Record Labels

What does a record label do?
Record companies are the main investors, and developers of, musical talent in the UK and globally. Record labels enable artists, through advances and marketing/sales support, to treat music making as a full-time career. They explot the arists' recordings comercially and collect and pay the resulting royalties on their behalf. Labels traditionally pay for the recording and mixing of albums (with this money being recouped through the sale nad wider exploitation of those recordings) and they often underwrite new acts' touring costs to help raise their profile and sales. On top of manufacturing and distributing the records they provide an essential promotional and marketing role. This includes developing and executing ad and marketing campaigns as well as promoting an plugging the acts to media. Labels can also seek out other ways for the recordings t obe exploited, such as being used in movies and adverts, and license rights to global parties in different markets. THIS IS WHY AN ARTIST MIGHT WANT TO BE SIGNED TO A RECORD LABEL. (question3)

Give four examples of services a record label might provide for an artist.
- They exploit the the artists' recordings commercially and collect and pay the resulting royalties on their behalf.
- Traditionally pay for the recording and mixing of albums.
- Provide an essential promotional and marketing role, this includes developing and executing ad and marketing campaigns as well as promoting and plugging the acts to media.
- Seek out other ways for the recordings to be exploited, such as being used in movies and adverts, and license rights to global parties in different markets.

Give four examples of ways in which record labels make money (these are known as revenue streams).
- They often underwrite new acts' touring costs to help raise their profits and sales.
- Promotion and marketing
- Negotiating the best deals with bricks and motar retailers and a huge variety of digital partners.
- Tours and live shows

Name the 'big four' record labels (also known as the 'majors')
-BMG/ Sony
-Universal
-EMI
-Warner