THE Music Industry

The four 'major corporate labels' that dominate the music industry are Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and EMI. Space was signed to gut records, an independent record company based in London and owned by Guy Holmes who had previously been working for Island Records. The key role in the record company seems to be the A&R department (artists and repertoire). A&R people work very hands-on with the artists that they "sign." When a record label "signs" an artist, it simply means that the artist makes an exclusive contract with that record label.They do everything from assisting with song selection to choosing the people that will produce the album to deciding where the album will be recorded. The people in this department work as the link between the recording artist and all the other departments of the record company.The diagram below shows a basic power play situation in a record company.

Yussra and Marwa