There are numerous record label companies in the musical world. Out of all of them, the researched top 5 music record labels or companies are discussed below.
Record Labels play a key role in the music industry. A record label is a company that looks after the aspects of searching for talents. After musicians contract themselves to a label, the label takes over the responsibility of looking after all the angles such as the promotion, distribution, manufacturing, and marketing. They also hold the copyright of any records or production from the musician/artist. There are many record labels throughout the music industry and around the world.
Let’s have a look at the top 5 Music Record Label or Companies at the moment:
- Universal Music Group – The Universal Music Group, also known as UMG Recordings is a Dutch-American multinational corporation. The corporate headquarter of this company is in Hilversum, Netherlands and the operational headquarter is in Santa Monica, California. It is one of the three biggest companies along with Sony Music and Warner Music Group. The interesting fact regarding this company is that the majority of their share is owned by French media company Vivendi and by famous Chinese tech firm Tencent, which holds a bit less than it is owned by the French.
This umbrella business oversees a massive collection of brands and labels. Their list starts from the United States to Argentina, the 40 countries in the middle, and companies from all around the world. Universal Music always follows its principle of shaping culture through the power of artistry. They are a company that is associated with multiple established artists and has been running their traits internationally. The company’s history dates back to September 1934 when the formation of the American branch of Decca Records took place.
Some of the popular United States-based record label holdings from their past include names like:
- Def Jam Recordings & Capitol Music Group
- Interscope Geffen AM & Fame House
- Island Records & Public Records
- Polygram Entertainment & Spinefarm Records
- Universal Music Group Nashville & Universal Music Enterprises
- Universal Music Publishing Group & Universal Music Latin Entertainment
- Verve Label Group
- Sony Music – Sony Music Entertainment, also called by the name of Sony Music is also an American multinational record label. The company is owned by Sony Group Corporation. It was initially founded in 1929 by the name of American Record Corporation. In 1938, It was renamed Columbia Recording Corporation. The present that the company is carrying was instilled in 1991. During 2004, Bertelsmann and Sony decided on a 50-50 joint venture, which came to be known as Sony BMG. Later in 2008, Sony bought Bertelsmann’s stake and renamed the company Sony Music. The company headquarters is in Madison Avenue, New York City. Some of their labels include names like:
- Epic
- Columbia
- Arista
- RCA
- RCA Records Label Nashville & Arista Nashville
- Warner Music Group – Warner Music Group, often abbreviated as WMG is once again an American multinational record label and entertainment company. The company is the third-largest in the global music industry. Earlier, the company was a part of Time Warner. The interesting fact related to this company is that it was traded in the New York Stock Exchange from 2005 until 2011 when it sold itself to Access Industries. It once again became a public company in the year 2020. The company’s employee numbers run over more than 3,500 and have roots in more than 50 countries all around the globe. Their list of records includes:
- Reprise Records
- Warner Records
- Elektra Records
- Parlophone Records
- Atlantic Records
- Island Records – Island Records is a multinational record label, which is owned by the parent company Universal Music Group. Initially found in 1959 by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica, the company was sold to PolyGram in the year 1989. Island Records is known for its journey from jazz music to indie and finally exerting a major influence on the progressive music scene in the United Kingdom. They are divided into four divisions – Island UK, Island US, Island France, and Island Australia. The list of artists and musicians that the company represents and has previously represented includes big names like:
- Bob Marley
- Justin Bieber
- Iggy Azalea
- Demi Lovato
- Ariana Grande
- Avicii, and many more
- Columbia Records – Columbia Records is the last on our list. This is an American record label, which is owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Founded in 1889, it is the oldest surviving company in the scene of recorded sound business. It evolved from the American Gramophone Company. The company ran under the name of CBS Records from 1961 to 1991. Along with Arista, RCA, and Epic records, this is one of Sony Music’s four top record labels. Names of the famous artists associated with Columbia are:
- Adele
- Beyonce
- Louis Armstrong
- Leonard Bernstein
- Doris Day, etc.