The document discusses the major record labels and their market shares from 1998-2012. It notes that originally there were six major labels ("Big Six") but that consolidated to five ("Big Five") after mergers. The current "Big Three" major labels are Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group. Universal is the largest, Sony is middle sized, and Warner is the third largest. The document also provides brief descriptions of each major label and their signed artists. It defines independent labels and provides Rough Trade Records as an example of a successful independent label.

2. Major labels since 2012 (Big Three)
Universal Music Group (part of EMI's recorded music division
absorbed into UMG)
Sony Music Entertainment (EMI Music Publishing absorbed into
Sony/ATV Music Publishing)
Warner Music Group (EMI's Parlophone and EMI/Virgin Classics
labels absorbed into WMG on 1 July 2013)[2]
Prior to December 1998, the industry was dominated by the "Big
Six": Sony Music and BMG had not yet merged, and PolyGram had
not yet been absorbed into Universal Music Group. After the
PolyGram-Universal merger, the 1998 market shares reflected a "Big
Five", commanding 77.4% of the market, as follows, according to
MEI World Report 2000:
Universal Music Group — 28.8%
Independent labels — 22.6%
Sony Music Entertainment — 21.1%
EMI — 14.1%
Warner Music Group — 13.4%

3. Universal Music Group
• Universal music group is the
largest music corporation in the
big three which means they are
the largest in the entire world.
• It was founded in 1934 as Decca
Records but in 1996 the name
was changed to what it is
currently.
• UMG have a lot of recent artists
and bands signed to them, such
as Disclosure, Bastille and
Coldplay.

4. Sony Music Entertainment
• In 1929, the enterprise was
first founded as American
Record Corporation.
• SME is the middle sized of
the ‘big three’ record
companies.
• They had artists such as
Michael Jackson signed to
their label and currently
have artists such as Usher
and SIA signed with them.

5. Warner Music Group
• 3rd largest recorded music and
music publishing company in the
big three.
• Signed artists range from
Madonna to Red Hot Chili
Peppers.
• Despite the wide variety of signed
artists WMG’s income has been
dropping in the past few years
due to lack of CD sales because of
illegal download and companies
which do digi-sales such as Apple.

6. Independent record labels
• An independent record label or other known
as an ‘indie record label’ are record labels
which operate without any funding outside
their organisations or other major record
labels. There are a great number of artists and
bands which are still successful through an
independent record label.

7. Rough Trade Records
• This is an example of an indie record
label which has had successful bands
and artists signed to them.
• Rough Trade records was founded in
1972.
• Arcade Fire, Palma Violets, The
Libertines and The Strokes are some
examples of bands which are signed
to Rough Trade.
• Arcade Fire headlined Glastonbury
2014 which reveals that are a
recognised and respected band by
the media.