The four major record labels are Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and EMI. Warner Music Group owns many famous record labels and also offers artist management services. Universal Music Group is the world's leading music company with businesses in recorded music and music publishing. Sony Music Entertainment has a wide range of artists and a huge catalogue. EMI is divided into businesses focused on new music, catalogues, and music services.

1. The four major record labels

2. Warner Music Group “ Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG) is the world's only publicly-traded major music company aimed at helping artists achieve long-term creative and financial success while providing consumers with the highest-quality music content available.” Warner Music Group includes some of the best known record labels such as Asylum, Atlantic, Cordless, East West, Elektra, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino and Roadrunner. They also have many licensees in more than 50 countries . Warner Music Groups includes a growing artists business which offers artist management, touring, merchandise, fan clubs and sponsorships.

3. Universal Music Group “ Universal Music Group (UMG) is the world’s leading music company” Universal Music Group is split into two major business; recorded music and music publishing. They discover, develop, market and distribute recorded music in 77 different countries and they represent 98% of the music market. They also distribute music videos, DVD products, and legal downloads online. UMG have a business called Universal Music Publishing Group and it is the world's leading publishing business. It owns rights to all kinds of music and licenses them so they can be used in films and advertisements, for example.

4. Sony Music Entertainment “ Sony Music Entertainment UK is part of one of the largest music and entertainment companies in the world. ” Sony Music Entertainment has a wide range of artists, local and international. They also have a huge catalogue containing some of the most important recordings in history. They have three frontline labels; RCA, Columbia and Epic. They also release music from other labels such as Zomba and Jive.

5. EMI “ EMI Music is one of the world’s leading music companies, home to some of the most successful and best known recording artists.” EMI is divided into three business units, which are: New Music – is a business that finds and develops new and successful music. EMI also own other record labels such as Capitol and Virgin. Catalogue – is a business that works are maximising EMI’s historic and music assets. EMI’s catalogue section also runs Abbey Road recording studio. Music Services - is the section that works with artists (including independent labels/artists) to provide them with means of distributing their music, along with licensing and synch.