Record label

From ArticleWorld

The record label is a special brand that is created by a company that manufactures, produces, distributes and promotes musical material and even video recordings (usually music videos). There is a wide variety of formats used to distribute audio like LPs, DVDs, CDs, SACDs and cassettes. In most cases the record labels will be owned by multinational corporations although there is also an increase in numbers of independent record labels.

Brands

Record labels exist in a close connection with the artists they promote. In most cases the record brand is associated with the singer/band and this has effect on the image of both parties. The record labels will apply modifications to the recorded material, the cover art and can even impose changes in the way the artist looks. This is done because they believe a product would sell better if the changes are made. Before the sixties artists needed to sign a contract as soon as possible because there were not many alternatives to chose from. This led to musical rights lost and contracts that were bad for the singer/band that signed a contract with a record label.

Independent record labels

After 1990 one could have noticed a constant and quick increase in home and independent record labels. This was caused by the appearance of special software, designed for music production and even creation. In most cases an independent record label is owned by an artist and their purpose is just creating good music. A larger brand could think about financial aspects first while the smaller companies may even not be interested in high profits. An established singer may sometimes move to an independent label once the contract with the big company is over. The association between the name of the artist and the new brand can be very beneficial and creates the needed competition for music to evolve.