Last Updated on March 21, 2023
As an upcoming artist, are you seriously seeking and want to get signed by the best music record labels in USA? Do you need the contact of USA record labels looking for artists to sign 2023?
Do you want to kick-start your music career and become a successful musician via reputable record labels?
If you answered YES to these questions, then this article is only what you need to read today.
With so many artists on the rise, the United States music industry is prospering and positively affecting the entire continent.
As an upcoming artist, it doesn’t really matter how talented you’re if there’s no platform to stand and let the world see you shine.
Record labels play a vital position within the music business of any clime.
Today in this article, you’ll learn actionable tips, guidelines, and answers on:
- Functions and importance of a record label
- Ways record labels make money
- USA record labels looking for artists to sign
- USA record labels looking for producers and songwriters to sign
- Hip Hop record labels looking for artists to sign
- Record labels accepting demos
- Music sponsors contacts details and email addresses in USA
- How to contact your favorite USA record label for a deal
- How you can send your song to these record labels
- How to start a record label
So, ensure to take your time and read to the end to know the best options and avoid making costly mistakes this year.
Getting started…
Table of Contents
What is a Record Label?
Record labels are the heart of the music industry.
A record label is charged with the duty of distributing and promoting your music in soft, digital, and hard copy formats to music stores, music websites, and other marketplaces worldwide.
Record labels also supports artistes to distribute their music, make music videos, match artistes with brands and other artistes, and help to record and create new musics.
How Does a Record Label Deal Work?
- You sign a label contract that states the agreement between you (the artiste) and your boss (the label).
- As stated in the contract, the record label pays you for record sales and helps you secure more life-changing deals in the industry.
- The label invests in your music career and development by making, distributing, and marketing your music.
- Your record label will have a share in your earnings as stated in your contract.
- When a record label signs an artiste, the money they pay the artiste is called an “advance”.
How Does a Record Label Make Money?
Record labels make most of their money when your music is purchased or licensed for use.
Money is also made from marketing, royalties, album sales, touring, endorsement deals, merchandise, gigs, concerts, or anything they could sell.
The goal of record labels is making money as you too make money.
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You make the millions and fame while they make the billions; they are in business and their dream is getting richer as you become rich, for these reasons, record labels want to go for talented artists that will give them billions.
Because the record label is so important to your success as an artiste it is important that you get signed by the best label possible.
So, in defining the best record labels in USA, these few factors were considered.
- Artiste support and promotion
- The success of its artistes
- The success of its songs (number of hit songs)
- Years in the music industry
USA Record Labels Looking for Artists to Sign 2023
THE BIG 3 RECORD COMPANIES
These Big 3 music companies control almost all of the music industry. They are the distributors, the label owners, and the coordinators of the artists’ rights.
1. Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group, sometimes called UMG Recordings, Inc. is an American company. While they are an American company, their majority owner is a French media conglomerate called Vivendi, and a Chinese tech company, Tencent, owns a minority share.
They have a gigantic group of labels and brands that work under this umbrella company. Their catalog includes companies all across the globe, from Argentina to the United States and 40 countries in-between.
Their holdings in the United States are some of the best-known record labels from the past and include:
- Capitol Music Group
- Def Jam Recordings
- Fame House
- Interscope Geffen AM
- Island Records
- Polygram Entertainment
- Republic Records
- Spinefarm Records
- Universal Music Enterprises
- Universal Music Group Nashville
- Universal Music Latin Entertainment
- Universal Music Publishing Group
- Verve Label Group
Universal Music Group is the world’s leading music company and their website states that they exist to shape culture through the power of artistry. With their massive collection of artists, it’s sure that their goal is within their reach.
The company’s history goes back to the formation of the American office of Decca Records in 1934 and then that company branched out on its own in 1939. It wasn’t until 1962 that American Decca merged with MCA.
In 1990 Japanese Matsushita Electric purchased MCA, but five years later 80% of MCA was purchased by Seagram and the next year it was renamed Universal Studios, Inc. and the music section was named Universal Music Group.
And that’s just the beginning of the mergers and sales. You can see that it’s quite a convoluted family tree for this record label.
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- Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment is an American music company that is part of Sony Music Group and has a global reach. This company is a giant in the field, but then again, so are all of the Big 3. Their labels include:
- Columbia
- RCA
- Epic
- Arista
- Arista Nashville
- RCA Records Label Nashville
Sony Music Group is owned by Sony Corporation of America, which falls under a partnership of Sony Music Holdings, Inc. and Sony Entertainment, and all of those companies come down to ownership by one giant, the Japanese company Sony.
Originally founded in 1929 as American Record Corporation, the company changed names in 1938 and became Columbia Recording Corporation after it was acquired by the Columbia Broadcasting System. A reorganization in 1968 led to the name being changed to CBS Records. Then, 20 years later, the company was purchased by Sony but held onto its name until 1991 when it was named Sony BMG. Eventually, Sony bought out Bertelsmann Music Group, the BMG arm, and became Sony Music.
- Warner Music Group
The third of the big three is Warner Music Group. Don’t feel bad for them, they’re still an incredible business and own some of the most successful labels in the world. Their well-known labels include:
- Elektra Records
- Warner Records
- Atlantic Records
With headquarters located in New York City, Warner Music is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. They were traded there from 2005 until 2011 and then sold to Access Industries but in 2020 they once again became a public company.
The start of Warner Music is fairly interesting as the label began in the Warner Brothers film studio. One of their actors, Tab Hunter, had a number one song but even though he was contracted to Warner Bros. for acting, his record label was with Dot Records, which was owned by the rival film studio, Paramount Pictures.
Warner wanted to own all of Tab’s talent and that of their other actors, too. So, they went out and purchased Frank Sinatra’s Reprise Records so they could own their label.
And then, like all of the other labels, numerous sales and trades and different ownership groups followed. This trend has continued to this day and there’s no sign of it stopping for any of the Big 3.
OTHER POPULAR RECORD LABELS
The most successful record labels and the ones you’re familiar with are probably all owned by one of the Big 3 major labels.
- Interscope
Owned by UMG, Interscope was founded in the 90s and had a model of letting the artists and producers have full creative control. They were a huge part of a gangsta rap controversy in the mid-90s and were owned, at the time, by Warner. Warner cut ties, and Universal picked them up.
Based in Santa Monica, California, Interscope is “home” to Dr. Dre, Eminem, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Selena Gomez, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, Maroon 5, U2, and Billie Eilish.
- RCA Records
RCA Records is owned by Sony Music Entertainment and is one of their four flagship labels. Because RCA has been around so long, they’re the second oldest record label in America, they’ve branched out into a lot of different genres. This is something that not every record label can do successfully.
They can be found on pop, classical, rock, hip-hop, afrobeat, electronic, RB, blues, jazz, and country music albums.
A few of their iconic artists are Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Buddy Guy, Britney Spears, Dave Matthews Band, Alicia Keys, and Justin Timberlake among many, many others.
- Atlantic Records
The Atlantic Recording Corporation was founded in 1947 and quickly became one of the premier labels for jazz, RB, and soul music. Today Atlantic Records is owned by the Warner Music Group and they’ve expanded their genres to include rock and pop music.
Some of Atlantic’s most notable artists include Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Roberta Flack, Crosby Stills Nash Young, Otis Redding, and Ray Charles. Although there are many, many more.
- Island Records
Island Records is another label that made its mark in jazz music. What started as a British-Jamaican record label in 1959 is now owned by UMG. Like most other labels, they went through many different owners before landing here and their music made a few shifts, too.
Island Records began in jazz but fell into a large independent record label world in the late 1980s which was fortunate for them then because indie music was huge. Island became very influential in the progressive music scene.
Some of their key artists include Justin Bieber, Bob Marley, Queen, Tracy Bonham, Amy Winehouse, Iggy Azalea, Janet Jackson, and Cat Stevens.
- Virgin Records
Founded by Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and Tom Newman in 1972, Virgin Records is a true success story. Today, they are under the Universal company umbrella.
Initially, Virgin was the label of English and European progressive rock and was propelled into the punk rock era. Their artists at the time included the Sex Pistols, Culture Club, Public Image Ltd, Human League, Skids, Simple Minds, and XTC.
And then all the mergers, acquisitions, and buyouts, alongside the label adding more mainstream artists such as George Michael, Paula Abdul, Genesis, Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones, Smashing Pumpkins, and the Spice Girls.
- Def Jam Recordings
With their hip hop, pop, and urban niche, Def Jam Recordings became a well-known record label with some extremely popular bands. Some of the artists they represent are Kanye West, Jeezy, Logic, YG, Fabolous, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna.
Co-Founded by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons from a dorm room at New York University, Def Jam hit gold with their first releases being from La Rock Jazzy Jay, LL Cool J, and the Beastie Boys’.
Today, Def Jam falls under the parent company of Universal Music Group.
- Independent Music Labels
It may seem that all record labels fall under the big three, but some holdouts have resisted that trend. These companies are typically called independent record labels, or indie labels.
Independent labels are often thought of as renegades and small businesses which isn’t always the case. They can be owned by very large companies and have just as complex a hierarchy and history as the Big 3.
Indies are also thought to be more artist-friendly. This is pretty accurate. They tend to give their artists a royalty split that’s 50-50, which is better than the Big 3.
Part of the reason the indies are more artist-oriented is that a lot of them are owned by artists. Remember that Frank Sinatra owned Reprise Records once before it was purchased by Warner. This happens quite often to a variety of indie labels. An indie label today might become part of the Big 3 tomorrow.