2. YouTube is a video-sharing website. YouTube
was founded by two former PayPal employees
in February 2005. In November 2006, it was
bought by Google for $1.65 billion. The site
allows users to upload, view, and share videos.
YouTube allows users to access TV clips, music
videos, and other content such as video
blogging, short original videos, and
educational videos. Most content on YouTube
is uploaded by their users, mainly individual
users, however other companies such as CBS,
the BBC, Vevo and other organizations offer
some of their material via YouTube, this is due
to the YouTube partnership programme.
3. Vevo is another video-sharing website
owned and operated by a group of
companies known as Universal Music
Group (UMG), Google, Sony Music
Entertainment (SME) and Abu Dhabi
Media. It was launched in December
2008. The videos are shared across the
internet, Google and Vevo both
sharing the profits for advertising. Vevo
offers music videos from two of the
"big three" major record labels, UMG
and SME.
4. MTV is an American television
channel owned by Viacom Music and
Entertainment Group. Launched in
August 1981. The original purpose of
MTV was to play music videos guided
by television personalities. MTV's main
target demographic were young
adults, however in the present day,
MTV's programmes are targeted at
teenagers and consists mostly of reality
shows rather than focusing on music
videos.
5. Virgin Records is a British record label
which is owned by Sir Richard Branson,
founded in 1972. The company is a
worldwide phenomenon, with artists
and records going platinum; for
example Simple Minds, Culture Club,
Spice Girls and Lenny Kravitz among
others. However in 1992 it was sold to
Thorn EMI, then by Universal Music
Group in 2012 to create Virgin EMI
Records in 2013.
6. SME (Sony Music Entertainment) is an
American record label after being
bought by many companies since
1929 (firstly being American Record
Corporation, to Columbia Recording
Corporation in 1938, to CBS Records in
1966 and finally to SME in 1987) it is
now currently the worlds second
largest music company after Universal-
it is one of the “big three”.
7. Warner Bros. Records is another
American record label which is the
foundations of a conglomerate known
as Warner Music Group. Warner Bros.
Records was founded in 1958 as a
music division to the Warner Bros.
Pictures company. Throughout the
1960s up to the early 2000s the record
company grew from being a small
town record company to one of the
worlds biggest record companies.
8. Warner Music Group is a
conglomerate, it contains Warner
Bros. Records, Parlophone Records,
Atlantic Records and
Warner/Chappell Music. Founded in
1958, it has produced some highly
well known artists such as A-Ha, Blur,
Clean Bandit, Coldplay and many
others.
9. Founded in 1999, Island Records is a
major British record label which is apart
of the Universal Music Group. The
record label is divided up into three,
one location being in the UK, the other
in the USA and Australia. The USA has
produced artists such as Demi Lovato,
Neon Trees, Bon Jovi and Fall Out Boy.
The UK produced other artists including
Mumford & Sons, U2, Hozier and many
more.
10. Established in 1947, Atlantic records is a
major American record label, best known
for its blues and jazz music recordings,
including artists such as Aretha Franklin,
Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett and Otis
Redding. Atlantic Records is considered
America’s most important record label due
to its success within the first 20 years of its
operation. However since then, Atlantic
records has helped produce artists such as
Coldplay, Fun., Bruno Mars, the Rolling
Stones and Led Zeppelin.
11. Founded in 1934, UMG (Universal
Music Group) is the largest music
corporation in the world. It is also a
subsidiary of the the French media
conglomerate Vivendi. It owns
many successful artists such as
Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Maroon 5,
Amy Winehouse and Queen.
