Universal Music is the world's leading music company operating in over 60 countries. They distribute mainstream pop artists like Ariana Grande and Florence & The Machine, as well as more alternative artists. Sony Music evolved from Columbia Records, the oldest label, and includes labels like Columbia, Epic, and RCA. They distribute pop artists like Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne. Island Records is a division of Universal Music Group founded in Jamaica in 1962 and has influenced progressive music. It handles pop artists like Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato who have achieved commercial success.

1. Choosing A Record Label

2. Universal Music
• Universal Music are the world’s leading music company,
committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, owning a
broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music
publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content in more than
60 countries. They identify and develop recording artists and
songwriters, and we produce, distribute and promote the most
critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to delight
and entertain fans around the world, and as digital technology
refashions the world, their unmatched commitment to lead in
developing new services, platforms and business models for the
delivery of music and related content empowers innovators and
allows new commercial and artistic opportunities to flourish.
• They distribute mainstream pop artists such as Ariana Grande and
Katy Perry, as well as more alternative artists such as Florence &
The Machine, which works well for us because our artist is a
combination of mainstream pop and alternative pop. Florence &
The Machine is another successful pop artist who is British, like
our artist, which shows Universal do not just sign artists from the
US unlike other record labels - they have individual record labels in
over sixty countries which makes them highly accessible to us.

3. Sony Music
• In 1887, Columbia was formed, and to this day
remains the oldest label in the history of the
recording industry. From there, Sony Music
evolved, amassing the best in the business to
create a world class record label and industry
leader. In the UK, labels such as Columbia, Epic,
RCA, Syco, Commercial Group, RED, Relentless
and Black Butter all make up the Sony Music
family.
• Sony is a worldwide distribution company who
distribute plenty of pop artists such as artists
we researched; Britney Spears and Avril
Lavigne, who are from the same genre, which
makes the label more suitable for our artist.

4. Island Records
Island Records is a major record label that operates as a division of Universal Music
Group (UMG). It was founded in Jamaica and has been based in the UK since 1962.
Founder Chris Blackwell sold the label to PolyGram in 1989. Both Island, and
another recent PolyGram acquisition, A&M, were at the time the largest
independent record labels in history, with Island in particular having exerted a
major influence on the progressive music scene in the early 1970’s. The label has
been operating as one of Universal Music’s lone labels since 2014, also handling
Mercury Records
pop artists include Ariana Grande & Demi Lovato:
- In July 2014 Grande returned with the first single from new album “My
Everything”. Featuring Iggy Azalea “Problem” was a certified worldwide smash hit;
in the US it achieved astounding first-week sales of 435,000-plus (making for the
biggest single debut of the year so far and fourth highest for a female artist ever),
and went #1 on iTunes in 65 countries.
- Demi Lovato released her debut album ‘Don’t Forget’ that September, which
debuted at No.2 on the U.S Billboard 200 and has been certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 530,000 copies.
Her second album, Here We Go Again, was released that July and debuted at
number one on the US Billboard 200, and it has been certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over 650,000 copies. It’s title
track became her first single to break the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, reaching
number 15, and was certified platinum.