This document discusses record labels, copyright, and choosing an appropriate label for a new artist. It notes that there are major and independent labels, and recommends an independent label like VP Records for a new artist entering a genre they specialize in, like reggae, dancehall, or soca. Copyright gives artists and producers authority over how their musical works are used and exploited. When using copyrighted music in one's own videos, proper attribution showing one does not own the song is required.

1. Record Labels And Permissions

2. Record Label
• Record Label is a brand/trademark associated
with the marketing, distribution, copyright and
production of music recordings and music videos.
• There are two different types of record labels that
an artist can be signed to: Major or Independent.
• Major Labels: As of 2012 there are only three
labels that can be referred to as “major labels”
▫ Universal Music Group
▫ Sony Music Entertainment
▫ Warner Music Group
• Independent (indie) Labels: Record companies
and music publishers that are not under the
control of the big three are generally considered to
be indie even if they are large corporations with
complex structures.

3. My Artist
• Our artist would be well suited to a Independent
Label this is because our artist is new and is part of
genre that is popular in the major labels.
• VP Records is an independent record label best
known for producing Caribbean singers, this is a
record I would like my artist to be signed to. They
work with 3 different genre and my artists genre
falls into them, the genres they work with are;
Reggae, Dancehall, Soca.
• VP Records label was founded by Vincent „Randy‟
Chin and Patricia Chin who used to own a records
store in Jamaica as well as a Studio.
• VP Records has produced popular artists such as
Beenie Man, Machel Montano and Busy Signal.

4. Copyright
• Copyright is the exclusive legal right to make
copies, license, and otherwise exploit literary,
musical, or artistic work, whether printed, audio,
video etc.
• This gives the artist and producer the authority
to chose whoever uses their song for their own
gain.

5. Copyright Rules
• When doing my own video and using a
copyrighted song I have to take ensure that my
video doesn‟t imitate the original and I must
make sure I show that I have no claim over the
song.
• Using the phrase „All rights reserved‟ shows that
the copyright owners aren't me and that they
owners have all the rights under copyright law.
• Another way to show that I don‟t own the song is
using the copyright symbol this acts the same
way as „All rights reserved‟.