Media Institutions

Media institutions are companies who produce media texts either directly or through subsidiaries or signed acts. In this case, media institutions sign artists to their label and fund their projects e.g. music videos in order to make a profit from them. Different media institutions have different levels of success, the top players in the industry are known as conglomerates. Therefore, the institution an artist is signed to is important in determining the success as it also consequently determines the budget for projects and marketing. For example an up-and-coming artist who is signed to a conglomerate is likely to get a higher budget, a bigger marketing campaign and even synergy with successful artists signed to that label. However an up-and-coming artist signed to a small label will struggle to get the same recognition. Overall, this means the media institution has a crucial part in the artists career and eventual success.

Examples of music conglomerates:

EMI --> EMI is a major music conglomerate that has operated since 1931 and now owns subsidiaries
such as EMI records, Parlophone, Virgin Records, and Capitol Records. They are international with artists signed to their labels from all around the world. Acts of past and present and from all sectors of the media industry include The Beatles, Queen, Robbie Williams, Coldplay, The Spice Girls, Calvin Harris, Katy Perry and Kylie Minogue. Many would say these artists owe their success to the institution


SONY --> Sony music is a subsidiary of the larger group Sony Entertainment. It was founded in 1929 and has since grown into a multi-million dollar empire, in particular signing the biggest music artists of past and present to its label. Some of these artists include Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, John Legend, Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra and Kelly Clarkson. The company hasn't however avoided numerous scandals and controversy with one of the most recent examples in 2016 being the 'Boycott Sony' campaign. This was launched after allegations of rape occurred against music producer Dr. Luke and signed act Kesha.


UNIVERSAL MUSIC --> Universal Music is also a subsidiary this time of a French company called Vivendi. Artists signed to Universal Music include the likes of Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, even popular K-Pop acts such as Girls Generation and GOT7. As of 2012 its revenue was 1.55 billion USD making it one of the biggest grossing music institutions in the world.


WARNER MUSIC --> Warner Music Group is a record label conglomerate taking place in what is known as 'The Big 3' alongside Sony Music and Universal Music group. With a multi-billion dollar annual turnover, Warner Music operates in over 50 countries around the world. Artists include Madonna, Ed Sheeran, Metallica and Rita Ora.

Advantages of Media Institutions

• Institutions provide artists with promotion and advertising. The bigger the institution the better the promotion this will be. This helps artists signed to the conglomerates remain in the public eye and remain popular.
• For new artists, signing to an institution allows quick acceleration to success as the institution is a platform into the industry. The institution may use synergy such as using existing artists to promote new artists.
• Institutions have the funds to be able invest large sums of money into the artists for projects such as photoshoots, music videos, tours and recording music.
• Conglomerates will have connections to all industries, perhaps even having subsidiaries in areas which can positively promote an artist. For example Warner music has connections to the magazine Entertainment Weekly and CNN among other subsidiaries through its parent company Time-Warner.

Disadvantages

• Once signed, artists lose a certain degree of control over their career with the label often choosing their music, branding and styling. The artist must conform to what the label wants in order to remain signed.
• Contracts aren't safe and if the artist isn't as successful or does not create as much revenue as the label expects they may be dropped.
• Getting signed to an institution, especially a conglomerate is incredibly difficult and an artist needs to already have achieved a certain level of success and exposure to be noticed by labels.

Relation to My Music Video

Unlike music videos created by major music conglomerates, my music video is low budget and amateur. However, in order to portray the idea that my artist is someone who could potentially be signed to a big label, I plan to follow themes of existing videos. For example, the song 'Who Says' by Selena Gomez follows a similar theme of self image and worth. The music video will also work in relation to the digipak and magazine advertisement to replicate what a music conglomerate would do to promote their artist and this will continue the idea that it is a genuine artist and a genuine release.