Post 1: The UK Music Industry

I researched the current UK music industry to gain an understanding of the context of the industry. I found out about different existing record labels, acts and performers, current trends and the economics of the UK music industry. I also researched it to find out about my competition and what will give me an edge over others in the industry and where there are gaps in the music industry. I also looked more specifically at Sony Music to see the kind of artists and performers they represent. This will help me to develop a USP for my own star persona package in keeping with the pop-star persona conventions.

The economic climate of the UK music industry in 2018;

Between 1988-1999 there were considered to be 'The Big 6' in the music industry;

Polygram and BMG merged in 1999, leaving ‘The big 5’. In 2007, Sony and BMG merged to form Sony Entertainment. The remaining big 4 companies controlled 70% of the world’s music market and around 80% of the US music market.

In 2012, divisions of EMI were sold off and absorbed into Sony ATV Music Publishing and Warner Music Group in the consequent year.

This left the Music Industry with the Big Three Labels;

Sony Music Entertainment is a major American music conglomerate owned by Sony Corporation America as part of the Sony Entertainment subsidiary. Sony Corporation America is a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.

This is the official history and purpose of Sony Music as outlined on their website;

Sony Music has many subsidiaries, both Flagship and Genre-specific Labels, this is their official roster as of September 2019;

Microanalysis on Sony Music looking at brand values and ethos, brand purpose, Flagship labels, their context and signed artists and bands;

From this research, I gained essential knowledge of the current UK music industry on a macro scale, to cement my research in contextual knowledge of the current music climate. I learnt about the sector's economic value and main controlling conglomerate companies which influence the market.

 I then specialised on looking into Sony Music in more detail to understand how to fulfill my brief fully. This research shaped my ideas towards my own music video as it taught me how Sony works as a company and how my pop artist would be packaged by the company to sell music and become a profitable asset to the business. 

Researching the UK music industry has been useful in helping my decision of song choice, star persona and inspirational influences on my music video. 

Sources

Music Week

The Creative Industries

Wikipedia

Sony