This is a presentation in regards to the record label research I have done for my A2 coursework. It also includes information about my own record label that was constructed for the purpose of this coursework, as well as a letter to a preexisting record label asking for permission to use one of their songs.

1. Record Labels
Sanjana Nahar

2. What are record labels and what do they do?
A record label is the company that is responsible for the production, distribution,
and marketing of an artist and their music. An artist is often signed to two record
labels, usually one label will be based in America, and the other will be for the UK
and Europe, and possibly even another record label for Japan. Their aim is to
endorse the biggest profit that has been created by the artist and their products.
Record labels also enforce copyright rules for the songs and music videos created
by the artists, they conduct talent scoutings for new artists and also maintain
contracts with the artists and their managers.

3. Major or Independent label?
My artist will be signed to an independent label as these smaller labels generally
have with more freedom with what they can produce and not be under pressure by
major record labels to produce the content that the label wants to produce rather
than the artist. It makes sense for our artist to be signed to an independent label
considering how they are a new and upcoming artist, who has not yet been scouted
by someone from a major record label.

4. Which label would your artist be most suited to and a
brief history.
Our artist would be most suited to the label Astralwerks, a label that is owned by
Universal Music Group, and distributes via Capitol Music Group. The label also
released material from EMI Music Australia. Astralwerks is a US record label that
was founded in 1993 and specialises in electronic, techno and dance music. Some of
the labels most popular artists that are signed to the label consist of : deadmau5,
Empire of the Sun, Nervo and Halsey. Not only does the label sign US artists, but
also to European ones to, this would be useful to us as our artist resides in the UK,
Astralwerks also uses Universal Music Distribution to distribute the music outside of
the US, making this relevant to us.

5. What is copyright and how are the record labels
responsible for this?
Copyright is the legal right than an artist and/or institution has over the material
that they have produced, copyright prevents anyone taking credit for, or stealing
another artist’s work. Record labels have a signed contract with the artist in which
they own content created by the artist, the artist is then only allowed to record
exclusively for that record label. The label is responsible for enforcing the
copyright laws and also for the creation and distribution of the work.

6. What do you need to consider as you are using
copyrighted music? What are you not allowed to do with
your music video? What can you do?
Using my knowledge of record labels, I will identify conventions that are necessary
with certain artists’ work for a particular institution, allowing my work to look
professional. I will also not change the music in anyway, and ensure I will make sure
that I use the correct legal labelling on my music video in order to ensure that it is
legally safe and secure. I will also think about emailing or contacting my chosen
record label in some way, for permission to use their artists work to ensure that I am
not breaching the copyright laws.

7. How are you going to use what you have learned about
record labels and copyright in your productions?
I will make sure that all the correct labelling has been placed on the digipak and the
music video, I will also take no credit for the actual music or lyrics in the song, I will
not charge anything for the song and ensure that anyone can view it for free. Also to
avoid any copyright breaches, I will write a letter to the record label to ask for
permission for the use of their song.

8. My Record Label
Monarch Records is an independent British record label. The name
derives from the Monarch butterfly, as well as the term referring to
royalty. We chose this name for our record label because we felt as
though it was very elegant and diverse, as this would also associate with
the artists that we sign to this record label. Monarch Records would sign
a wide variety of new and upcoming artists, however, we would mainly
focus on signing electropop artists, as Monarch Records would become
the way for electropop artists to become more recognised and
mainstream.
My initial design for the record label logo (pictured right) was to have an
Elizabethan era looking crown, with a monarch butterfly sat on top of it, I
felt as though this idea brought together the two concepts that we had
when deciding the name of our record label.

9. Finalised Logo.
Pictured on the right is the final logo for our
company, Monarch Records. The design is
simpler than before hand, and none of the
images have been used from pre-existing
images online ; apart from the font. Instead,
the logo had been designed using a graphics
tablet in order to achieve the sketchy look to
it.