Editing Record label (section)

== Relationship with artists ==

If an artist and a label want to work together, whether an artist has contacted a label directly, usually by sending their team a demo,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Leighton |first1=Mackenzie |title=How to send a demo to a record label? |url=https://blog.groover.co/en/tips/send-a-demo-to-record-labels/ |website=Groover Blog |access-date=14 November 2023}}</ref> or the [[Artists and repertoire|Artists & Repertoire]] team of the label has scouted the artist and reached out directly, they will usually enter in to a contractual relationship.

A label typically enters into an exclusive [[recording contract]] with an artist to market the artist's recordings in return for [[Music royalties|royalties]] on the selling price of the recordings. Contracts may extend over short or long durations, and may or may not refer to specific recordings. Established, successful artists tend to be able to renegotiate their contracts to get terms more favorable to them, but [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]'s much-publicized 1994–1996 feud with [[Warner Bros. Records]] provides a strong counterexample,<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Newman|first1=Melinda|date=28 April 2016|title=Inside Prince's Career-Long Battle to Master His Artistic Destiny|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/cover-story/7348551/prince-battle-to-control-career-artist-rights|access-date=3 April 2017|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref> as does [[Roger McGuinn]]'s claim, made in July 2000 before a US Senate committee, that [[the Byrds]] never received any of the royalties they had been promised for their biggest hits, "[[Mr.&nbsp;Tambourine Man]]" and "[[Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There Is a Season)|Turn! Turn!, Turn!]]".<ref>{{cite news|date=11 July 2000|title=CNN Transcript – Special Event: Lars Ulrich, Roger McGuinn Testify Before Senate Judiciary Committee on Downloading Music on the Internet|website=[[CNN]]|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0007/11/se.01.html|access-date=29 April 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000925/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0007/11/se.01.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A contract either provides for the artist to deliver completed recordings to the label, or for the label to undertake the recording with the artist. For artists without a recording history, the label is often involved in selecting producers, [[recording studio]]s, additional musicians, and songs to be recorded, and may supervise the output of recording sessions. For established artists, a label is usually less involved in the recording process.

The relationship between record labels and artists can be a difficult one. Many artists have had conflicts with their labels over the type of sound or songs they want to make, which can result in the artist's artwork or titles being changed before release.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Boone |first=Brian |date=13 January 2020 |title=Musicians That Were Forced To Change Their Album Covers |url=https://www.grunge.com/183286/musicians-that-were-forced-to-change-their-album-covers/|access-date=3 September 2021 |website=Grunge.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Other artists have had their music prevented from release, or shelved.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Zafar |first=Aylin |date=13 May 2013 |title=What It's Like When A Label Won't Release Your Album |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/azafar/what-happens-when-your-favorite-artist-is-legally-unable-to|access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[BuzzFeed]] |language=en}}</ref> Record labels generally do this because they believe that the album will sell better if the artist complies with the label's desired requests or changes. At times, the record label's decisions are prudent ones from a commercial perspective, but these decisions may frustrate artists who feel that their art is being diminished or misrepresented by such actions.

In other instances, record labels have shelved artists' albums with no intention of any promotion for the artist in question.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Rhian |date=11 August 2021 |title='I had no confidence, no money': the pop stars kept in limbo by major labels |url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/aug/11/i-had-no-confidence-no-money-the-pop-stars-kept-in-limbo-by-major-labels|access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 2017 |title=Tinashe's Studio Session Tale Shows How Ruthless The Music Business Is |url=https://uproxx.com/music/tinashe-rca-record-label/|first=Delenda|last=Joseph|access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[UPROXX]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Reasons for shelving can include the label deciding to focus its resources on other artists on its roster,<ref name=":0" /> or the label undergoing a restructure where the person that signed the artist and supports the artist's vision is no longer present to advocate for the artist.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=7 July 2021 |title=What's it like for musicians whose labels won't release their music? |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/53445/1/whats-it-like-for-musicians-whose-labels-wont-release-their-music-raye|first=Felicity|last=Martin|access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[Dazed (magazine)|Dazed]] |language=en}}</ref> In extreme cases, record labels can prevent the release of an artist's music for years, while also declining to release the artist from their contract, leaving the artist in a state of limbo.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2 November 2015 |title=JoJo Spent Nearly a Decade Fighting Her Label and Won. Here's What She Learned, in Her Own Words. |url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/10/jojo-fighting-the-major-label-man-in-her-own-words.html|last1=JoJo|last2=Lockett|first2=Dee|access-date=3 September 2021 |website=Vulture |language=en-us}}</ref> Artists who have had disputes with their labels over ownership and control of their music have included [[Taylor Swift]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Halperin |first=Shirley |date=16 November 2020 |title=Scooter Braun Sells Taylor Swift's Big Machine Masters for Big Payday |url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/scooter-braun-sells-taylor-swift-big-machine-masters-1234832080/|access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Tinashe]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Furdyk |first=Brent |date=19 July 2019 |title=Tinashe Reveals She 'Fired' Her Team, Alleges Former Record Label 'Sabotaged' Her |url=https://etcanada.com/news/476226/tinashe-reveals-she-fired-her-team-alleges-former-record-label-sabotaged-her/ |access-date=3 September 2021 |website=ET Canada |language=en-US |archive-date=3 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903061028/https://etcanada.com/news/476226/tinashe-reveals-she-fired-her-team-alleges-former-record-label-sabotaged-her/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Megan Thee Stallion]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 March 2020 |title=Why Is Megan Thee Stallion Suing Her Record Label? |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/megan-thee-stallion-suing-record-label-suga/|first=Marc|last=Hogan|access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Kelly Clarkson]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=du Lac |first=J. Freedom |date=26 June 2007 |title='My December': Kelly Clarkson, Striking Out On Her Own |language=en-US |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/25/AR2007062501859.html |access-date=3 September 2021 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> [[Thirty Seconds to Mars]],<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=18 August 2008 |title=Virgin/EMI Sue 30 Seconds to Mars for $30 Million, Leto Fights Back |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/virgin-emi-sue-30-seconds-to-mars-for-30-million-leto-fights-back-244059/ |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904225833/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/virgin-emi-sue-30-seconds-to-mars-for-30-million-leto-fights-back-244059/ |archive-date=4 September 2018}} Retrieved 3 September 2021.</ref> [[Clipse]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Crosley |first=Hillary |date=29 October 2007 |title=The Clipse ends tumultuous tenure at Jive |language=en |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/music-clipse-dc-idUSN2838536520071029 |access-date=3 September 2021}}</ref> [[Ciara]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 February 2011 |title=Ciara: 'I pray my label will release me' |url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/feb/16/ciara-label-release  |access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref> [[JoJo (singer)|JoJo]],<ref name=":2" /> [[Michelle Branch]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 March 2017 |title=After Years of Record-Label Limbo, Michelle Branch Can Tell You That She's Happy Now |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/michelle-branch/after-years-of-record-label-strife-michelle-branch/  |access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[Paste Magazine]] |language=en}}</ref> [[Kesha]],<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Lockett |first1=Dee |last2=Gordon |first2=Amanda |last3=Zhan |first3=Jennifer |date=23 April 2021 |title=The Complete History of Kesha's Fight Against Dr. Luke |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/timeline-keshas-legal-fight-against-dr-luke.html  |access-date=3 September 2021 |website=Vulture |language=en-us}}</ref> [[Kanye West]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Jiggy |date=16 September 2020 |title=Kanye West Says Universal Music Group Refuses To Tell Him Cost of Masters |url=https://thesource.com/2020/09/16/kanye-west-says-universal-music-group-refuses-to-tell-him-cost-of-masters/  |access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]] |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Lupe Fiasco]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cowen |first=Trace William |date=11 February 2019 |title=Lupe Fiasco Blasts Atlantic and Lyor Cohen, Calls Music Biz 'Damn Near a Mob Cartel' |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2019/02/lupe-fiasco-atlantic-lyor-cohen-music-biz-cartel  |access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[Complex (website)|Complex]] |language=en}}</ref> [[Paul McCartney]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hudson |first=John |date=18 May 2010 |title=Paul McCartney vs. EMI |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2010/05/paul-mccartney-vs-emi/340857/  |access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[The Atlantic]] |language=en}}</ref> and [[Johnny Cash]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Park |first=Andrea |date=25 February 2016 |title=Musicians v. record labels: 14 famous feuds |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/musicians-v-record-labels-famous-feuds/  |access-date=3 September 2021 |website=[[CBS News]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

In the early days of the recording industry, recording labels were absolutely necessary for the success of any artist.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Bielas |first=Ilan |date=2013 |title=The Rise and Fall of Record Labels |type=BA thesis |publisher=Claremont McKenna College |url=https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/703 |id=Paper 703 |access-date=3 September 2021}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=March 2023}} The first goal of any new artist or band was to get signed to a contract as soon as possible. In the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, many artists were so desperate to sign a contract with a record company that they sometimes ended up signing agreements in which they sold the rights to their recordings to the record label forever. [[Entertainment law]]yers are usually employed by artists to discuss contract terms.

Due to advancing technology such as the [[Internet]], the role of labels is rapidly changing, as artists are able to freely distribute their own material through [[Internet radio|online radio]], [[peer-to-peer]] file sharing such as [[BitTorrent]], and other services, at little to no cost, but with correspondingly low financial returns. Established artists, such as [[Nine Inch Nails]], whose career was developed with major label backing, announced an end to their major label contracts, citing that the uncooperative nature of the recording industry with these new trends is hurting musicians, fans and the industry as a whole.<ref>{{cite web|date=8 October 2007|title=Nine inch nails = independent|url=http://www.sputnikmusic.com/news.php?newsid=4504|access-date=29 April 2016|website=Sputnikmusic}}</ref> However, Nine Inch Nails later returned to working with a major label,<ref>{{cite web|date=19 August 2013|title=Trent Reznor on Nine Inch Nails' Columbia Signing: 'I'm Not a Major Label Apologist'|url=http://www.spin.com/2013/08/trent-reznor-nine-inch-nails-hesitation-marks-columbia-spin-september-2013-cover-story/|access-date=29 April 2016|website=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]}}</ref> admitting that they needed the international marketing and promotional reach that a major label can provide. [[Radiohead]] also cited similar motives with the end of their contract with [[EMI]] when their album ''[[In Rainbows]]'' was released as a "[[pay what you want]]" sales model as an online download, but they also returned to a label for a conventional release.<ref>{{cite web|date=31 October 2007|title=Radiohead sign 'conventional' record deal|url=https://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/32207|access-date=29 April 2016|website=[[NME]]}}</ref> Research shows that record labels still control most access to distribution.<ref>
{{cite journal|author1=Arditi|first=David|year=2014|title=iTunes: Breaking Barriers and Building Walls|url=https://rc.library.uta.edu/uta-ir/bitstream/10106/27052/1/iTunes_breaking%20barriers%20and%20building%20walls.pdf|journal=Popular Music & Society|volume=37|issue=4|pages=408–424|doi=10.1080/03007766.2013.810849|hdl-access=free|hdl=10106/27052|s2cid=191563044}}</ref>