Music Production - For/Against

Has the music piracy battle been won?

Case Study - Indie Label

Case Study - Major Label

Reprise Records is an American label, owned by Warner Music Group and therefore Warner Bros. Records making it under the umbrella of one of the ‘big four’. Warner Music Group is conglomerate and a global organisation, so obviously Reprise release music all over the world and in many different countries. For 30 years Warner Music Group was a part of WEA with two other record labels Elektra and Atlantic which produced and developed artists for their own labels but also for other labels too. In 2004, Warner Music Group disbanded itself completely with Time Warner, leaving them with no legislational hold over the music that has been produced. Warner Bros. Entertainment which is the major owner of Warner Music Group and therefore Reprise Records, produces a variety, including music, films and television, making them one of the richest entertainment companies in the world.

Reprise Records distributes its music through physical cds at shops like HMV, online shops such as Amazon and digital websites such as ITunes.

My Chemical Romance has been signed to Reprise Records since 2003 and has released three major studio albums through them.  In the UK alone, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge went Platinum and sold over 300,000 copies, The Black Parade went Platinum twice and Danger Days went Gold, selling over 100,000 copies. Over the entire world, they’ve sold 4, 438,500 albums.  They’re not on a 360 deal which would mean Reprise Records would get a percentage on everything they release and sell, including merchandise, cds etc.

Warner Music Group, being a worldwide organisation obviously caters for a wide range of audiences, including global. They have a range of artists, so for the more mainstream ones, they’re promoted for a wider audience compared to more alternative artists, who are aimed at smaller, more niche audiences. The label and artist releases videos on YouTube, allowing audiences to have an active part and a chance to voice their opinion on what they like. People can’t however contact Warner Music Group with a demo in an attempt to get signed.

Web 2.0 has really helped develop the entire music industry and how it’s run, and also how it sells to and targets audiences. As people discovered social networking sites and blogs and other online sharing websites, companies like Warner Music Group and Reprise Records were able to get a clearer and more detailed idea of what audiences want.

There are serious advantages to online streaming as audiences only have to pay a certain amount of money on websites such as Spotify, to be able to listen to whatever music they like. The artists do not lose money through this, and often one will listen to a song on a streaming website, and if they like it, it might push them onto going out and buying the cd, making them more money. There’s an upside to downloading music (It’s legal and the artists get money for every cd that is bought) but there is a downside – People can illegally download music tracks and therefore get away with paying anything, but get the music. There is a problem with file sharing as it means both the artists and record labels and companies lose money and people get to have the music files for free. Record labels do not respond well to this form of piracy and many online websites have legally been shut down because of file sharing.

Case Study – Independent Record Label

Case Study – Independent Record Label

Tigertrap Records

Step Two Tigertrap Records is an independent record label based in London which deals with alternative rock, punk rock and indie and promotes bands such as Mock Orange, Scanners, Tiny Masters of Today, It Hugs Back and Look See Proof. The artists promoted aren’t incredibly well known, but they do/did have growing fanbases with fans of varying nationalities, as they promote bands from all over the world, but mainly from the UK and the United States. Some Tigertrap bands are much more popular than others, as with any record label.

In 2007, Tigertrap Records were Radio One’s Huw Stephen’s DIY Label of the Week. They get a few plays on 6 Music, XFM and Radio One, but much more interest and plays on smaller British stations like Amazing Radio, Recharged, Total and Resonance as well as some pirate stations. They get a certain amount of support from radio stations across seas aswell, particularly in America but also in Germany and France too. Myspace and Last FM stream Tigertrap Records from their websites as well as Facebook and Soundcloud.

It Hugs Back

Last FM

  Plays – 135,461

  Listeners – 14,780

Similar Artists – Canadian Invasion, Team B, When I was 12, Unbunny, Boy Genius.

Youtube

   Video Views – 7,663

Similar Artists – Ben Lee, Corner Shop, Stornaway.

Scanners

Last FM

  Plays – 678,323

  Listeners – 60, 671

Similar Artists – The Ropes, Cassette Kids, Chew Lips, Operator Please.

Myspace – total plays – 758,217

Youtube – suggested artists – The Burned, We Are Scientists, The National.

Tigertrap Records have supplied a few small festivals with their artists such as SOTU Festival, Amsterdam, The Great Escape Festival, Brighton and Supernormal Festival, Oxfordshire.

Ownership

Tom Edwards, Adie Nunn and Gill Barker all founded the London based label. The label is not specifically attached to any sort of club, as far as I know. They produce music on CDs, vinyl and digitally too.

Marketing

The label uses MySpace and has its own YouTube account which promotes live recordings of shows and also pre-recorded tracks.

Distribution

HMV sells Reprise Records cds as does ITunes.  With having a Facebook account, website, a YouTube account and a MySpace account, Tigertrap are putting themselves out there in the new media world, but they could do more to higher their profile, such as trying to get more television time and more plays on the radio.

Sexuality Mock - Notes ~ April 2012

I've written the work out in note form.