Major record labels/ parent companies

Major record labels/Parent companies

Record label companies are the people and organisations that control the music industry and manage music artists across the world, both major ones and smaller ones. Record labels control the type and style of music that artist puts out, manages their every move and how they are presented in the media and often create the artists media products, for example the music video, songs and much more. There are two different types of record labels in the UK and in the world and they are major record labels and independent record labels. The major record labels consist of universal music group, Sony BMG, Warner music, and EMI group. They are all collectively known as 'the big four'. An independent record label, or otherwise known as a indie record label, is a record label that operates without funding and outside of the major record labels. Many big and mainstream music acts or bands begin their careers at independent record labels, particularly in the UK, and their are over 100 independent record labels operating in the UK alone.

One well known independent record label operating in the UK today is 'Hyperdub'. Hyperdub is a London based record label company and was founded by Kode9, Steve Goodman, in 2004. Its genre of artist and music it puts out includes dubstep, UK Grime, 2 step and 'uk funky'. Artists who have realeased music through Hyperdub include the founder Kode9, producers DJ Rashed, Laurel Helo, Scratcha DVA, Jessy Lanza, Cooly G and most notably, Burial. Hyperdub are only a small independent record label and don't tend to be popular or well known with the mainstream audience or music industry, therefore meaning besides their founder Kode9 who produces some of his own work through Hyperdub, they do not have any connections or artists signed to the big four and they tend to keep their label as a platform for talented grime or dubstep artists to produce their music and receive downloads from their online website, therefore it is a unique and very modern style of a independent record label.


Argubly the most popular and well known independent record label today in the UK is 'Rough Trade'. Rough Trade are known as 'the big daddy' of independent record labels and were founded in 1978 by Geoff Travis. Rough Trade is based in London and New York making it one of the only globalised independent record labels in the UK and has a number of different style of artists and genres signed to it to show its unique and creative style and reputation for being out there and allowing artists to be natural and themselves. There early work and artists followed a indie rock or punk style of genre and they successfully managed and sold records of artists such as the Buzzards, the desperate bicycles and most notably, The Smiths. The record label found itself having to shutdown in 1991 due to overtrading, shortages of cash flow and not being able to keep up with the demands of the industry and being overtaken and run by 'the big four' due to their substantial amounts of money and popularity in comparison to Rough Trade. However in 2000, the company was relaunced as an independently owned entity before it was bought out by BMG in 2002. It then went indepdenent again in 2007 when it was bought out by the Beggars Group and since its rebirth, they have reconfirmed their place in the market place by producing artists such as Warpaint, Howler, Dean Blunt and more.

I do not think it is right that 4 major record label companies dominate the music industry as it makes it a lot harder and competitive for smaller, independent record labels to sign talent and make a name for themselves. It proves difficult for both the record labels and artists to establish themselves and get recognised as the 'big 4' are buying and taking over these smaller record labels and not allowing them to compete in the market. In terms of music, the big 4 companies dominate and influence the type of music that is put out in the industry and this prevents artists and smaller record label companies to create their own work and find their own voice and style, with the big 4 changing the way we as the audience perceive the music and the different styles of music that are given to us. 

The effect this has on the music industry is that artists that are signed to the big 4 record label companies become more successful and bigger then those who are signed to smaller record label companies as they have more of a financial backing and a company behind them who have the ability to make a artist grow and create globalisation. With the money and power they have as well, they can also establish that artist in whatever way they like and change the way they market and promote that product depending on the preferences of the audience so that artist never loses it's demand and is always well recognised and perceived in the industry. An example of this would be Michael Jacksons rise to fame and success in the music industry as when Sony universal signed him to there record label, he became one of the biggest music artists to ever live and was able to change his style of music and his character as sony gave him that power and gave him a constant financial backing, whereas before when he was part of the Jackson 5 and was signed to an independent record label, he was not as well known and had a completely different reputation and character.

Personally, I do not feel independent record labels are as successful as the major record labels and in particular 'the big 4' as they do not have as much recognition, power or money in the music industry. Despite there constant success in supplying the major record labels with a constant supply of stars and 'the next big thing', they do not have the ability and power to make them artists as big as they can become with a major record label and this is why they will never be as successful as them, unless they can establish themselves as having the power and ability to cause drastic change in the industry and have an established star remain with them and not sign for a major record label. A way of determining whether an independent record label is as successful as a major record label is to determine how well an artist does once they have signed for a major record label and led there independent record label. As well at this, determine how much the artist has changed and whether the demand for them and there new character and image has changed. 

Independent record labels have many differences from a major record label and have give many positives for the artist and music industry that a major record label could not supply. The main difference being that when a artist is signed to his original independent record label, they have more of a say of who they want to be and who they want to come across to the public by determining the style of music they want to use, what genre they belong to and they are able to express their true and diverse talents and characters, whereas when they are then signed on to a major record label, the record label has more of a say and influence on the image and music they want to create and can change the way we perceive that artist by changing their music etc. Independent record labels also have artists who have less money and power behind them and they are more humble with talent and less star quality, as well as they are able to nurture and focus on that artist and help them develop and become as big as they possibly can at that independent record label. In contrast, major record labels once they have an artist signed to them can't focus primarily on that artist or have a strong relationship with them as there is a constant pressure for them to create good music in the industry and make changes depending on the demands of the public and audiences, rather then allowing the artist to be who they really are.