Guide to the music industry

1. A Guide to the Music
Industry

2. Major and Minor Institutions
 Major Institutions – Tend to be known for their size
and the fact they own their own license. By owning
the entire company, they can reach a more diverse
audience, allowing them to appeal to more genres
therefore creating larger audiences.
 Minor Institutions – Subsidiaries of major institutions
in order to decrease the chance of competition and
widen their territory within the music industry.

3. 3 Major Institutions
There are 3 major institutions that dominate the music industry:
1) Universal Music Group
2) Sony Music Entertainment
3) Warner Music Group
These institutions dominate the music industry. They own a lot of
subsidiaries, for example Warner Music Group own Hopeless
Records. This was done in order to create a large audience as
possible by owning niche and mainstream companies in order to
appeal to a more wider audience.

4. Chosen Institution
The organisation I chose was ‘No Sleep Records’. After
researching the bands who are signed to them, I
concluded that this was the one I wanted because the
bands were of a similar genre and they were also very
popular, therefore the target audience would have more
of an interest for the band.
They have also made bands such as Balance and
Composure and La Dispute very well known.

5. No Sleep RecordsNo Sleep Records is an
independent record label based
in the California, USA.
After deeper research, I found
that No Sleep Records is a
subsidiary of Fontana
Distributions, which is a division
of Isolation Network.

6. No Sleep Records
Independent record labels operate without the funding
of the ‘Big 3’ major labels. Many bands and musical acts
begin their careers on independent labels. Independent
record labels often face difficulties in trying to get their
music heard due to the fewer financial resources they
have in order to promote their music.
Despite having the freedom to work with whoever they
like, No Sleep Records tend to work with bands of the
same genre as they have previously worked with due to
the reputation they have gained over the years of being
active (2006).