R&P Post 7: Record labels of interest

The global music industry is a very complicated and has a very intricate design. For this reason, I have decided to research the system of record labels and their layout in the modern industry, as well as a few specific case studies I have done.

First of all, there are the Big Three; which are the major dominating labels since 2012. These are; Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. Since 2007, the Big Three (previously the Big Four) music groups control about 70% of the world music market and about 80% of the US music market. I find this particularly interesting, as there is such a clear dominance unlike any other industry, including film.

I have also done some research in to the history of this formation of the industry. I have learnt that in the 1970's and 1980's there was a period of industry consolidation, which meant that a lot of small independent companies where bought up and these large monopolistic conglomerates were formed. Despite this, in the 1990's there was a resurgence of independent labels due to advances in technology and also because more established artists began to buy their own record labels. Furthermore, at this time, on the punk rock scene, the DIY ethic encouraged bands/artists to self-publish and self-distribute. Later there was a further increase in independent labels, through the rise of digital labels. Now there are over 7,480 businesses in the UK music industry. Furthermore, independent labels, including the three below, are often considered more artist friendly and labels normally offer a 50-50 profit share agreement

Marshall Teller


Founded in 2010 by a single guy, Marshall Teller is a great example of a successful small independent label. They are crucial  to the alt-rock scene and are known for releasing music from local artists and friends, which means the previously unheard underground sound is being widely released for the general public to consume. Another reason as to why I am particularly interested in this label is because it specializes in American youth culture and 90's nostalgia; a concept I would like to explore in my own project.

Young Turks

Young Turks is a British independent record label owned by Beggars Group. It was launch as an imprint of XL Records in 2006. The label's current roster includes The XX, FKA Twigs, SBTRKT, Sampha and Jamie XX. The main reason that I have chosen to research Young Turks is because I am extremely interested in the company set-up. At first I was unsure about what an imprint label was, but after reading a few articles I have discovered that an imprint label is just a branding technique and that legally it is not a subsidiary company. This means that Young Turks is actually just a group of artists that are signed to XL Records in order to create a quirky and unique brand identity that works in symbiosis with the marketing of the individual artists.

Rough Trade

Launched in 1978, Rough Trade became a well established independent record label and has a number of big name signings such as The Smiths and Buzzcocks. They have always specialized in the indie scene as well as some rock and post-punk. Despite closing during the 1990's for financial issues, the label was revived in 2000 and has since re-confirmed their place in the market with recording acts such as Warpaint and Howler and creating a new chain of shops around London. I find this label particularly interesting as they have a similar target audience as I have in mind and they use various more traditional methods, such as listening stations and special edition vinyl, to keep customers coming back. Also, as you can see from the diagram below, Rough Trade sign a variety of artists, however they are predominately based around rock and indie music; the genres I am most interested in.