2. In this slideshow I will look at the “big four”
music record labels.
 EMI
 SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT INC.
 UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP
 WARNER MUSIC GROUP
These will be the grounding for my own
institution research.

3. Record labels can be small, localised and
independent or can be part of a large international
media group.
The four that I am looking at are classed as „major‟
labels because they are part of large international
groupings and thus bring in the most revenue,
which is something I would want if my music video
was taken on and distributed by a select
institution.

4. World Wide Market Sales
EMI
Warner Music Group
Universal Music
Group
Sony
Independent
The website I got this information from has
unfortunately been removed because it is a US
site, and cannot be accessed on a UK server.

5. EMI Music is one of the world‟s leading music companies, and is home to
some of the most successful and well-known recording artists.
Their record labels include:
 Angel
 Astralwerks
 Blue Note.
Artists that are signed to EMI include:
 Lily Allen
 Coldplay
 Depeche Mode
 David Guetta
 Iron Maiden
 Thirty Seconds to Mars.

6. EMI Music provides commercial services and access to
expanding range of revenue streams and business
models, including:
 digital and physical distribution
 sales,
 press and promotion,
 marketing,
 licensing
 synch
 brand partnerships
 live recordings
 merchandising

7. Sony Music Entertainment Inc. (formerly Sony BMG Music Entertainment), provides
music labels and recordings of artists and international superstars.
It offers hip hop, country, classical, pop and rock archival recordings and labels, such
as:
 Arista Records
 Columbia Records
 Epic Records, J Records
 Sonic Wave America
Featured artists include:
 Avril Lavigne
 Beyonce
 Foo Fighters
 Shakira
The institution helps artists in promoting their music in different countries around the
world to attract a large fanbase.

8. Universal Music Group (UMG) is the world‟s largest music
content company with market leading positions, unrecorded
music, music publishing and merchandising.
They also have a highly key input regarding related uses such
as films and advertisements (through
television, radio, posters, billboard and many more).
Artists that are signed to UMG include:
 Akon
 Mary J. Blige
 Justin Bieber
 Nicki Minaj
 Jennifer Lopez
 LMFAO

9. Warner Music Group is the home to a collection of the best known record labels in the
music industry, including:
 Asylum
 Atlantic
 Roadrunner
 Sire
 Warner/Chappell Music,
WMG “comprises an array of businesses aimed at helping artists achieve long-term
creative and financial success by providing consumers with the highest quality music
content available.”
Warner Music Group‟s artists include:
 James Blunt
 Paramore
 Kid Rock
 Josh Groban
 Bruno Mars
These artists have become extremely successful through the guidance of Warner Music
Group, and most have published their music to a worldwide audience.