When an signs with a , they enter into a contract, which could be based on different types of that they and the record label may negotiate. The deals could be a , a deal, or specifically a . Every deal is different; some come with financial support from the record label in the form of an . The costs of some services the record label provides might also be . But most deals will include some aspect of distribution.
We’ve got a breakdown of different types of label deals in our Record Labels topic.
Record Label Distribution
Record labels will provide a range of support to distribute . These can include:
Manufacturing – Record labels either have their own manufacturing facilities to create physical products like CDs, cassette tapes, and vinyl records, or they work with third-party manufacturers.
Physical distribution - Record labels either have their own infrastructure to deliver physical products into stores around the world, or they use distribution companies to handle those logistics.
Digital distribution - Record labels generally have direct access to like Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon and will upload their artists’ sound recordings onto these platforms, quickly making them available in any market the service operates in.
Image credit: Martin Fabricius Rasmussen