Vanity label

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A vanity label is a term given to a situation where a famous recording artist is allowed to run a "label within a label" and release music by other artists he or she admires. The parent label handles the production and distribution and funding of the vanity label, but the album is usually released with the vanity label brand name prominent.

Record labels generally do this for a few reasons:

  • It pleases and retains the famous recording artist.
  • It allows for potentially high amounts of sales for artists on the vanity label with relatively little promotional expense, since fans are attracted to those artists via the association with the famous artist.

Many music critics like vanity labels as they allow bands in niche genres or with experimental or unusual music to receive more distribution than would normally be present.

Examples of vanity labels are Nothing Records (founded by Trent Reznor). See the table below.

[edit] Status

In 2004, record companies have drastically cut funding to many vanity labels, as they are seen to have underperformed. The future of vanity labels is in question.

Vanity labels, along with genre specific subsidiary labels, mask the amount of concentration in the music industry. They create the illusion that there are far more record labels then there actually are. On the other hand though, many subsidiary labels and vanity labels are given a great deal of autonomy, so that the overall result is greater distribution and exposure of what can be labeled "independent music".

[edit] Prominent vanity labels

Vanity Label Founding Artist Founded Notable Artists Released Major Label Partner (at founding) Status
Reprise Records Frank Sinatra 1960 Frank Sinatra
Neil Young
Fleetwood Mac
Steely Dan
Green Day
My Chemical Romance
WEA (now Warner Music Group) Now considered a major record label
Threshold Records The Moody Blues 1969 The Moody Blues
Blue Jays
The Graeme Edge Band
London Records (now Decca Records)
Grunt Records Jefferson Airplane 1971 Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Starship RCA Records (now Sony BMG Music Entertainment) Imprint not used after 1987
Rolling Stones Records Rolling Stones 1971 Rolling Stones Atlantic Records (WEA) (now Warner Music Group) Albums now released by Virgin Records
Swan Song Records Led Zeppelin May 10, 1974 Led Zeppelin
Bad Company
Atlantic Records (WEA) (now Warner Music Group) disbanded (1983)
Duck Records Eric Clapton Eric Clapton Reprise Records (WEA) (now Warner Music Group) active
Es Paranza Records Robert Plant 1983 Robert Plant Atlantic Records (WEA) (now Warner Music Group)
Paisley Park Records Prince 1986 Prince
Sheila E.
Warner Brothers Records (WEA) (now Warner Music Group) closed (1994)
Maverick Records Madonna 1992 Madonna
Alanis Morissette
Deftones
The Prodigy (in the US), others
Warner Brothers Records Effectively dissolved following lawsuit in 2004
Nothing Records Trent Reznor 1992 Nine Inch Nails
Marilyn Manson
Interscope Records  (now Universal Music Group)
MJJ Records Michael Jackson 1993 Michael Jackson Epic Records (Sony Music Entertainment) seeking new distribution partner (2004)
Attack Records Morrissey originally ran from 1969-1980, revived 2003 Morrissey
Nancy Sinatra
Jobriath
Sanctuary Records active (2005)
Apple Records The Beatles originally ran from 1968-1976, revived 1994 for Beatles CD rereleases The Beatles
John Lennon
Paul McCartney/Wings
George Harrison
Ringo Starr
Badfinger
Mary Hopkin
Yoko Ono
David Peel
Ravi Shankar
John Tavener
James Taylor
Parlophone (Capitol Records in the US)
active (2006); see also Apple Corps
Rephlex Records Richard D. James (Aphex Twin) & Grant Wilson-Claridge 1991 AFX
Aphex Twin
Cylob
µ-Ziq
Squarepusher
Mike & Rich
Caustic Window
DMX Krew
Warp Records
active (2006)
HellCat Records Tim Armstrong 1997 Rancid
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Transplants
Time Again
The Slackers
Dropkick Murphys
The Distillers
Epitaph Records active (2006)
Decaydance Records Pete Wentz 2005 Panic! At The Disco
Cobra Starship
Fall Out Boy
Gym Class Heroes
The Hush Sound
Fueled By Ramen active (2006)

("--" indicates information not available)