music
publishing company. Its major domestic record labels include Warner Bros records
and The Atlantic Records Group. Signed artists range from Madonna to the Red Hot
Chilli Peppers, Josh Groban to Missy Elliott, and R.E.M. to the Trans-Siberian
Orchestra.
Despite these strengths, WMG's revenues have been flat over the past few years due
to declining CD sales and illegal music downloading, two factors which have offset
gains from increased digital sales. The company's future success will depend on how
successfully it adapts to the digitalization of the music industry. In addition to selling
audio and video content through iTunes and other online media distribution centres,
WMG has signed deals with sites like YouTube to receive advertising revenue from
its posted video content.
2. Universal Music Group:
Universal Music Group (UMG) is the world’s leading music company and is
comprised of two core businesses: recorded music and music publishing. The
company discovers, develops, markets and distributes recorded music through a
network of subsidiaries, joint businesses and licensees in 77 countries, representing
98% of the music market.
Some of the people that are signed to Universal Music Group are as follows: Akon,
Black Eyed Peas, Mary J. Blige, Bon Jovi, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, Nelly Furtado, The
Game Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Kanye West
3. Sony BMG:
Sony Music Entertainment UK is part of one of the largest music and entertainment
companies in the world. It has a long list of local artists and international superstars,
as well as a huge variety of some of the most important recordings in history.

2. Sony Music Entertainment’s current artists include: Leona Lewis, Will Young, Justin
Timberlake, Usher, Dido, Christina Aguilera, Lemar, The View, Natasha Bedingfield,
Kings of Leon, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Bob Dylan, Pink, Kasabian, among many
others.
4. EMI
EMI is an international business. The company's management is multinational,
overseeing a business that operates right around the world. In recent years, as well
as releasing music from Anglo American artists such as Norah Jones, Coldplay, Lily
Allen, Katy Perry and Robbie Williams, EMI has issued top selling platinum albums by
artists from all over the world, such as Utada Hikaru from Japan, Herbert
Grönemeyer and Wir Sind Helden from Germany, Daft Punk, Air, Renaud, Raphael
and Cali from France, Bebe from Spain, RBD and Thalia from Mexico, Marisa Monte
from Brazil, Radja from Indonesia, Vasco Rossi and Tiziano Ferro from Italy, to name
but a few.
EMI Music Publishing's roster includes the cream of globally successful songwriters
including Usher, Jay-Z, Sting, Diddy, Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, Alan Jackson, Kanye
West, Natasha Bedingfield, Gorillaz, Utada Hikaru and Scissor Sisters.
Within the music industry, recording artists have been increasingly reliant upon
record labels to broaden their audience, market their albums, and be both promoted
and heard on radio, television. The internet has increasingly been a way that some
artists avoid costs and gain new audiences, as well as the use of videos in some
cases, to sell their products.
Independent record labels:
An independent record label is a record label that operates without the funding of
the major record labels and is mainly funded by outside organizations
Some independent record labels, in particular those with successful performing
artists, sign dual-release agreements (and make other deals) with major labels and
may rely to some extent on international licensing deals, distribution agreements,
and other arrangements with major record labels. Major labels may also own all or
partially own independent labels.
Some examples of independent record labels are as follows:
• Lazy Cats Records
• Mohican Records, UK
• Mile High Records
• Matchbox Records Supporting Indie Artists
• Jewelse Entertainment
• Just Music UK

3. Record labels are often under the control of a corporate umbrella organization called
a music group. A music group is typically owned by an international conglomerate
holding company, which often has non-music divisions as well. A music group
controls and consists of music publishing companies, record manufacturers, record
distributors, and record labels.
Some examples of these music groups are as follows:
1. Warner Music Group
2. EMI
3. Sony Music Entertainment
4. Universal Music Group
All of these music groups are known worldwide and have been global successes and
have carried most of the artists that are out there today.