Universal Music Group (UMG) is an American music group, the largest of the "big three" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations. Universal Music Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of French media conglomerate Vivendi.
Universal Music Group owns a music publisher, Universal Music Publishing Group, which became the world's largest following the acquisition of BMG Music Publishing in May 2007.
Domino Recording Company, generally known as Domino, is an independent record label based in London. There is also a wing of the label based in the United States, releasing Domino artists' music from the label's Brooklyn offices and run by Kris Gillespie, as well as a German division called Domino Deutschland and a French division called Domino France. In addition, Stephen Pastel presides over the subsidiary label Geographic Music, which releases more unusual British and World music. In 2011, the company announced that it was beginning a book publishing division, The Domino Press.
Recent high profile releases from Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, and The Kills have only acted as a catalyst to this, and Domino is now one of the longest running and most successful independent record labels in the UK.
Domino celebrated their first UK #1 album in October 2005 with Franz Ferdinand's You Could Have It So Much Better, and their first UK #1 single with Arctic Monkeys' "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" later that same month.
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Monday, 16 January 2012
Case Study
Research a major record company and include a couple of artists that belong to that record company and a UK independant record label.
3 Major Record Labels (5% of the market)
Warner
Sony
Universal
1000s of Independant Record Labels
3 Major Record Labels (5% of the market)
1000s of Independant Record Labels
Def Jam used to be an independant record label, however it was bought by Universal, therefore it is now a subsidiary label.
Some independant labels also may seem major just because they're large scale, however this is not the case. For example, Domino Records have signed artists like Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand, but Domino are still an independant label.
Friday, 13 January 2012
Past Questions
Jan 2009: Production and distribution methods.
June 2009: Importance of technological convergence to audiences and institutions.
Jan 2010: Domination of global institution selling to national audiences - agree/disagree.
June 2010: Significance of continuing development of digital technology for audience and institution.
Jan 2011: Issues raised by media ownership in production and exchange of texts.
June 2009: Importance of technological convergence to audiences and institutions.
Jan 2010: Domination of global institution selling to national audiences - agree/disagree.
June 2010: Significance of continuing development of digital technology for audience and institution.
Jan 2011: Issues raised by media ownership in production and exchange of texts.
Institutions and Audiences
Institution
- Record label, promoters
Audience
- Comsume music, physical sales (CDs), downloads, merchandising, tour tickets
- Record label, promoters
Audience
- Comsume music, physical sales (CDs), downloads, merchandising, tour tickets
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Music Industry Terminology
Convergence of Technology
- The change from analogue to digital.
Convergence of Industry Activity
- Things that used to be seperate idustries now share commonalities. Such as television, phone and music.
Synergy
- Two or more industries combine to produce a result that they can't achieve by themselves. e.g. Take That music in the Morrisons ardert; the soundtrack to the Tony Hawk games.
Conglomerate
- A company of companies, such as Sony. They have small sister companies for different parts of the industries.
Globalisation
- The industry operating on a global scale. Record label selling it's products on a worldwide basis
Analogue Music
-The vinyl and tape era of music. More than one output
Digitalisation
-The process of converting analagoue to digital, e.g. from vinyl and tapes to CDs and mp3s. Happened around 1984. Only two outputs (binary code).
Vertical Integration
-The merger or takeover of companies operating at different stages of the production/distribution process
Horizontal Integration
-Absorption into a single firm of several firms involved in the same level of production and sharing resources at that level. Such as Sony Music as they own a number of record labels such as Epic, Columbia, Arista
Major Record Label
-The music industry (or music business) sells compositions, recordings and performances of music. Such as Sony, Universal and Warner
Subsidiary Label
-Smaller/sister labels such as the record label Sony Music owns the seperate labels such as Epic, Arista and Columbia. These smaller labels within the horizontal integration are the subsidiary labels
Independant Label
-An independent record label (or indie record label) is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. Indie record labels are where a great number of bands and musical acts get a start, and where many find their success
Niche Audience
-The targeting of sa small but significant group of consumers with a media product directed specifically at their interests. Usually work best on a global scale
Mainstream Audience
-Mainstream is, generally, the common current of thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct
Fans
-A person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular sport, art form, or famous person
Active audiences
-Audience members who already are interested in an organization, issue, or cause. Instead of waiting to receive information on it, they seek it out from many sources and when doing so, they speak as well as listen
Audiophiles
-A hi-fi enthusiast. Early adopters of music and audio technology
Early Adopters
-Early adopters of music and audio technology, the first people that buy new things because they're new. Such as people who wait outside for a game to be released
Consumption
-The using up of a resource
Web 2.0
-The second generation of the web, it's interactive. Like YouTube, Blogspot and Facebook
Meta-tags / personalisation
-The information within the mp3 such as genre, release year, company. This is mostly noticible within iTunes and an iPod.
Download
-Copy (data) from one computer system to another or to a disk
Streaming
-(of data) Transmitted in a continuous stream while earlier parts are being used
Peer to Peer
-The distribution of a form of media that is shared between active participents over a network. It's like a spider web of computers. e.g. downloading from programs such as Napster or Limewire
Piracy
-A practice of theft and bootlegging
Portability / miniturisation
-The act of making on a greatly reduced scale
Multi-track
-They allow performers to record one track, then hear it played back while they play along onto a second
Sampling
-The technique of digitally encoding music or sound and reusing it as part of a composition or recording
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
-A computer based setup for editing material. Such as a computer with MIDI input and output, as well as the software used to edit this like Cubase or Audacity
A&R - Artists and Repertoire
-Artists and repertoire (A&R) is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists
Record Deal - Contract - Royalties
-A recording contract (commonly called a record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote
Distribution
-The action or process of supplying goods to stores and other businesses that sell to consumers
Plugging / Marketing
-The action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising
- The change from analogue to digital.
Convergence of Industry Activity
- Things that used to be seperate idustries now share commonalities. Such as television, phone and music.
Synergy
- Two or more industries combine to produce a result that they can't achieve by themselves. e.g. Take That music in the Morrisons ardert; the soundtrack to the Tony Hawk games.
Conglomerate
- A company of companies, such as Sony. They have small sister companies for different parts of the industries.
Globalisation
- The industry operating on a global scale. Record label selling it's products on a worldwide basis
Analogue Music
-The vinyl and tape era of music. More than one output
Digitalisation
-The process of converting analagoue to digital, e.g. from vinyl and tapes to CDs and mp3s. Happened around 1984. Only two outputs (binary code).
Vertical Integration
-The merger or takeover of companies operating at different stages of the production/distribution process
Horizontal Integration
-Absorption into a single firm of several firms involved in the same level of production and sharing resources at that level. Such as Sony Music as they own a number of record labels such as Epic, Columbia, Arista
Major Record Label
-The music industry (or music business) sells compositions, recordings and performances of music. Such as Sony, Universal and Warner
Subsidiary Label
-Smaller/sister labels such as the record label Sony Music owns the seperate labels such as Epic, Arista and Columbia. These smaller labels within the horizontal integration are the subsidiary labels
Independant Label
-An independent record label (or indie record label) is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. Indie record labels are where a great number of bands and musical acts get a start, and where many find their success
Niche Audience
-The targeting of sa small but significant group of consumers with a media product directed specifically at their interests. Usually work best on a global scale
Mainstream Audience
-Mainstream is, generally, the common current of thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct
Fans
-A person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular sport, art form, or famous person
Active audiences
-Audience members who already are interested in an organization, issue, or cause. Instead of waiting to receive information on it, they seek it out from many sources and when doing so, they speak as well as listen
Audiophiles
-A hi-fi enthusiast. Early adopters of music and audio technology
Early Adopters
-Early adopters of music and audio technology, the first people that buy new things because they're new. Such as people who wait outside for a game to be released
Consumption
-The using up of a resource
Web 2.0
-The second generation of the web, it's interactive. Like YouTube, Blogspot and Facebook
Meta-tags / personalisation
-The information within the mp3 such as genre, release year, company. This is mostly noticible within iTunes and an iPod.
Download
-Copy (data) from one computer system to another or to a disk
Streaming
-(of data) Transmitted in a continuous stream while earlier parts are being used
Peer to Peer
-The distribution of a form of media that is shared between active participents over a network. It's like a spider web of computers. e.g. downloading from programs such as Napster or Limewire
Piracy
-A practice of theft and bootlegging
Portability / miniturisation
-The act of making on a greatly reduced scale
Multi-track
-They allow performers to record one track, then hear it played back while they play along onto a second
Sampling
-The technique of digitally encoding music or sound and reusing it as part of a composition or recording
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
-A computer based setup for editing material. Such as a computer with MIDI input and output, as well as the software used to edit this like Cubase or Audacity
A&R - Artists and Repertoire
-Artists and repertoire (A&R) is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists
Record Deal - Contract - Royalties
-A recording contract (commonly called a record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote
Distribution
-The action or process of supplying goods to stores and other businesses that sell to consumers
Plugging / Marketing
-The action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising
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