An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz: 7 Record Labels

Record labels have a valuable role to play in the music businesses. Despite the controversies around contracts and creative license, they are not going away. Understanding what record labels do is important whether you are an artist or a music professional.

In this installment of An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz, Steve Rennie explores the role of record labels in the music business. He starts by talking about the different types of record labels and what they do, from marketing to manufacturing and radio promotion. Then you'll learn about why you need a record label, how to get a record deal, what a music contract will look like, and how the signing process works. As a little bonus, Steve gives you some insights on your commitments and compensation (advances and royalties) once you get signed.

Learning objectives
Understanding how record labels run
Finding a record label
Meeting with A&R and business teams at a record label
How record labels promote your music
Negotiating a record deal
How record labels recoup costs