Major and Independant Record Labels

In today’s society technology has reached the stage where artists can record and promote their music without the use of a record label. However record labels haven’t been lost quite yet.
Record Labels are split into two categories: major and independent.

Major Labels:

Major Labels can be looked at like a family tree. At the top of the tree you have 'The Big 4': Universal Music Group, Sony-BMG, EMI, and Warner Music Group. And then from these 4 you have their subsidiaries, for example Sony-BMG would look like this:

Universal Music Group 

The ‘Universal Music Group’ was founded in the year 1996 and is the record label with the biggest family of subsidiaries. Being the biggest label it also boasts the more popular and widely known artists as well as more successful artists than any other label. Examples of Artists that have been assigned to Universal Music group are Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Lana Del Rey, Will Smith, ABBA and many others.

 Sony-BMG 

Sony-BMG was founded in 2004 and now owns many different record labels such as J Records, Colombia Records, RCA Victor Records, Epic Records, Jive Records and many more.  Sony-BMG also have a signed agreement Youtube allowing Sony-BMG content to be viewed on YouTube. Some examples of artists who have been signed by Sony-BMG: Michael Jackson, George Michael, Beyoncé,  The Chainsmokers, Prince, Calvin Harris and many others.


EMI

Being founded in 1931, EMI is the oldest label out of 'The Big 4'. EMI tends to sign up-and-coming artists instead of signing internationally recognised artists unlike other labels.  Artists who have been assigned by EMI include The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen, Iron Maiden, Red hot Chilli Peppers, AC/DC, Robbie Williams, Duran Duran and many others.


Warner Music Group

Warner Music Group was founded in 1958 as "Warner Bros Records". Artists such as Led Zepplin, the Bee Gee's, Ed Sheeran, Madonna, Prince, The Rolling Stones, Phil Collins and many others have been signed by Warner Music group.                            


Independent Labels:

Independent labels have played an important role over the years with music within genres such as: country, jass, Rock 'n' roll and blues.  Some independent labels include the likes of:


Sun Records

Sun Records was founded by Sam Philips. The record label is an independent record label in America that was first to record artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and other well known artists.


A&M Records


A&M Records isn't technically an independent record label anymore however when it was founded by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss as "Carnival Records". However after releasing two singles they changed their name to A&M Records as Carnival was already being used by another label. After the Sex Pistols were dropped by EMI,  A&M Records signed them however they then dropped them after one week.
A&M records have assigned various well known artists such as Bryan Adams, Janet Jackson, Sting, Gun and many others.
After one decade A&M Records became the biggest independent record label in the world.


Beserkley Records


Founded in 1973 by Matthew King Kaufman.

Adorno & Horkheimer

Adorno and Horkheimer believe that the “culture industry” has demonstrated an “assembly line character” which can be seen in the artificial, intentional method of churning out its produce. Their “culture industry” term comes from the belief that the way in which cultural items were manufactured was akin to how other industries produce immense quantities of consumer goods. Adorno and Horkheimer link this idea of “culture industry” to an ideal of “mass culture” to which cultural production has become a standardized routine. The operation is so repetitive and homogenous that it produces unchallenging cultural merchandises which in turn result in a type of consumption that was also homogenous, passive and distracted.

Post Modernism

Postmodernism discards the traditional crusade of modernism, it’s a movement that developed during the mid to late 20th century. Postmodern music videos tend to display features that are deliberated as old fashioned or vintage, which have been brought back and appear in the present-day. This can also be seen in other forms of media for example films and is also frequently seen in the fashion industry. To put it simply, postmodernism creates new material by replicating the old.
Which is why intertextuality seems to be a key feature in postmodern music videos; this can be seen in Madonna’s ‘Material Girl’, the music video holds intertextual references to Marilyn Monroe’s performance of “Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend” in the 1953 film ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’. This intertextual image isn’t necessarily of Marilyn Monroe specifically, but more likely represents Hollywood’s archetypal sexy blonde, who uses her desired appearance in order to get her own way. 

Intertextual references can also be found between Shania Twain’s ‘Man I Feel Like A Women’ music video (1999) and Robert Palmer’s ‘Addicted To Love’ (1986).

Postmodernism has brought the distinction between the media and reality to ruin. Reality as we know it is being defined by simulacrums created by the media. Postmodernism is one image referring to and reflecting another, rather than a untainted representation of reality. And many believe that people today are subject to popular media creating postmodern societies who become stuck in a hyper-reality. 

Goodwins Theory Music Video Analysis - Hotline Bling

The hotline bling music video represents the male R&B genre. In this music video Goodwin’s theory about the lyrics linking to the video is apparent. In the music video we see that the lyrics are represented in the choreography when he sings about the telephone hotline and the choreography has him making a phone with his hand. This link can also be seen when he points as he sings “you”. (Music videos show links between lyrics and visuals.)

Goodwin also talks about voyeuristic treatment of the female body (References to the notion of looking, predominantly voyeuristic treatment of the female body). This can be seen in this music video on numerous occasions. There are multiple shots of girls bending down and moving in ways that somewhat seductive, extenuating features such as big busts and bums.  These shots also fall into the Laura Mulvey theory of the female gaze and women being sexualised.

Throughout the video there are also plenty of close ups of the artist which also complies with Goodwin’s Theory, (Close ups of the artist demanded for by the record label as well as the artist creating their own visual style that can be found across their work).  

Goodwins Theory

Andrew Goodwin was born in Sydney, Australia in 1979. In his early years he played the violin, the piano and the organ and also sung in a cathedral choir. When he grew up he became a director of music.
Goodwin is also known for his six principles when it comes to analysing music videos:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
2. Music videos show links between music and visuals
3. Music videos show links between lyrics and visuals
4. References to the notion of looking, predominantly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
5. Intertextual references are often found.
6. Close ups of the artist demanded for by the record label as well as the artist creating their own visual style that can be found across their work.

 

 

 

The History Of Music Vidoes

Over the years music videos have become something of the norm, however they haven’t always been around. The creation of the film and cinema brought the prospect of uniting music and moving images. Since then progression in technology as turned this early music video into what we have today. 

1920’s: During the 1920’s a number of Jazz musicians created short films to accompaniment popular songs. One such artist was Bessie Smith.

1965: Recognised as one of the first modern music videos, is Bob Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ as a section of the film ‘Don’t Look Back’.

1970: During 1970 the record industry discovered that they could use television shows as a great opening to promote their artists. The record labels would create short ‘promos’, which were like early music videos, however they began replacing the live performances of the artists on the TV-stage.

1975: In this year the band Queen commenced the music video era with their ground-breaking ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ video. As the first to include visual effects in the art of the video it set a high standard for the modern music video.

Mid 1980’s: By this point having a music video accompanying a single had become a standardized thing.