An Introduction To A Record Label

What is a record label? This a question that I have heard from many people before. In my record label profile on Sub Pop Records, my friend Steven commented, "Great to finally put a name to the label behind Nirvana's early work and The Postal Service!" Reading this I thought, not many people know what a record label actually is.

Not many people know who is behind all of the albums they love. There are certain times when a band or an artists self-releases an album of theirs but that is usually early on in their careers. As they grow to notoriety the are able to release their albums on a record label.

A record label, as Wikipedia states, is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Urban Dictionary says a record label specializes in manufacturing, distributing and promoting audio and video recordings, on various formats. Dictionary.com states a record label is a company that produces and sells records, CDs, and recordings.

Which of these are right? Well all of them. A record label producers, manufactures, and distributes music. But not all record labels are the same. There are two categories of record labels: major and independent.

A major record label is a large corporation managed by a parent company. There currently are four big major labels: Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Group, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group. These labels are parent companies. Warner Music Group for example is the umbrella company for the Atlantic Records Group which is then the parent company for Fueled By Ramen Records.

A independent record label is one that does not have the financial and corporate backing of a major label. An example of an independent record label is the label Steven commended, Sub Pop Records, Saddle Creek Records, and Equal Vision Records.

These labels are the "men behind the music". They do not take part in making a band's music but are able to give it direction. This is the case with some major record labels. These overarching companies for bands are what give them funding for their albums, tours, merchandise, and other promotional tools.

I wish more people knew what a record label actually was. In my dorm room there are three different people in here, excluding me, and only one of them knew exactly what a record label was. My roommate Chanel was part of this group and knew what a record label was from a structural standpoint and exactly what they did in the music industry. I asked the people in my dorm if they knew what the two types of record labels and they did not.

The idea of a record label is vague to those who are not in the middle of the music industry. Knowing what a record label is can help in knowing where some of the money that is spent on band's merchandise and ticket sales are going. As Steven said it is "Great to finally put a name to the label..." If only more people were seeking this information or already knew what it was.

Profile: Sub Pop Records

Record label: Sub Pop Records
Origin: Seattle, Washington
Founded: 1986

Sub Pop Records is an independent record label with acts from the indie, alternative, and rock genres. The label was founded by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. They rose to fame when they signed Nirvana and Soundgarden. Nirvana's album Bleach, the band's first album, has gone platinum gaining the label commercial success.

Since then a number of their artists have had successful records. Flight Of The Conchord's self-titled album has gone platinum and The Postal Service's Give Up and The Shins Wincing The Night Away have both gone gold.

The label started as a fanzine called Subterranean Pop by Pavitt while has was attending Evergreen State College in Olympia,Washington. The fanzine was shortened to Sub Pop on it's fourth issue. After the ninth issue Pavitt stopped publishing the fanzine. In1986 when the record label started he started releasing compilations from underground rock bands.

In 1996 Pavitt and Poneman had disagreements about the future direction of the record label resulting in Pavitt leaving and being able to spend more time with his family. Pavitt and Poneman did not speak for seven years after the disagreements.

2006 marked the year Sub Pop became the first Green-e certified record label. The following year the label started a sister label Hardly Art. The imprint label's unofficial motto is "Quality records for quality people since very recently."

-----

I love this record label. I listen to many of the artists that are signed to the label. Sometimes I will find new music I like through the label and other times I will find new music and realize they are signed to Sub Pop. I find the artists to be an eclectic group of independent artists.

Some of my favorites from this label are: Iron & Wine, The Shins, Band Of Horses, Vetiver, The Album Leaf, and Fleet Foxes.

Introduction & Welcome!

What is “indie” music?

This is a question I ask myself a lot. Welcome to a place where I plan to explore that question. Many see the term indie as a genre of music, which sometimes I do, but I usually extend the word to its true form as “independent.” Independent music is music separated from major record labels. The artists in this category of music are ‘do-it-yourself’ musicians, only living off the money they may make at the next day’s show. Many times these bands are backed by a small “indie” label but a lot of them are unsigned. These bands are only known to those who either seek out their music or come across it by happenstance. They are not commercialized which is a factor in their limited exposure. These are the types of bands and musicians I listen to and are interested in finding.

Throughout this blog I hope to showcase “underground” and “indie” bands. To a select group a people the bands I show are well known but to the greater population they are relatively new. Not only do I hope others find some music they enjoy through this blog but in my search I hope I am able to do so as well. This is not me just picking music from my iTunes I find to be different. I plan to search for music I have not come across. Yes, sometimes I will post a artist I love who fits the “independent artist” description but those musicians are ones I feel need as much as exposure as they can get.

It is hard when I say bands, artists, and musicians throughout this, as it can get confusing, but I essentially mean the same thing: people who make music either in a group or on their own. I plan to post about “independent music makers”, artists in their own right, creating something different.

Now, I don’t only want to show musicians in this blog. Sometimes I may post about an independent record label. They are “indie” too. It will be as if I am taking a group of independent artists and giving that group a title. Some independent record labels are doing far more for artist’s creative freedom and support. While they may not have the profit of a major record label most of their artists find a home in the small record labels they inhabit. I feel that I cannot show musicians without showing their support and distribution structure.

I want people to learn from the music they listen to and really take the time to seek out music they enjoy. I do not listen to music on the radio or in the “Top 40 charts” but know of the music in there. It is not that I make a conscious decision to shy away from that music but that it is not music I am passionate about. Many times when searching for a band I think of the music I either like listening to or would like to make myself. This helps in finding music that parallels my tastes. I hope I can stir some musical tastes buds here and maybe someone’s new favorite band will be found.