The music industry is dominated by three major record labels - Universal, Sony, and Warner Bros, known as "The Majors". The Majors own smaller subsidiary labels to reach different audiences and genres. There are also many truly independent small labels. Record labels have different departments like A&R, marketing, promotions, and finance. They work to balance both synthetic acts with constructed images aimed at short-term profits, and organic acts given more time to develop authentic images for long-term success.

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