Sony Music is a major record label that owns other labels like Columbia Records and RCA Records. It has control over music production and publishing. The company was originally founded in the 1930s and was acquired by Sony in the 1990s. Sony Music creates music, music videos, and merchandise to promote its artists. It works with other companies in the music industry. Copyright applies to all creative works, so Sony Music owns all content created by the artists signed to it. To avoid legal issues, any new works would need to be unique and not derived from Sony Music's copyrighted materials.

1. Institutional Research

2. 1. What type of Record Label are they?
2. Their integration
3. History of the institution
4. What they produce and create
5. Who do they work with - other institutions?
6. Do they specialise in certain type of music or do they
have a very broad genre base?
7. What is copyright and how are the record labels
responsible for this?
8. How are you going to use what you have learned about
record labels and copyright in your productions?

3. 1. The major company Sony Music is an American corporation which is a subsidiary of
the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The company owns records like Columbia Records,
RCA Records and Epic Records.
2. Sony Music has control of producing, publishing music as well as all the other vertical
integration within the music industry.
3. At first the American Company ARC (American record company) was founded in 1929-
1938. In 1938-1990 the Company was renamed Columbia Records- CBS records. In
1991-2004 the Sony Company bought Columbia records and was renamed Sony Music.
The CEO of the company is Doug Morris along with the Chairman Edgar Berger.
4. Sony Music Company creates music and music videos. They also publicise their Artists
and their content; they also create product like merchandises and sell them to either
promote or create more revenue.
5. Sony Music also works with companies like Harlex which is a consulting company for
music industries; they also work with record companies like DIW records and
Hollywood Records.

4. 1. As Sony Music is a major company, it is very big in its integration and it owns/works
with many record companies. So the variety of genres is very large in number; they
don’t really specialise in genres but they cover most genres like Rock, R&B, Rap and
Hip Hop.
2. Copyright is a form of property; it is applicable to any form of creative work. So all the
content and work created associated/created by Sony Music is owned by the Company
itself. As they are the biggest funders; no company or artist under Sony Music is in
control of the products unless it says it in their contract; anyone that goes against the
contract would have to appeal in court.
3. Apart from the music itself, any other content will have to be royalty free; I cannot
manipulate a piece of work which is influenced or taken from a different piece of work
which has been created already or if it is owned by major companies like Sony Music.
If I do, I could be in a lot of problems just in case a major company does file a
complaint. In order to prevent that, my created work must be unique only created by
me.

5. 1. Death Row Records is a company owned by the former Company Interscope but is now
owned by the parent company Entertainment One Music.
2. The Record Company mainly focusses Rap, Hip Hop and R&B music in their own studio
and they focus on making music videos. All other content created is owned by the
parent company.
3. Death Row Records is an American company which was founded in 1991 by the co-
founders Dr Dre, Suge Knight and The D.O.C.
4. Death Row mainly creates music and music videos; they have their own studio which
is funded by the parent company Entertainment One Company. So they have a big
budget to create quality music; most of their music that is created is either gold or
platinum.
5. Death Row Record associated with companies like Godfather Entertainment, Time
Warner and Interscope. They were in charge of the distribution and exhibition of the
media product.

6. 1. The Record Company focusses on Rap, Hip Hop and R&B. However, they specialise in
Rap; rappers like Tupac (who were part of Death Row) sparked the rapping industry as
it was true music that talks about the struggle of the ghetto and diversity. The
company is very successful with the genre Rap.
2. Any content created by the company is controlled by the parent company but they do
have some control: if an artist was to leave, the company can still keep hold of the
music as they created it but it can be sold or given back the artist if they want to.
3. The music video that I create will have to be different and not similar to the actual
music video of the song. I will make sure that the performance/story is not exactly the
same.

7. 1. Maybach Music is a Rap/R&B record company which is owned by the Warner Music
Group.
2. The company creates music/music videos; they also have control of merchandises.
3. The company was founded in 2009 by Rick Ross who released his album ‘Deeper than
Rap’. Rick Ross mainly signed on rappers like Meek Mill, French Montana and R&B
singers Omarion. He also released the Album ‘Self Made Vol.1’ which consists of every
artist who is a part of MMG.
4. The company produces and exhibits all content for the artists whilst promoting artists
with merchandises featuring other artists in the music videos.
5. Warner Music funds most of the production and marketing. However, MMG also
associate with companies like Atlantic Records, Def Jam Records and Warner Bros.
Records; they help with the distribution the media products which are created by MMG.

8. 1. The Company specialises with Rap and R&B as they are successful in that field of
music due to having well known rappers like Rick Ross himself; they are very
successful in creating gold/platinum tracks.
2. MMG have control over their music: artists may use their music for adverts or
promotional videos only if it creates revenue for the company. Any ownership over the
music is bought by the company so no one can the advantage of the media company.
3. With my media product, I can get funding and help with but the media product will be
created by me as well as any other content.

9. Plenary:
From the institutional research, I’ve learnt how every company has different
marketing strategies that help them in creating a really successful media product;
the revenue created is due to the production, distribution and exhibition. Companies
must create really good music, have a unique brand and have a really good music
video. Other ways that companies create revenue is through merchandises and
promoting other artists by featuring them in the music videos. I would need to have
a unique music video with great performance or story; a unique logo which will catch
the audience’s attention. I would also need to have a really unique Digi pack which
has no similar ideas from other Digi packs.