Domino Records

Domino Records is a UK based independant record label founded in London, 1993. They focus mainly on two specific genres - Indie pop, and Indie rock.
Some bands that are on the label are Artic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, and Light Speed Champion.
Domino Records also has a 'wing label' which works within the USA.

Strategies for promotion & distribution

Domino records have an online system where you can purchase their artist's singles and albums. You can buy them in CD format or MP3 all from the website.
Their strategies for promotion is a number of ways:

• Advertising throughout the website
• 'Domino Player' - offering free samples of tracks
• Free whole track downloads
• News system keeping their audience up to date with new releases
• Tour date news
• Social Networking pages - Facebook, Youtube, MySpace

Audience

Domino Records have targetted their audience to be very niche, as they don't offer a variety of genres on their label. The label is dominantly indie rock and indie pop, and therefore isn't looking for the mainstream audiences. However, although they are targetting a niche audience, they are looking to make the size of their target bigger by linking to social networking sites where they can attract a wider audience of indie pop, and indie rock fans, as anyone in the world can access.

Relationship between Domino Records and the Mainstream music industy

As Domino Records target a niche audience rather than the mainstream itself there is little if anything in the form of a relationship between the two. Domino Records offer the music industry an alternative to what everyone else is following as they are an independant label, and therefore attracting their own audience. However, by only offering two different types of genre it is difficult for them to offer an alternative option for a large number of people. Although this will make the fans they do attract essentially more loyal, as they aren't just following trends. There is a trend that links Domino Records to the Mainstream industry, and this is how they are promoting and distributing. They are, just like the mainstream, using social networking sites, and websites to promote and distribute their artists and music.

Soul Jazz Records

Soul Jazz Records is a British based record label which was formed in the 1990s. Since then it has established a reputation for distributing a range of music to a wide audience. It is most recognised for distributing predominantly black music such as: reggae, soul, ska, dub, and jazz, and other styles given an 'underground' tag. They also distribute music from older generations that were not given their due recognition at the time of its original release.

What kinds of music do Soul Jazz Records produce?
The genre of music which Soul Jazz Records produce is predominately black music such as reggae, soul, dubstep, funk/soul, jazz and hip hop. It is clear that the music that they do produce is niche rather than mainstream chart/pop, and may only appeal to certain audiences.

What strategies do Soul Jazz Records use to promote and distribute their music?
The main strategy that Soul Jazz Records use to promote and distribute their music is through their website, which is used as an online store for each artist that is on the label. The website allows them to promote music by giving updates through the news section about up and coming tracks from previous artists, or new artists breaking through. They can also offer previews of the tracks before a customer purchases the music. Also by offering different ways of purchasing the music through different formats, as they have CD's, Vinyl, LP's, and MP3 it targets a wider range of audience to suit their demands. The website also uses multimedia platforms, as it advertises 'coming soon' DVDs with tracks on it from artists on their label.

Who is the audience for Soul Jazz Records?
There isn't one particular audience for Soul Jazz Records as it offers a wide range of genres which essentially targets a wider range of audience. As everyone listens to different types of music there are going to be different niche audiences for the different genres that Soul Jazz Records have to offer. Soul Jazz Records also have sister labels on their website, such as Universal Sound, which once again offers an even further range of genre again reaching a wider audience.

What is the relationship between Soul Jazz Records and the mainstream music industry?
There is no obvious relationship between Soul Jazz Records and the mainstream music industry, as Soul Jazz Records target their distribution at niche audiences rather than the mainstream itself. Their website allows you to sample the music before you actually purchase it, whereas a 'Big 4' label such as Universal wouldn't. An example of Soul Jazz Records not targeting the mainstream would be their decision not to use social networking sites, but instead having their own blog through the website. This may be a disadvantage as they aren't reaching mass audiences when they have the ability to do so. However, one similarity between the mainstream and Soul Jazz Records is that they are keeping up with technology and allowing MP3 format files of their music to be purchased, which is just basically keeping up with modern trends.

Lesson 04/05.03.10

Key Terms

• Production - how music is produced and recorded
• Distribution - promoting music and how it is released and accessed
• Consumption - How people take it in -> downloading, cd's
• Web 2.0 - user generated internet -> Youtube, Facebook, Wikipedia
• Convergence - lots of different products coming together into a single product -> Mobile: mp3, phone, camera
• Vertical Intergration - a company allows profit to remain in its company only
  (iPod -> iTunes -> Apple Mac)
• Synergy - Companies teaming up for maximum profit -> O2 & iPhone, Orange Wednesdays, Kerrang & Road Runner, NME & Domino
• Apps - Applications
• SNS - Social Networking Sites -> MySpace, Facebook
• Global Village - The world becoming smaller due to technology, and communication becoming much easier

How does production affect the music industry?

• Cost is no longer an issue & can be made by anybody (prosumer tech)
• No record companies are required
• No musical talent needed
• Wider media (Games - Guitar Hero)
• Charts no longer required

How does distribution affect the music industry?

• Internet (Web 2.0) - can reach anybody across the world
• Shops/Downloading online (iTunes)
• Music Industry losing out due to illegal downloading (Torrents, Limewire)
• Borrowing/renting music (Spotify)
• Difficult to maintain/regulate distribution
• Music Industry need to think of wider distribution techniques

How does consumption affect the music industry?

• Physical format (Cd's, vinal) becoming obsolete/rare -> niche market
• Technology growing -> Music Industry has to keep up because access to music is changing
• Now experienced through multi-media approaches -> video games, apps
• User trends -> downloading means that Music Industry must find alternative ways to make their money

Stafford 2007

'The music industry can be defined as the organisation of the various activities associated with performing and recording music and distributing access to those performances around the world. Because the basis of musical production is accessible to everyone with a modium of talent, the industry is both more 'open' than film making and less easily controllable than traditional broadcast television. This has lead to a longstanding institutional difference between small and 'independent' music organisations and a large corporate 'mainstream'.

- Worldwide
- Production -> Distribution -> Consumption
- It has become easier to create music due to technology, so musical ability is no longer required
- More open -> freedom & access, not financially draining
- Less controllable -> freedom, not regulated
- M.I divided by the types of record labels/institutions
-> Mainstream (Big 4: Sony, Universal, Warner, EMI)
-> Independants (Rough Trade, Domino, Boy Better Know)

Moseley Shoals Records ~ UK Based Record Label

Moseley Shoals Records is an independent record label in the United Kingdom. The company was set up by British rock band Ocean Colour Scene in 2004, so that they could release their Live Acoustic at the Jam House album. Their studio is based in Moseley, which is an area in Birmingham.
The serial codes on this label all begin with "OCS" which is a reference to the band's name "Ocean Colour Scene".

As Moseley Shoals Records is an independant label they only have the band Ocean Colour Scene on it, as it was created by them and for them.

Moseley Shoals Records release use different types of technology to promote their music and the band. Internet is obviously the biggest tool that they use to reach their audience world wide. It has already become the best way of communication and to reach mass audience, and this is a huge way to promote their music through the website especially. (http://www.oceancolourscene.com) The band obviously have their own website, but also can reach further through other websites such as myspace, which most labels encourage their bands to join in order to promote further and gain more recognition.

Moseley Shaols Records just like almost every record label have to protect there band's music. The Basic copyright law protects all of their songs, and allows the label to distinguish the rights of all of their work.