What is a record label?

Scott Wells

A record label is a company in which a singing artist is signed to. This means that the company represents that artist and in turn the artist represents the label. The company will pay for such things that will promote a singers album and the singer themselves. They will pay for things such as: producers, recording and studio space and more.

Examples of record labels are:• Def Jam Recordings• Sony• Parlephone• EMI• BMG• Warner Music Group• Island Records

A brief history:◦ Positiva records is a subsidiary of EMI records and is one of the biggest dance labels in the

UK. The record label was set up in 1993 by Nick Halkes, who had previously ran XL Recordings which is home to artists such as ‘The Prodigy’. It was set up at this time due to the dance scene in the UK maturing, therefore taking advantage of this. Positiva has always claimed that it is simply a record label that takes underground hits and pushes them to the forefront to make them known amongst the market and the public, and its influence on dance music is hard to ignore due to this fact.

Positiva Records

Artists that belong to this label:• David Guetta• Pitbull• Sam Sparro• Shapeshifters

Location of Positiva Records:43 Brook Green, London, United Kingdom, W67EF

The Logo:As you can clearly see the logo of the company can be clearly linked to the actual name of the label not only due to the fact that it has the name of it but the image that has been used represents it. By having the cross and with ‘Positiva’ in the centre of it this indicates that the label itself is one that is positive, influential and hopeful by assisting in building up artists careers. By having the light blue it creates a calming effect which in a way establishes that the label is helpful in doing its job and is a focused and optimistic one.

The parenting company, EMI:EMI is one of the worlds best leading record labels due to singing artists such as: Queen, The Beatles, Katy Perry and Kate Bush

Cherry Tree Records

Artists that belong to this label:• Far East movement• Cover Drive• LMFAO• Robyn• La Roux • Ellie Goulding

A brief history:Cherrytree Records is an American record label. It was an imprint of Interscope Records until June 30, 2012. It was founded in 2005 by a man named Martin Kierszenbaum, ‘Kierszenbaum’ is German which translates to Cherry Tree which is why the record is named what it is. The label really focuses on the growth of up and coming artists. Cherry Tree have a radio station which is a clever way of promoting the artists that are signed to them, an interesting aspect of promotion.

The Logo:The logo of the label is a clear representation of the name of the company. By the use of having this cherry tree it could almost symbolise the growth of artists when they are signed to the label and due to the actual cherries standing out by the use of the red opposing the white and black it could illustrate that the artists stand out amongst others

Distributors:• Interscope records (US)• Polydor (UK)

Location of Cherry Tree Records:Santa Monica, California

Parenting company:The parenting company of Cherry Tree Records is Universal Music Group which is the biggest company to belong to the group of the ‘Big Four’ recording companies.

A brief history:

RCA Records is one of the subsidiary

labels of Sony Music Entertainment. ‘RCA’ stands for Radio Corporation of America. It was founded in 1901 by Emile Berliner and Eldridge R. Johnson. RCA is the name of three different co-owned record labels. RCA has three parts to it which are: ‘RCA Records’ that has artists in which are of the genres of Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop, R&B and Country. ‘RCA Victor’ is the label for blues music, world music, jazz, musicals and other genres which do not fit in with pop music. And ‘RCA Red Seal’ is the renowned classical music label with a reissue sub-label called RCA Gold Seal. RCA also has labels which include budget labels such as: RCA Camden, RCA Victrola, RCA International, and RCA Italiana.

RCA Records

Artists that belong to this label:• Britney Spears• Alicia Keys• Chris Brown• Christina Aguilera • Jordin Sparks• Ke$ha• Kelly Clarkson

Due to the label having all of these artists and more that are really relevant to my groups genre of ‘Dance-Pop’ I feel that this label is very relevant itself as most of the artist are ones in which come under the genre.

The logo:The title of the label has been positioned within a white circle and has a bold, serif styled font which makes it really stand out against the rich blues that are used for the background, making the audience’s eyes to be pulled to the name of the label and to know exactly who the artists label is. The use of the lighting strike off of the ‘A’ could illustrate that the label itself is edgy but experimental with the various artists of which are signed to them.

Parenting Company: Sony Music Entertainment is the second-largest global recording music company of the "big four" record companies.