The music industry

1. THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
MIMI LAI

2. THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
• Dominated by 3 transnational corporations
• Universal
• Sony
• Warner Bros
• Known as ‘The Majors’

3. THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
• Most majors also own, or licence, a string of smaller subsidiary companies in order
to reach different kinds of audiences in different kinds of genre
• These companies are known as ‘major-independents’
• Information on different record labels

4. THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
• Finally, there are a huge number if small companies with little or no financial
connection to the majors
• These companies often concentrate on a small number of artists, within specialized
niched in the industry
• Known as ‘independents’

5. EXAMPLE
• Artic Monkeys Domino Record

7. THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
• It is misleading to see the industry simplely as a ‘hierarchy’, dominated by the
majors
• A better description is a ‘web’ of companies(Negus - Producing Pop), whose
connections allow:
• Smaller companies to gain access to bigger markets
• Bigger companies to gain access to new artists and movement in popular music

8. THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
• In turn, most record companies organize themselves internally into several key
areas:
• Artists and Repertoire (A&R)
• Marketing/Artist Development
• Promotions
• Legal
• Financial
• Refer to diagram of record label
• The music deal

9. THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
• The industry as a whole has a complex relationship with a number of different
media..
• Radio, TV, Print media, Film, New Media
• Synergy and symbiosis ( work hand in hand )

10. MUSIC VIDEO
• Music video servers a number of different function:
• Promotes a specific single and, normally, an album
• Promotes a specific artist or band
• Creates, adapts or feed into a ‘star image’
• Entertains as production in its own right
• Reinforces, adapts or undermines the ‘meanings’ of a song

11. IDEOLOGIES OF CREATIVITY
• Keith Negus – Producing Pop
• Identifies two distinct ways of thinking about potential artists from within the music
industry.
• These ideologies shape the way in which the artists’ image and careers are
developed, and the way that they are marketed towards specific target audiences.
• The organic ideology of creativity and
• The synthetic ideology of creativity

12. THE ORGANIC IDEOLOGY OF
CREATIVITY 1
• The seeds of success are within the artists, who have to be ‘nurtured’ by the record
company.
• The image of the artist is ‘enhanced’ by the record company.
• The artist is given time to evolve and progress through their career.
• Example: Beyond, Kaytrandon.

13. THE ORGANIC IDEOLOGY OF
CREATIVITY2
• Emphasis is given to album sales and the construction of a successful back
catalogue
• Often aimed at older or more sophisticated consumers
• Profits generated by this kind of act tend to be part of a long term strategy by the
record company

14. THE SYNTHETIC IDEOLOGY OF
CREATIVITY1
• Executives attempt to construct successful acts out of the artists and the song at
their disposal
• The image of the artist is often constructed by the record company
• The artist will be given a short time to prove their success before other
combinations will be tried out
• Example: Justin Bieber, one direction, Kate petty, Adele

15. THE SYNTHETIC IDEOLOGY OF
CREATIVITY2
• Emphasis is given to single sales and to promoting first albums
• Often aimed at younger, less sophisticated audiences
• Profits generated by this kind of artist tend to be part of immediate, short term
strategy by the record company

16. BALANCING THE TWO
• In practice, the success of synthetic acts will fund the development and investment
in organic acts
• Most big record labels will look to balance their roster with a combination of
successful synthetic and organic acts to ensure that there are funds available for the
day-to-day running of the company as well as long term profit making potential – it
is a business strategy.

17. PROMOTING ORGANIC AND
SYNTHETIC ACTS
• Organic acts are often sold on their ‘authenticity’, both musically and socially
• The image of the artist appears ‘unconstructed’ (although, of course, this is in itself a
carefully constructed look)
• Synthetic acts are often sold on their ‘look’ or personalities
• The image of the artist is carefully and unashamedly constructed

18. END