Mainstram vs Indie

 The group is signed with Simon Cowell’s record label Syco Records. They were signed after being in a talent contest ‘X Factor’ and coming third. Syco records is a company founded by Simon Cowell in 2002. Most of the artists that are signed to Syco are from talent contests such as X factor and Britain’s Got Talent. They include successful artists such as Olly Murs, Fifth harmony and little mix. The target audience for One Direction is mainly teenage/ young girls. The Merchandise available for the fans range from T-shirts, jumpers, bags as well as posters, CDs and DVDs. There is also merchandise available from their recent tours. Their music is available on iTunes, amazon, Google play and the official one direction store. After the X Factor the band was signed and began making singles that all went straight to number one.

 

 

 

Lanterns on the lake are a four-piece rock band from Newcastle. They first began to release music independently before signing to Bella Union in 2010. Bella union is an independently record label founded by Simon Raymonde in 1997. He is a musician as well as a record producer. He is best known as the bass guitarist and keyboard player with the band Cocteau Twins. Bella Union have signed artists such as Flaming Lips, pins, Money, Marrisa Nadler and Horse Theif.  Lanterns on the Lake have a target audience of 16-25 year old males. The merchandise available for fans is T-shirts, tote bags, an EP and posters etc.  Their music is available on iTunes as well as on vinyl. The band was formed in 2007 and began releasing 2 EPs and a single before they were discovered and signed to Bella Union.

1.       Being signed to an independent record company has many advantages. It usually allows the artist to have more creative control over their music. There is a closer relationship between the artists and the people that are working on their record. The contracts are usually more flexible. There are also many cons to being part of an independent record company. There is a limited amount of money available therefore the work the artist produces is not up to the standards of someone signed to a major record company which could be of a disadvantage to them. For example they will not have tour support and large recording budgets.

2.       The advantages of being signed to a major record label are is that it gives the artist enough support to become successful. Money isn’t a issue with major record label therefore the artist will have tour support, the ability to work with major producers and other artists. They also have opportunities to get more publicity. The cons however are that the artist will have less creative control over their music.

3.       Merchandising is important for the success of a band because it builds their status as an artist. They begin to create a brand when they start selling merchandise.  It also attracts more fans.

4.       There are many ways that fans of the band can find out information about them. They can look at their official website because that is where most of the news is published about their music and tours. They can also find out information on social media such as Facebook, twitter and instagram.

5.       I would rather be a part of a mainstream record label because of the opportunities that it allows artists to have.