Record labelLogo research

Courteney Coutinho

Warner music group is apart of the big four major record labels in the music industry. The logo is very simple, with a similar style to the other logos apart of the big four labels. A large image linked in with the name is placed above the text in the center, the colour of the image also links with the company. The image is the logo for the company as Warner, Sony and Universal are also huge players in other forms of media such as film and TV. The logo is large as it is very recognizable from the music industry but also other forms of media. The text below the image is in clear, bold black font which references the name of the record label. The Warner music group has a very simple logo, which is a blue circle with a white W inside. The W represents the name Warner and is incorporated in the film logo as well so it is well recognized as a company. The blue is very simple and fresh which suggests that Warner music group is offering fresh, modern music. The style of the text at the bottom of the image is very simple and the colour black is used to stand out from the blue and white. The black is very striking which links with the bold text choice. The name of the record label is also very simple however it works well because the name of ‘Warner’ is incorporated which is now recognized among all forms of media.

EMI is the only record label apart of the big four which is based in Britain., however with a large roaster from all around the world. EMI is apart of the franchise Virgin media, hence the bold red square which is used for the logo. Virgin has incorporated the colour red in all parts of their company for example, the aeroplane the TV logo and EMI. The colour is now associated with the company which makes EMI a reputable record label. Again the record label logo is very simple, with just a red square and white writing of the labels names. The font which has been used is now associated with the record label as it is used for all aspects of marketing. The bold three letters stand out against the red, and catch the viewers attention suggesting their impact in the music industry is just as bold. Electric & musical industries Ltd. Is very long for a well recognized label so it was shortened to EMI which three letters are known world wide. I feel that an abbreviation of the name is very effective, and just having a few letters that work well together makes the label stand out as the name just rolls of the tongue. Artists as big as Lily Allen and The Gorillas are signed to the record label, and they own Capitol, EMI classic and Blue note.

Sony music is the second largest of the big four labels and is a huge media conglomerate and is apart of audio, visual, computing, gaming and photography media forms. ‘Sony’ is a very reputable brand name and is known world wide for the quality of goods. Sony are able to make profit by converging their different forms of media together. For example the music that is produced from their record label is used on games and films also produced by Sony. This widens the target audience and gives artists apart of the Sony label more advertisement and marketing. Sony have an extremely large roaster including Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Calvin Harris, Bruno Mars and One direction. Simon Cowells record label; Syco is also apart of Sony music. The same form of logo is used for all Sony products as it is recognized world wide as a reputable name. The image which is used is a streak of red paint. The colour red has been used again as it is very striking, and bold which suggests Sony has a huge impact on the music industry. The paint streak is very effective as it suggests that Sony is painting the media, trying to own the music, film and computing industry. The curve that is created from the paint streak is more effective than a straight line as it suggests Sony diversity and versatility as they are apart of so many industries. Again black writing has been used for the word ‘Sony Music’. The font which is used is the font for all Sony products so again is recognized. It is very clear as the letters are separated showing the simplicity of Sony products.

Universal music group is the largest record label in the the music industry. Universal also has a huge impact in the film industry and is a recognized, reputable name. Some of the artists in signed to Universal include Jessie J, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Kasier chief and The Rolling stones. Other record labels who are signed to Universal include Island record group, London recordings, Polydor and Mercury recordings. The logo like the other record labels apart of the big four is very recognizable because it is used for other products and films. The name ‘Universal’ is very simple, the one word is easy to say, and memorable. It also suggests that the company is very diverse, and is apart of lots of different industries as they are ‘universal’. I personally believe that it is very effective to use a one world record label which means something as it suggests a lot for the quality produced by the label. Unlike the other record label logos Universal has only used black, and not one striking colour for the image. Although, a green or blue would have been affective for the image, the black is very smart and is striking. The style of the text is very simple like the other logo’s. The writing is separated and bold which makes the name stand out. The font is recognized for ‘universal’ as it is included in all their products.

Island records is a British record label and is apart of Universal music group. It is a major label and was founded in Jamaica however it has been based in Britain since 1962. The exotic location which it was founded had an input with the record label’s logo and name. Island records has had a major influence in the music industry in Britain since the 1970’s. I really like the logo that the record label has created, I feel that it is very true to where the company was founded and suggests an exotic twist. The exotic twist, could be a fresh new method of producing music. The palm tree in the location suggests fresh, and new which promotes the record labels modern music. The black again is very effective, as it is smart and professional. However instead of the black circle, a yellow or orange could have been used to create the effect of a sun set to link with the name and main shape in the logo. In the center is a black circle which has a palm tree shape cut out. The bold colours allows the shape to be seen clearly. The palm tree suggests Jamaica; where the label was founded and promotes a fresh way to look at music. The circle is an effective shape for the company as it creates the effect of a sunset being set around the palm tree. This suggests new horizons and a new way to produce music. The name is at the bottom of the logo. A large, separated font has been used which is effective for the name as it is thin writing which links with the palm tree. A one word name is given to the record label, which is very effective as it is memorable and leaves a lasting impression on the audience. Personally I believe that the logo is too similar to the drink Malibu's logo and I automatically think of that when seeing this logo. However, I really like the shape cut out from the shape and one word name as it is simple however effective.

Strawberry recordings is an example of a independent record label. The record label logo is very different from others, as a textured coloured background is given as well as a bright colour used for the font and image unlike other logos such as ‘Universal’ and ‘Island’. I personally believe that this logo is very unique, which makes it stands out and suggests that the record label offers a unique style of music being an independent small record label. The name ‘strawberry’ is very simple, and suggests a fresh and unique style of music. Its quite a feminine name, with the connotations of strawberry girls and the pink/red colour. However strawberries grow into something which the public enjoy suggesting that the record label is producing music from small artists which are not heard of as much and producing music that the public will enjoy. The fruit has connotations of summer which also suggests the genre of music that the label specialize in as summer is known for the up beat, party music. The font of the name is very curly which also makes it different from other logos as other record label prefer the bold separated font. The curly, joint writing also suggests a feminine , young target audience. The image which is used for this logo is very simple as under the main text there are lines which have been taken out from the pink shape. The lines look like the volume sign on a computer as the lines move up and down during a song depending on the volume. It is very appropriate imagery for a logo in the music industry. The textured, coloured background makes the font and image stand out further and is is a very neutral colour instead of the normal white. I personally really like this logo as it is very different from others in the music industry and suggests that the record label is unique with the music it produces.

I really like the logo for Believe recordings, because the simplicity and colour scheme has been used intestinally to imply a target audience. The style of the text is very simple, however effective. I really like the spaced out writing and it is very common in the logos for record labels. The thin style also links with name and simplicity. The image which is above the name is very simple, with two shapes merged together to create a similar shape to what reminds me of ‘pacman’! The merging of the two shapes suggest that the record label likes to mix traditional and new sounds together to create a fresh sound. By mixing the shapes to create a new one it suggests their creativity and desire to create unique music and break boundaries. The colour scheme is very effective as the pink and blue suggests their target audience is unisex. Unlike the Strawberry recording logo with just the pink which suggests a female target audience, this logo suggests both sexes. Overall, I really like the simplicity of this record label logo, however I think that an image which linked with the word ‘believe would have been more effective, such as a bird which is a sign of hope.

‘One bird records’ is also a independent record label which is suggested through the logo. I really like the logo for this record label as I think it is very different and unique than other independent and major record labels. By having the record label name and the image inside the circle it joins it all together suggesting that the rerecord label is only small. Unlike other logos One Bird has placed the text over the image. The colour image is interesting as the blue has been used which links in with the representation of the bird. The bird suggests hope, and freedom, which music is defiantly as a lot of artists see music a great way to express them selves. The blue is very calming, and suggests freedom. The name is very simple, however effective as it suggests the record label offers a very personalized service to their artist. The image of the flying bird links with the music industry and what the record label is trying to promote as it shows how small artists can open their wings and fly and produce great music with the label. The colour scheme of blue may be promoting the labels target audience of males, however I think it was purposely used to create the calming, natural effect. The font of the text is also very different. Staying with the separated font, the style reminds me of an indie style which this record label specialize in.

PlanRecord label names:• Loop • Levels• Astra• Off the records• Podium • Bliss • Saturn

Logo ideas- Loop recordings • To create the record label which Tarryn Estelle is signed to I had to

consider various names, which are memorable but effective. Unlike Sony and Universal which have a reputable brand name, we had to consider a name which is just as effective. I thought of the name Loop recordings because I had ideas of the logo and font style. The word loop seemed to fit well with the music industry as if a song is of excellent quality the target audience will play the song on loop. The name suggests that the target audience will really enjoy the music the record label produces. We chose ‘recordings’ instead of music groups as it is short and fits well with the one syllable word.

• I chose the record label name as I pictured the style of the writing by the connotations and imagery created by loop. The word suggests curly lines, which create a circle. A image of a roller coaster appeared in my head at first which also shows that the record label is experimental. The font is very curly which does not fit in with the conventions that I have found with record label logos, however it is very suitable for the name.

• I created the logo using Photoshop, and merged various images together. I used a clip art image of a set of headphones as it symbolises the music industry well, and adds to the simplicity of the logo. The clipart image did not have the wire connected to the headphones, so I found another image of a wire and joint the two together and the text. I used a very simple font for the word ‘Recordings’ as I used conventions from real record label logos and placed it slightly under the name.

• Originally when I imagined this logo I thought a black background with white text would be more appropriate for the young target audience, however considering the research I have fulfilled on professional record label logos I also created some logos with a white background and black text. I adjusted the threshold levels on Photoshop to swap the two colours around. Although original I really liked the black background with white as it is different from other logos and looks very professional. I also really like the white background with black font as it looks simple but effective. The wire connecting the text and the headphones is also clearer. The connection suggests the connection the record label has with the target audience as they try to work closely with their target market to produce the sound they want.

• I also experimented with different filters on Photoshop's to try and suggests the young target market. I tried a postal stamp effects which created faint curves across the image which also helps support the connotations of the name. I also used the dotted and retro filter which adds a vintage effect to the record label. Despite experimenting with the filters I feel that the plain writing with no filter is more effective as it is very simple and in a similar style to the big four record label logos.

• Myself and Charlotte really like this logo, and this is our favourite ones from the other logo and names we created. I personally believe the name is very effective as it is simple, but memorable as the word makes the audience associate it to curves which we included when creating the logo. The simplicity of the black and white colour scheme is also very effective despite other labels using one bright colour such as blue for the image. The simplicity of it suggests the modern contemporary music which Tarryn Estelle fits in. The curly font for the word ‘Loop’ also suggests a young target audience which we have.

Logo ideas- Podium recordings • The second record label logo I created was for ‘Podium recordings’.

Instead of just choosing our first idea, myself and Charlotte decided to explore and experiment with different names using conventions we found during our research of record label logos. I chose the name ‘podium’ as it creates imagery in the audiences mind and has connotations of the best. A podium in sports is a stand with three different levels for 1st,2nd and 3rd place winners. When I imagined the logo I pictured the text being placed on the highest level to suggest that this record label only produces great quality music and is one of the best in the music industry. This represents the artist; Tarryn Estelle well as it suggests a professional, talented artist.

• Instead of using the traditional image of a podium which is used in sports, I decided to link it with the music industry by using the volume levels which appears in a recording studio. I took the image of the volume levels from the internet and found the font from Dafont. I used the editing programme Photoshop to merge the two images together and experiment with the colours. The photo I chose is very simple, however it represents the music industry and the shape and structure of the levels create the shape of a podium. I then placed the text on the highest points of the levels to suggest they are ‘number 1’. The name ‘Recordings’ was chosen instead of ‘music group’ as I really wanted to keep the name simple and as short as possible so it is remembered by the audience.

• Also in Photoshop I experimented with colours as the original image I took of the levels was with a black background and white bars. However considering my research I have conducted into record label logos I chose to create a logo with a white background and black font and image. I really like the white background logo as it adds to the simplicity of the name and the faint black bars suggests the target audience as it reminds me of a graffiti effect. Also in the editing process I chose to add a bright colour to the image in light of my research. The major four record labels tend to use a white background, with a bright colour. I decided to use a black background to make the name ‘Podium’ stand out, however I added a pink/purple colour to the image of the volume levels to make it eye catching. The one bright colour is very effective in this circumstance as it stands out from the black background and white font and suggests they produce bold/interesting music. The colour I chose does however connote a gender specific target audience as the pink suggest the record label produces music for females. Myself and Charlotte did not want to pick a specific gender that the music from the record label was suited for. I personally like the white background with black text as the black looks almost graffiti like connoting our young target audience.

Logo ideas- Astra music group• Our third record label idea is; Astra music group. When trying to work out

some original record label names, I researched other words for star. The word Astra came up as one of the most popular names for star and originates from Latin. I really liked Astra as a name as it is very simple with two syllables, and has connotations which put imagery in the audiences mind. I thought by choosing a word which means star that the logo would also be easy to create as we could use the star which can be remembered easily. Astra meaning star suggests that this music group only produces stars which markets our artist Tarryn Estelle well as it suggests that she is going to be a star within the music industry. Other connotations with stars is shooting stars which also shows that this music group holds high aspirations for their artists and really push them to break in to the music industry. Instead of Astra being followed by ‘recordings’ we chose to use ‘music group’ instead as it will give more of a variety for our target audience to choose from when they are deciding which logo suits the age bracket best. Music group also suggests a sense of community and shows that Astra supports the artists while creating a community with their fans also and listening to their target market.

• I found the two images of stars on the internet, as I wanted something distinct, not just the cartoon star. The main image which I will use is a star with arrows circling around it. I chose this image because the circle around it shows how the record label is in a routine of success as they method of producing seems to work so they keep on producing stars. I chose to add another smaller image which is rotated slightly and fits in within the circle. I felt that the extra which is connected to the main image could show how the music group listen to their target audience to create the music they like. I originally made the logo with a white background and black text in tradition with the four major record labels. I really liked the white background and black text as the star really stood out against the background and the simplicity of it made it look very professional. However, I wanted to experiment with more ideas so I tried a black background with white text and a scratch/graffiti effect. The black background works well however I really liked the graffiti filter I added on Photoshop as it connotes the young target audience and it makes our logo stand out from others as filters are not use as much in the record label logos.

• Overall, the logo I created for Astra music group is one of my favourites as I think the simplicity works as such a simple name was chosen. We used imagery which is connoted by the name and which is also reference a lot in the music industry.

Logo ideas-Saturn recordings • Another idea myself and Charlotte decided to create a logo for was Saturn recordings.

The name is quite random as it has not connections to the music industry, however my methods of thoughts were that the music produced by the record label is out of this universe and shows that they produce good quality, unique and diverse music which is now essential to make it into the music industry. Saturn is known for the rings which surround the planet, and rings have connotations of luxury and high quality products. Personally I was not as keen on this name than our other creations as the name and the logo ideas reminds me more of a film production company rather than a recording label.

• When creating this logo, I used font from the website Dafont and got the photograph from the internet. I wanted a very simple image of Saturn and I had to experiment a lot as there was a lot of real photographs on the internet. Originally when I thought of the name I imagined a ring going around the name so that a big image was not used to break conventions we found in our research. However, I found it hard to find one ring shape and when trying to creating the shape on Photoshop I could not warp the ring enough to make it look realistic. The animated image I used was very simple, and I adjusted the threshold levels to make it white when it is against the black background.

• I really like the line which is above the text as it breaks it up from the image and we have not experimented with this in our other logos yet. The line fits well with the letters and it creates the effect it is lifting the picture. The font myself and Charlotte chose to use is very simple, it is not as spaced out as the style used in other record labels. However I feel that the writing stuck together and the bold text is effective for the name and it makes the logo stand out from others.

• Again when creating this logo I decided to experiment with the background and different filters. I really like the black background with white text as it fits the theme of the universe, however I feel that the white background looks more professional. I tried out different filters again and I really liked the artistic pencil filter. I had not used this one before, but the grey scratch effect it created was really good for the name and image used as it made it look more out of space. This is one of my less favourite logos that I have created as I feel the name and the logo connotes a different genre of music than what Tarryn Estelle specialises in. This logo suggests the record labels produces a science/ tech sound which is very club based music, where our song choice is apart of the indie- pop genre.

Logo ideas- Off the records • Myself and Charlottes final record label idea was ‘Off the records’. We decided not to add another

word to the name such as ‘recordings’ as it did not sound right as it was too long. Although this name we created is longer than our other ideas we feel that the three words work well together as it is a saying which is sometimes used in the music industry. ‘Off the records’ suggests something new and innovative as it is yet to be a record. It can also suggest that the artists work is ‘off the records’ because of the success it has had with the target audience. When I thought of this name I did not really have any plans in my head about the logo, so when it came to creating it I just experimented with different ideas and words that came to my head from the name. I like the name as it is longer, and I feel that it could be abbreviated like ‘EMI’ and Off the records could be ‘OTR’ which sounds right when somebody says it.

• When creating the logo, I took inspiration from my research on smaller record labels logos as they do not use exactly the same conventions as major record labels with the white background and black text. In the smaller record labels they tend to use a bright colour and are more experimental with the text style and use boarders and filters. The first image which comes into my head from the name is of course an old school vinyl record. I tried using a circle shape for a record, and didn't’t really like the shape as it didn't’t make the text stand out and I thought it could be easily forgettable. I chose to use images I found from the internet of record art. There was a lot of interesting images, however I found two which I could not decide about. The first one was a guitar cut out from a vinyl record which I found very effective and could suit the genre of the record label well as in the indie pop genre a guitar sound is recognised from the music. However I also felt that the guitar could symbolise a rock and roll genre so I experimented with the other image I found which had the New York skyline cut out of the top of the record. I also really liked this one as it suggests that there is where the label is founded and it is also where a lot of dreams can come true in the music industry.

• I chose the font from Dafont again, and I found a very old school, vintage style font which was bold which suited the conventions I found on my research. I felt this font was more experimental and suited smaller record labels. Due to the shape of the images I chose I found that on the new York skyline record the words ‘Music group’ could be added at the bottom as it looked very empty without it. However in the guitar record it fitted better with just ‘Off the records’. By putting the text inside of the image I create a variety of different layouts of logos for the target audience to choose from. I took inspiration from my research and the success of ‘One bird records’ logo and experimented with the text being in the image which I found was very effective. I experimented again with filters and background and after creating my original logo with a black record and white text I also tried a white record and black text by adjusting the threshold level. Although it still being effective as the name was emphasized further I still prefer the black record. I then tired a graffiti/scratch filter which I placed on both logos. I really liked this effect as it linked with the vintage effect I created with the font and using a vinyl record image.

• Although I created a very vintage effect with these logo ideas, with the old styled text and using an image of a vinyl record I feel that this does not suggest a old school, blues genre and it does suggests individuality and is very unique from others in the music industry. The font is very elaborate and bold which suggests the record label is also very bold and is key in the music industry. At first when I created the logo I felt that the style of writing and the overall look created reminded me of a film poster. However I look the vintage look and feels it represents the indie genre well. Off the records is one of my favourite logos and I feel the scratch effect works well with this logo and only adds to the vintage effect I wanted to created. I could imagine artists such as Paloma Faith being apart of the roaster on this record label who are also apart of the Indie- Pop genre.

Market research

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Target audience response

Target audience response

• As we thought of a few record label names and created some different outcomes for the logos, we decided to create a small sheet with all the different logo ideas for the target audience to complete. We chose to do this because we wanted to make sure the logo and name was appropriate for the target audience as well as the genre. I created the sheet on a PowerPoint slide and just put all the different outcomes from the different names as well as the different colours. I created tick boxes next to each of the logos for the target audience to tick their favourite one.

• We printed off the market research sheet, and got 30 people aged between 16-24 fill it out. I wanted to make sure the logo and name reflected the age bracket well as well as the genre of music myself and Charlotte decided to focus on. I made sure I asked people who varied in age to fill it out, because I wanted some 16 year olds input as well as 24 years old and people in the middle of the age bracket. This would create the most accurate result.

• After receiving the sheets back I decided to create a graph from our results. In total from 30 people, 12 people decided that Loop recording was best suited for the target audience as they liked it best. Podium recordings was liked by five people where Astra music group was favoured by 7 people. Saturn recordings was also liked by 7 people where off the records came in second place with 9 people deciding it was best suited for the target audience and genre.

• From the research we collected, we found that Loop recordings was most popular, and the font in black with white background was most popular. The filter logos were less popular and the black background Loop recording logo only had 4 people favouring it.

• An improvement we could have made on our market research sheet is to ask the person to fill out a quick comment box about why they felt it was best suited. We could have also of asked for any suggestions to improve it so we could develop our work considering our target audience.

Final choice: I really like our final choice for a record label name and logo as myself and Charlotte considered a lot of factors while creating this outcome. We had to consider; the genre, target audience, conventions of real record label logos and colour schemes. Although this outcome Is simple with the use of black text and a white background we found that the major four record labels use this convention in their logo.

We used the simple image of headphones which is animated because it connotes the young target audience myself and Charlotte has chosen. The age bracket 16-24 is known for being unsociable at times as they constantly have their headphones in listening to their favourite songs. The headphone is also a great image to represent the music industry. I decided to use the wire of a headphone to connect the text and image together as it shows the connection that loop recording has with their target audience as it suggests they like to listen to their fans to produce the music they want. It fits really well with the font style as the loops connect well with the wire.

The name loop recordings is also very effective for a record label as it sits the music industry well. The word loop is often used in the music industry to describe a good soundtrack or album as the target audience play the music over and over again as they enjoy it so much. This shows that our record label produces high quality music and suggests Tarryn Estelle also produces great music. The font of the text is also very effective for the name as the style is very curly creating loops in the words. I chose a very simple styled font for the word ‘Recordings’ because it is the less important part of the two word name. However the bold style makes the audience realise this logo is apart of the music industry.

The target audience liked this record name and logo best out of all our outcomes which also helped with mine and Charlottes decision. I feel that the simplicity however professional logo helped with the target audiences decision. The simple name; Loop is very short so can be remembered and also creates an image in the audiences mind. I personally agree with the target audience, and think this was one of our strongest creations as we have used conventions from real record label logos and considered the style of font and image to link with the name and target audience.

Overall, I think that this outcome is the most professional creation, as the simple black and white colour scheme makes the font and image stand out to make the audience remember the name of our record label. The colour scheme is very simple as we did not want to connote a specific genre in the logo as we wanted a wide target audience. As well as representing the target audience well it also connotes the genre myself and Charlotte decide to specialise in which is indie- pop. The indie-pop genre is very unique and this logo suggests this.