Domino Recording Company
Founded in 1993, Domino Recording Company is a London based Independent, who focus mainly on the "Indie-Rock" and "Indie-Pop" genres. They describe them selves on their website as "a wholly independent record company whose characteristics are best represented by its artists: individuality, originality and a total immersion in music's worlds of possibility". They are known for supporting well known artists such as Arctic Monkeys, Alex Turner and Jon Hopkins.Virgin EMI Records
Virgin EMI Records is the result of a merger in 2013 between Mercury Records UK and Virgin Records. They operate under the parent company, Universal Music UK, who are responsible for various other record labels. There is no genre of music that this record label hasn't got itself into; with "heavy metal rock bands" like Black Sabbath and on the other spectrum of music; the likes of Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, who are very much established within the "Pop" genre. Keeping in line with the theme of my research, I would also like to note that they represent Young Guns who are known for rock music.While they are responsible for the distribution of artists within the UK, they are capable of branching out and using other companies within the same 'family' to market artists worldwide.
Syco Entertainment
Syco Entertainment, formed in 2002 by media industry tycoon Simon Cowell, "is one of the world’s leading global music, film and
television production companies responsible for some of the world’s most
successful global TV and music franchises". The majority of artists they have on their books specialise in the "Pop" and "R&B" genres, with names like One Direction and Leona Lewis. Syco Entertainment are essentially the parent company of Syco music, Syco television and Syco film, incorporating all subsidiary companies owned by Syco Entertainment and using these resources to not only make music videos for the various artists, but also expanding into film (i.e One Direction: This Is Us). Whist being a parent company, they themselves are under the corporation Sony Music Entertainment.
FatCat are an independent record label based in Brighton, they cover a variety of more alternative genres including : "Electronica", "Post Rock", "Indie" among others. Founded in 1989 as a record store, which later closed down to later be replaced by a record label in 1997. Now having offices in Brighton and New York. They are known for signing artists like Animal Collective, Black Dice and No Age.
Another way unsigned artists try to make themselves known, is by doing gigs at various small venues; it is common place to see unsigned artists performing in pubs, bars and clubs as they try to increase their popularity; or even to act as supporting acts for larger artists. Ed Sheeran is a great example of how important it is for unsigned artists to gig if they want to make it big. He did hundreds of gigs in order to make a reputation for himself, which then allowed his independent EP No. 5 Collaborations Project to reach second place in the 2011 Itunes Charts without any promotion or label. Eventually leading to him being signed by Atlanta Records later on in the year and becoming the international success that he now is.
Ed Sheeran's independent EP
Obviously it is not common place for unsigned artists to become international stars and most find themselves limited to how much coverage they get within the music industry. However, that does not discourage the majority of unsigned artists and instead use the adversity they must face as a driving force behind their efforts.
Eden Billy Simpson is an example of an unsigned artist who makes full use of media sharing websites to get his music heard by the masses, even if it doesn't lead to a multi-million pound record deal.
FatCat Records
Unsigned Artists
An unsigned artist is an artist who has no contract with a record label of any sort and as such, must rely on their own means to create, produce and distribute their music. Many unsigned artists use the Internet as a way of getting their music out there; uploading their songs/videos to media sharing sites like "YouTube" and "Vimeo". There are many artists who initially began as unsigned artists, whose music is only available on these free platforms; however they are then scouted by record labels because they believe the artist to have talent, Justin Bieber and 5 Seconds Of Summer are but a few popular artists who have had this happen to them.Another way unsigned artists try to make themselves known, is by doing gigs at various small venues; it is common place to see unsigned artists performing in pubs, bars and clubs as they try to increase their popularity; or even to act as supporting acts for larger artists. Ed Sheeran is a great example of how important it is for unsigned artists to gig if they want to make it big. He did hundreds of gigs in order to make a reputation for himself, which then allowed his independent EP No. 5 Collaborations Project to reach second place in the 2011 Itunes Charts without any promotion or label. Eventually leading to him being signed by Atlanta Records later on in the year and becoming the international success that he now is.
Ed Sheeran's independent EP
Obviously it is not common place for unsigned artists to become international stars and most find themselves limited to how much coverage they get within the music industry. However, that does not discourage the majority of unsigned artists and instead use the adversity they must face as a driving force behind their efforts.
Eden Billy Simpson is an example of an unsigned artist who makes full use of media sharing websites to get his music heard by the masses, even if it doesn't lead to a multi-million pound record deal.
"Seven Seas" was independtly produced and distributed by Eden Billy Simpson
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