Identify the Gatekeepers / Tastemakers in Your Music Scene – Identify the Core Channels and Platforms that Promote the Type of Music You Make

Print Magazine / Newspapers :

1. Acoustic
2. NME
3. Rock Sound

Websites / Blogs :

1. Drowned In Sound
2. A&R Factory
3. Never Enough Notes

Journalists :

1. Charlie Gillett
2. Paul Lester
3. David Stubs

Radio DJs :

1. Scott Mills
2. Zane Lowe
3. Chris Stark

Promoters :

1. Alan McGee – Creation23
2. Paul Connolly – Universal Music Publishing Group
3. Simon Moran – SJM Concerts

YouTube Channels / Sessions :

1. TenementTV
2. NPR Music – Tiny Desk Concert
3. Ont’ Sofa

Playlists :

1. The Bright Side (Spotify)
2. Made In Wales (Spotify)
3. Acoustic Rock (Spotify)

I carefully selected each Gatekeeper you can find in this list based on their suitability to me personally. I assessed this by looking at the artists that have had previous affiliations with the person / outlet, comparing them to myself, and determining whether or not there were similarities. Based on this, I was able to isolate 3 magazines, websites / blogs, journalists, radio DJs, promoters, YouTube channels and playlists which I can identify with and feel are compatible to me personally, as well as to my music.

Record Label Investigation

Identify 3 UK Independent Record Labels:

Cooking Vinyl

XL Recordings

Rough Trade Records

When and Where Were They Formed?

Cooking Vinyl – Formed in Stockwell, South London in 1986 by Martin Goldschmidt and Pete Lawrence.

XL Recordings – Formed in London (I assume, seeing as that’s where their main headquarters are) in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes.

Rough Trade Records – Starting out as a record shop, Rough Trade was opened by Geoff Travis on Kensington Park Road, West London in 1976. Steve Montgomery, who was originally a customer, became the effective co-manager soon after the shop opened and Rough Trade began organising a record distribution network in 1978.

Who Are the Main Artists They Release?

Cooking Vinyl – Alison Moyet, The Darkness, Feeder, The Fratellis, Lewis Watson, Passenger, The Proclaimers, Richard Ashcroft, Saint Raymond, Will Young

XL Recordings – Adele, Dizzee Rascal, Frank Ocean, Giggs, Jack White, The Prodigy, Radiohead, Tyler The Creator, Wiley

Rough Trade Records – Arcade Fire, Belle and Sebastian, British Sea Power, Jarvis Cocker, The Libertines, Mystery Jets, Sleaford Mods, The Strokes, Super Furry Animals, Warpaint

Is There a Defining Sound or Genre?

Cooking Vinyl – Singer-Songwriters are prominent in this label, however rock music is also clearly present, represented through bands like The Darkness and Feeder.

XL Recordings – Largely urban and hip-hop music, with exception to a few artists, such as Adele (pop / soul) and Jack White & Radiohead (rock).

Rough Trade Records – Indie rock and folk are the dominant genres for Rough Trade.

Can You Find an Independent Label That You Feel Would Fit Perfectly for You and Your Music?

Having read up on a number of independent labels and the artists that they currently release, I believe the best fit for me personally would be Cooking Vinyl. Based on my analysis of everyone they currently have signed, I think my style and my music is most suited to them, I just need to wait for that phone call (please please please pleaaaaase).

Contextual Research and Market Analysis 

Task – In your hometown, what specialist record shops are there? Where else sells new recorded music (supermarkets / markets / venues)? Do any of these places stock new ? local artists?

Also, pick 3 UK-based artists comparable, in terms of genre, to you… Where is there music available? Through what record label do they release content? Can you find out which distributor the label uses? Does the artist have any limited edition physical releases, if so, on what format?

I’m from a rural part of South Wales where, in actuality, there is few shops at all, let alone music / CD shops. To my knowledge, in the town most local to me, there are no longer any purpose-built record shops any more and only two places where CDs can be bought – Morrisons supermarket and the town market, which is open only on Tuesdays and Fridays. In the market they sell all kinds of second-hand CDs and records, although it is all old music from across the years. The only place that you can find music from new, current artists would be Morrisons where physical copies of charting music is often stocked. I doubt that you’d be able to find music from local artists, however if indeed it is sold, you’d find it in the market where the range of genres sold is substantial and quite random. After researching record shops in Brecon, I discovered Brecon Antique and Vinyl –  an antique and record dealer in town which I was previously unaware of where, according to Google at least, you can buy records!

Artists Comparable to Me:

Lewis Watson

Lewis Capaldi

Ed Sheeran before he sold out x

Where is Their Music Available?

All major streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer etc.)

CD, Vinyl and Cassette – CDs widely stocked in supermarkets and music stores alike, different, lesser-used formats of physical copy i.e vinyl and cassette are stocked in specialised music stores like HMV or can be bought direct from the artist’s website.

What Record Label Do They Release On?

Lewis Watson – Warner Music, until his most recent album which was released in 2017 through the independent label, Cooking Vinyl.

Lewis Capaldi – Virgin EMI

Ed Sheeran – Atlantic

Can You Find Out What Distributor the Label Uses?

Warner Music – from what my research has shown, Warner distribute their own music, however I did discover that they own their own music distribution company called the ‘Alternative Distribution Alliance’ or ADA.

Virgin EMI – Virgin EMI act as their own distributor, alongside Republic Records (USA), Def Jam Recordings (USA), Capitol Records (USA), Virgin Records America (USA), UMC (Reissues).

Atlantic – Atlantic Records Group (in the US), WEA International (Outside the US), Rhino Entertainment Company (Reissues)

Does the Artist Have Any Limited Edition Physical Releases?

Lewis Watson – Lewis has put out a couple of limited edition releases over the years, including a CD version of his first album, ‘The Morning’, which features all of his previous releases as well as a number of unreleased demo tracks. He also put out a limited run of vinyl copies of his second album, ‘Midnight’, with unique artwork.

Lewis Capaldi – The only limited edition release of Lewis Capaldi’s that I could find was a CD box set for his brand-new debut album which contains a CD copy of the album, a calendar and a pair of sunglasses.

Ed Sheeran – Ed has put out numerous limited edition vinyl copies of each of his albums, all with unique artwork.