2. Record Labels
๏ What record labels are and what they do:
A record label is both a trademark and a brand that is related to music
videos and music recordings by working with the marketing,
distribution, copyright and production of these music videos. It can
therefore be said that they are also publishing companies managing
the brands and trademarks.
Artists need a record label in order for their audiences to become
wider, for them to market and promote their music/albums and to allow
audiences to view the tracks through MP3, TV, radio etc..
There are two different types of record labels that an artist can have:
Independent or Major labels. One of the major differences between
these two labels is the funding. Major record labels will chose to sign
on artists that they feel will conform to the modern music taste of the
different audiences and will then spend millions of dollars/pounds to
fund and promote their artist. On the other hand independent music
labels have less funding and have to help promote the artists music in
different ways, this allows them to form a personal relationship with
their fan base. Independent labels also tend to sign local artists and
they usually focus on just one genre.
3. Our Record Label: Major or
Independent?
๏ I think our artist is more suited to an independent
record label. The reason for this is because our
artist is new and has not yet received much
recognition or promotion, meaning that the fan
base is small and local. The fact that our artist is
local further contributes to why I think she is best
suited to an independent label as they usually
sign local/underground artists. The music video
will be quite low budget and simple as apposed to
some pop, R&B, dance and hip-hop genres.
Although our song includes some aspects of pop
and you might expect it to therefore be a high
budget major labeled video, it also has some rock
within it and so we will try to convey both sides of
the genres.
4. LAB RECORDS
๏ After researching various different
independent record labels, I think our artist
would be best suited to LAB records, a
Manchester, UK based pop-rock label which
was established in 2007. This is because this
independent record label specialises in pop-
rock which is the exact genre that our artist
also specialises in. This means that the label
management team will be able to help our
artist portray this genre well, meaning that it
will also bring her a specific fan base for her
particular style of music.
The record label has only been around for 4
years but the bands/artists which they have
signed soon became regulars on some of the
most well known live events in Britain, such as
festivals.
Some of the artists they sign
are more popular and well
known than others but include
Young Kato, Adam Barnes,
Katie Sky, The Summer Set,
Anavae, The Hush Sound,
Cartel, HELLOGOODBYE, and
Portia Conn.
5. what is copyright and how are record
labels responsible for this.
Copyright is the protection of original
ideas/pieces/products. It is basically the legal right
to reproduce a piece of work, or in other words, to
copy it. This is done by reproducing, selling and/or
licensing the piece of work. Using music as an
example, whoever wrote/produced and starred in
the music video is the copyright owner. The
copyright owner has authority over who can adapt it
or financially benefit from it.
Usually the record labels tend to be the owners of
their artists songs. This means that they hold
responsibility of who can and under what terms
people can copyright their original pieces of work.
6. What I Can/Cannot Do With My
Music Video:
๏ Using the research I did on
copyright, I have learned that when
I produce my own music video I
cannot imitate/copy the original
video; the ideas must be original
and I must make it clear that I am
creating a new representation of the
song without actually claiming the
song.
๏ I also have to make it clear that my
video is a copyrighted version of the
original song. This can be done
through the โAll rights reservedโ
phrase which states that the
copyright owner contains the rights
provided for a copyright law.
๏ I can also use the symbol which is a
letter C in a circle. This sign
indicates that work cannot be
reproduced without the copyright
owners permission and tells the
audience that the author requires
permission before using his/her
8. My Record Label: Broken
Records
๏ Broken Records is the name of our
British independent record label which
we created. We have decided that our
label will sign artists that are local and
new to the industry. We aim to be a
stepping stone for all of the artists we
sign, in order for them to achieve a fan
base, by working with them and helping
them produce and release music that fits
into the pop-rock genre. Broken records
tries to keep each artist with just the one
genre of music so that in their time with
us they can develop and improve.
Our record label logo fits with our genre
and includes bright colors which
represent the pop and the broken record
which brings out the rock aspects of the
label.
๏ Other artists that our record label would
like to sign include Bastille, Kate Nash,
Arctic Monkeys, Foals, and Lilly Allen.
The reason for this is because our
record label specializes in pop/rock and
each of these artists also show that they
specialize in one or the other. I think that
they would be well suited to our record
9. What I Have Learned:
๏ I have learned what record labels are and what
they do.
๏ The difference between major and independent
record labels.
๏ What copyright is and that when I produce my
music video I must make it clear that it is a cover,
I cannot directly copy what the original artist has
included.
๏ I have learned the different ways to make it clear
that I am produing a copyrighted video (e.g: the C
in a circle symbol)
