C7 - Planning a career in the industry

 Record labels and music distribution: 



Major labels: 

- Warner Music Group 

- Sony Music 

- Universal Music Group


Record label names we know: 

Motown

Stax

Chess 

Song Music

Universal Music Group 

Warner Music Group

Hands On

Blackened



Another major UK label: EMI


Not needing Record Labels anymore:



- Releasing your own music - CD Baby (above) releases music onto many popular platforms (some are below) 

- The unnecessary nature of Record Labels - can use the internet now - examples of music distributors:


- Fake stories (occasionally based partly on fact) about artists to make them known in the media to make audiences more likely to think to listen/check out their music - commonly done right before an artist is about to release an album 


Hypothetical Tour:

 Put into bands.

In the bands, we have to plan a tour.

Think about what the tour is, what the band is (may decide one is the solo artist and the others are a team supporting the solo artist). Entirely up to us what type of tour it is. 


Where it takes place? Venues (real) - knowledge, town/county/city/country - UK, South west, London, international, world etc. 


When is it taking place? How much time it takes to get to one place/venue to the next. 


Who is involved in the tour? Booking agent, promoters, venue managers etc. (Not just your team, EVERYONE. Audience) 


How is it all going to happen? Transport? Maintain contact with necessary people? How to get audience to buy tickets. 


Why are you doing a tour? Why for where and why for when? Why go out live at all? Entertainment, enjoy performing, selling new album etc. 



NAME (of band): The Wingers

NAME (of tour): Let's Wing It

2 million streams a month on Spotify  

PRS (profit when our songs are played) 


What? Opera/thrash rock 


Where? Target group is children and young adults - do free shows for primary schools to inspire them and also promote our shows at venues. UK tour. 

Venues: Strode Theatre, Glasgow (King Tuts Wah Wah hut), Liverpool (The Cavern Club), Hares and Hounds (Birmingham).

Primary schools: Elmhurst, Brookside, The Levels 

Secondary schools: Crispin, Westfield Academy, Preston, Huish, Bucklers

College (charge):Yeovil College, Strode College



When? Promotion starts (merch, social media, adverts, interview shows, drama because Freddie filmed a film that was successful and we did an unsuccessful colgate advert and we're jealous) - 6th September 2026

- 10th September 2026 

- 22nd July, 23rd July 2026

- 29th 30th July 2026 



Who? Freya's Mum works at Elmhurst, Freya's brother works at the Levels school. Booking agent. 



How? Drivers are the mothers. Two cars is enough for equipment and people. 



Why? Charity - Music for All 



Budget: 30,000

- "Borrow" everyone's trust funds

- Go fund me 

- We get 10% of the tour profits 

- £20 from Spotify



Who and what is involved in music production?


Key Terminology: 

Music production: this refers to the process of creating, arranging, recording, editing and shaping sound elements to create a final music product. It involves overseeing every aspect of a music project , from composition and performance to the final mix and master. 

Audio Engineer: (AKA, a sound engineer) a professional responsible for the technical aspects of capturing and manipulating sound. They operate recording equipment, set up microphones, adjust sound levels and ensure the quality of audio recordings. Audio engineers may work in recording studios, live sound reinforcement or other audio-related fields. 

Producer: A creative professional who oversees and guides the entire music production process. Producers work closely with artists, songwriters and engineers to shape the artistic direction of a song or album. They make creative decisions regarding sound, arrangement, instrumentation and overall production to achieve the desired musical vision.

Mixing: The process of blending and adjusting individual audio tracks such as vocals, instruments and sound effects to create a balanced and cohesive final audio mix. Mixing engineers use various tools and techniques to enhance the clarity, dynamics and overall sound quality of a recording. This process typically occurs after the initial recording and before mastering.

Mastering: the final step in music production where the completed mix is prepared for distribution. Mastering engineers optimize the audio for various playback systems and formats, ensuring consistency and quality. They apply final adjustments to the overall sound, including equalisation, compression and volume levelling to achieve a polished and commercially viable product. 


Studio Production Roles:

Music Producer, Audio Engineer, Recording Engineer, Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer, Songwriter, Sessions Musicians, Arranger, Composer, Lyricist, Sound Designer, Studio Technician.


Stages of the Music Production Process:




10 Recording Studios in the UK:

Abbey Road Studio
Strode Live Studio
Orchard Studios
Western Star
South West Music Studios
Glastonbury Sound Studio
Muddy Road Studios 
The Shed Recording Studio
Copse Corner Music 
10 Recording Studios outside of UK: 
Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee 
Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin
Sigma Sound in Philadelphia
Electric Lady Studios in NYC
Ocean Way Recording Studios in LA
Blackbird Studio in Nashville
Bearsville Studios in Woodstock NY 
Sound City Recording Studio in LA
Motown Studio in Detroit
Giske in Norway



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