RECORD COMPANIES AND DISTRIBUTORS CONTACT INFORMATION

RECORD COMPANY INFORMATION

Recording Business

The object of recording companies is to get their share of 20,000 new titles each year on the shelves of retailers and in the hands of the public.

The music shelves are already very full with over 100,000 back-listed titles. So that the (local band) Intraverse are not only competing with Eminem for space, they are also fighting with five decades of predecessors from Chuck Berry and the Beatles through to Metallica and Aerosmith.

It costs several million dollars to record and launch any major new pop album these days. And audience tastes are unpredictable, hence many launches are doomed. Music companies must rely on the occasional big hit among the many flops. Winning shelf space is harder than it’s ever been with digital distribution via the Internet, where fans have been sharing recordings and avoiding buying recordings off the shelves.

Music then is in transition. It’s going from a tangible that you buy off the shelves to an intangible, something that’s on the Net and available to anyone who can in turn record them on tape or CD. This new situation has the big five companies worried with good reason as they adapt to remain competitive. NK

I hope this information helps

It is sometimes very difficult to trace who owns rights to recordings where companies no longer operate, hence this is just a general guide. The list below gives some indication of who owns who although this is by no means comprehensive and is subject to frequent change as labels fold, new ones are created and mergers take place.

Universal Music Group

Label	Associated labels
A&M
Britannia Music Club
Chess
Decca	Ace of Clubs, Ace of Diamonds, Ace of Hearts, Argo, Belart, Beltona, Brunswick, Cambrian, Coral, Cube, Deram, Durium, Eclipse, Electric, Emerald, Envoy, Felsted, Good Time Jazz, Greenwich, Gull, Jubilee, M&M, Monument, Nova, L'Oiseau Lyre, Qualiton, Rex, Telefunken, Threshold, Turnabout, UK, Vocalion, Vox, West African
Def Jam	King, Murder Inc, Roc-A-Fella, Violator
Def Soul
Deutsche Grammophon
Fiction
Gee St
Geffen	DreamWorks, E Pluribus Unum, Outpost, Zombie A-Go-Go
Island (US)
Island (UK)	Antilles, Blunted Vinyl, Fourth & Broadway, Mango, Tuff Gong, TVT
Interscope	Almo Sounds, Coolsville, Flip, Jake, Nothing
Karussell
MCA Records	Curb, Jersey, Radioactive, Twisted
Mercury Nashville
Mercury UK	Artificial, L'Attitude, Rocket, Talkin' Loud, Vertigo, Fontana, Capricorn, Dink, Go!Discs
Motown
Philips Music Group	Imaginary Road, Mercury Living Presence, Philips, Point Music
Phonogram
Point Blank
Polydor UK	Generic, Exile, Paradox, Perspective, Tabu, Wild Card
Really Useful Records
Universal Classics	Decca Broadway, Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Philips Music Group
Universal Records	Biv 10, Cash Money, Celtic Heartbeat, Cherry Entertainment, Mojo, Pallas, Republic, ZTT
Verve Music Group	Blue Thumb, Commodore, Decca Jazz, GRP, Impulse, Priceless Jazz, Swingsation, Verve, Vintage Vault

EMI

Label	Associated labels
Additive
Angel
Apple
Autonomy
Blue Note
Capitol
Charisma
Classics for Pleasure
Columbia (not Sony)
Cooltempo
EMI
EMI:Chrysalis	Positiva, Heavenly 100
EMI Classics
EMI Gold
Encore
ForeFront
Gramophone
Grand Royal
Harvest
Hemisphere
HMV
Hostile
IRS
Java
Liberty UK
Major Minor
Manhattan
Metro Blue
Mosaic
Music for Pleasure
Mute	NovaMute, Blast First, Thirteenth Hour
Obscure
Odeon
One Up
Parlophone	Food, Credence, Regal, Blue Note, Capitol Jazz, Pacific Jazz, Roulette Jazz
Priority
RAK
Regal Zonophone
Roulette
SBK
Sparrow
Starline
Studio Two
Talisman
Top Rank
Total Vegas
United Artists
Virgin Classics
Virgin Records America	Higher Octave, Immortal, Luaka Bop, Rap-A-Lot, Virgin Nashville, Virgin Records Urban
Virgin Records UK	Astralwerks, Caroline, Circa, EG, Elevator, Kuff, Melankolic, Pointblank, Real World, Scamp, Science, Source, VC Recordings, Venture, Veritas, Vernon Yard
Waverley
Zonophone

Sony/BMG Entertainment

Label	Associated labels
Anxious
Ariola
Arista UK	Bistro, D:Disco, Filth, Music Man, Rowdy, Tresor, Tripoli Trax, Urgent
Arista USA	Arista/Profile, Bad Boy, La Face, Melisma, Time Bomb
Beyond
Bluebird
BMG Classics	Arte Nova, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Melodiya, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Wicklow
Conifer
Deconstruction
DGC
Full Works
Imago
J Records
Melo
Neon
One to One
RCA	Delerious, Giant, House of Blues, Loud, Parousia, Revolution

Warner Music Group

Label	Associated labels
Atco
Atlantic
Blanco y Negro
East West
Elektra
Korova
London - see London-Sire	American London, Coliseum, Hi, London, Palomar, Parrot, Press, Tribe, Seville, Spark, Richmond
London-Sire
Maverick
Oval
Paisley Park
Reprise
Rhino
Sire - see London-Sire
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Classics	Erato, Finlandia, Nonesuch, Teldec
Warner Music UK	FutureFlex
WEA	Black Culture, Kinetic, Qwest

Sony Music

Label	Associated labels
CBS
Columbia	American, Aware, C2, DV8, Loud, Murmur, Portrait, So So Def, Trackmasters, Xtravaganza
Epic	Gloworm, Hidden Beach, Ruthless
Kitchenware
Legacy
Sony Classical
Sony Jazz
Sony Music UK	Higher Ground, INC-redible, Sony Soho Square (S2)
Sony Music Nashville

Other labels

Label	Associated labels
Ace Records	Ace, Beat Goes Public, Big Beat, Bioplicity, Blue Horizon, Cascade, Chiswick, Fantasy, Globestyle, Kent, Kicking Mule, Prestige, Riverside, Southbound, Stax, Takoma, Vanguard, Westbound
Beggars Group	American, Beggars Banquet, 4AD, Mantra, Matador, Mo 'Wax, Nation, Placebo, Too Pure, Wiiija, XL Recordings
Chandos Records	Chandos, Chaconne, Chandos Brass, Collect, Enchant, Opera in English, Flyback
Chemikal Underground
Cherry Red	Anagram, Analog Baroque, British Steel, Cherry Red, El, rpm., Zebra
Cooking Vinyl
Creeping Bent
Domino
Edel
Fat Cat
Fierce Panda	Rabid Badger, Livid Meerkat
Gimell
Gut
Jeepster
K-tel
NCM Group	48K, Infectious, Mushroom, Perfecto, Ultimate Dilemma
One Little Indian	Clean Up, Elemental, One Little Indian, Rough Trade
Pavilion	Flapper, Pearl, Opal, Topaz
Sanctuary Music Group	ASV, Bearsville, Black Box, Brodsky, Bronze, Castle Music, Castle Pie, Castle Select, Cinephile, Curtom, Deepbeats, Discover, Essential, Gaudeamus, HTD, Immediate, Indigo, Living Era, Mecca, Metal-Is, Neat, Nixa, Noise, Pulse, Pye, Quicksilva, Raw Power, Resonance, Sanctuary, Select, Sequel, Solar, Sugarhill, T&T, Transacord, Transatlantic, Trojan, When!, White Line
Skint
Telstar Entertainment	Multiply, Telstar, Wildstar
Topic
V2
Warp
Zomba	Jive, Music for Nations, Reunion, Silvertone, Verity

Label guides

Popular music

Album discographies by Mike Callahan, David Edwards and Patrice Eyries contains details of album releases by dozens of record companies.
allrecordlabels.com worldwide links.
Discogs electronic music database searchable by label.
Jazz record label listings maintained by Michael Fitzgerald.
Record company addresses and links for folk and world music labels from the publishers of Dirty Linen.
Record labels searchable by name, location or genre at the Ultimate Band List site.
Record labels on the web 4800+ links to pop and rock record label web pages with more being added continually.
Soul Index contains the record history of some of the finest UK/USA 60's Soul record labels.

Classical music

Classical music labels from Classical Net.
Early music record labels

Reference works

Music Week Directory - an annual UK directory containing up-to-date record company addresses/telephone numbers.
Showcase International Music Book - annual directory listing labels in UK and overseas.
RED Labels and Distributors Directory - various editions published.
Gramophone Classical Catalogue - annual publication listing classical labels and distributors.
International Record Review - monthly classical music journal listing record company websites.

For further information please contact:

The British Library
Sound Archive
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7676
Fax: +44 (0)20 7412 7441
EMail: sound-archive@bl.uk

MUSIC INDEX A - Z

American Music Awards

Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend Wedding

Black Sabbath - Ozzy Osbourne

Bob Marley & Wailers

Britney Spears - Shaved

Christina Aguilera - Basics

East Magazine - Eastbounre

Eddie Arnold

Elena Paparizou - Eurovision

Eurovision Song Contest

Evanescence

Events - Tents - Moroccan

Fergie

Fleetwood Mac

Flipp's - Pop Funk collection

Foreigner

Frank Sinatra

Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Glade alternative music festival

Grant Navy Fireman

Gunther + Sunshine Girls

Jethro Tull

Karaoke A - Z of UK venues

Kylie Minogue - cancer

Live Earth Concerts

Madonna - Films and Video

Mama Hoochie Bang

Mando - Manto

Mariah Carey

Marillion

Max Jasper - Mezzowave

Myspace.com - Networking

Petition the Prime Minister

Petula Clarke

Phil Collins

Photography

Pink - Pink Orchid Ltd

Reading Music Festival

Sting - The Police

Stock Aitken Waterman SAW

TOP TEN - FORTY CHARTS

Vibes From the Vine - Concert 06

Vicky Leandros

Victoria Beckham

VW tour bus - Sunshine Girls

Wei Wei

Whitney Houston

Wicked New Year Party - Alps 07

Woodstock

World Idol

X Factor Battle of Stars

YouTube.com

ZZ Top

RECORD COMPANIES INDEX A - Z

UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP

VIRGIN MUSIC GROUP

WARNER MUSIC GROUP (AOL TIME WARNER)

Big Five

In the last ten years the $40 billion music industry has been taken over by five companies, exerting vertical and horizontal control over almost every aspect of the industry. These five own virtually every record label you can name. Many of these labels with histories back to the Victrola days (like RCA Victor and Parlophone) are now under the control of a handful of international entertainment conglomerates that have learned to prolong shelf life and dominate shelf space ruthlessly. Although changes in the way music is delivered are a threat to the giants, they have the financial, legal, and technological muscle to minimize their losses and maximize their gains.

There are five major record label conglomerates, who control over 80% of all the titles produced in the United States and comparable percentages in the rest of the world. They are Warner Music, EMI Group, Universal Music Group (UMG), Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) and Sony. These also own distribution companies that control over 80% of the wholesale market. They are also becoming a bigger presence in the retail sale of recordings. And it seems every time an independent begins to build new markets, it soon gets bought out by one of the big guys and the pace of consolidation is increasing.

Here are descriptions of the Big Five (as currently constituted) with some notes.

Company	AOL-Time-Warner
Recording Group	Warner Music Group (WMG)
Market Share (2001)	12%
Labels (select)	Atlantic, Atco, Elektra, Asylum, Reprise, Maverick, Rhino, Sire, Warner Brothers
Publishing division	Warner/Chappell Music
Distribution division
Manufacturing division	WEA
Retail	Columbia House (part, 50%)
Artists under contract (select)	Faith Hill, Linkin Park, Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Seal
Other media holdings (select)	Warner Brothers (film), WB Network, Time Warner Cable(television), Time-Life (magazines) Warner Books (books)

AOL-Time-Warner says that this piece of their empire is not on the table, though so many others are. Warner/Chappell, with over a million titles, is a major money-maker.

Company	EMI
Recording Group	EMI
Market Share (2001)	13%
Labels (select)	Capitol, EMI, Blue Note, Parlophone, Angel, Chrysalis, Virgin
Publishing division	Capitol EMI Music Publishing
Distribution division	EMD
Manufacturing division
Retail	HMV Group, Columbia House (record club, 50%)
Artists under contract (select)	Sarah Brightman, Garth Brooks, Janet Jackson, Liz Phair, Rolling Stones
Other media holdings (select)	WEMI Television (television)

EMI is the only major music company that is not part of a conglomerate. For that reason, its declining sales and profits must hurt all the more. The bright point is the music publishing division, which is the largest in the world, with over a million song titles.

Company	Sony
Recording Group	Sony Music
Market Share (2001)	15%
Labels (select)	Columbia, Epic, Sony, Arc of Light, Vivarte, Soho Square, Mambo, Dragnet, Harmony Records, Legacy Records, Loud Records
Publishing division	Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Distribution division	Sony Distribution
Manufacturing division	Sony Disk
Retail	Columbia House (part)
Artists under contract (select)	Aerosmith, Tori Amos, Placido Domingo, Ricky Martin, Pearl Jam
Other media holdings (select)	Columbia, Sony Studios (film)

Sony is the number two music company, but its growth has stagnated. Sony's ownership is a product of its its foray into the media world, a decision from which Sony never derived the hoped-for synergy.

Company	Vivendi Universal
Recording Group	Universal Music Group (UMG)
Market Share (2001)	24%
Labels (select)	MCA, Geffen, DGC, Mercury, Polydor, London, Vertigo, Verve, Wing, A&M, Island, Motown, Decca, Interscope, Deutsche Gramophone, Phillips, DefJam
Publishing division
Distribution division	Polygram Distribution
Manufacturing division
Retail
Artists under contract (select)	Andrea Bocelli, Warren G., Nelly, Willie Nelson, Shania Twain
Other media holdings (select)	Universal Studios (film) Canal Plus, USA Networks (television)

UMG is the world' largest music company, and its growth over the past year has far outstripped its rivals'. Yet it's parent company is in trouble, and it may yet be sold, if anyone wants it enough.

Company	Bertelsmann
Recording Group	Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG)
Market Share (2001)	10%
Labels (select)	RCA, Arista, Wyndham Hill, New Talents, Arte Nova, Zomba, Bluebird, Jive, Bad Boy
Publishing division	BMG Music Publishing
Distribution division
Manufacturing division	Sonopress
Retail	BMG Music Services (record club)
Artists under contract (select)	Denyce Graves, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Avril Lavigne, R. Kelly, Britney Spears
Other media holdings (select)	RTL (radio), magazines, newspapers, Random House and many others (books)

BMG saw a significant decline in sales. Bertelsmann certainly wants to get rid of it.

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