Music Institution ResearchBy Heather Allso

YouTube is a video-sharing website. YouTube was founded by two former PayPal employees in February 2005. In November 2006, it was bought by Google for $1.65 billion. The site allows users to upload, view, and share videos. YouTube allows users to access TV clips, music videos, and other content such as video blogging, short original videos, and educational videos. Most content on YouTube is uploaded by their users, mainly individual users, however other companies such as  CBS, the BBC, Vevo and other organizations offer some of their material via YouTube, this is due to the YouTube partnership programme.

 Vevo is another video-sharing website owned and operated by a group of companies known as Universal Music Group (UMG), Google, Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and Abu Dhabi Media. It was launched in December 2008. The videos are shared across the internet, Google and Vevo both sharing the profits for advertising. Vevo offers music videos from two of the "big three" major record labels, UMG and SME.

MTV is an American television channel owned by Viacom Music and Entertainment Group. Launched in August 1981. The original purpose of MTV was to play music videos guided by television personalities. MTV's main target demographic were young adults, however in the present day, MTV's programmes are targeted at teenagers and consists mostly of reality shows rather than focusing on music videos.

Virgin Records is a British record label which is owned by Sir Richard Branson, founded in 1972. The company is a worldwide phenomenon, with artists and records going platinum; for example Simple Minds, Culture Club, Spice Girls and Lenny Kravitz among others. However in 1992 it was sold to Thorn EMI, then by Universal Music Group in 2012 to create Virgin EMI Records in 2013.

SME (Sony Music Entertainment) is an American record label after being bought by many companies since 1929 (firstly being American Record Corporation, to Columbia Recording Corporation in 1938, to CBS Records in 1966 and finally to SME in 1987) it is now currently the worlds second largest music company after Universal- it is one of the “big three”.

Warner Bros. Records is another American record label which is the foundations of a conglomerate known as Warner Music Group. Warner Bros. Records was founded in 1958 as a music division to the Warner Bros. Pictures company. Throughout the 1960s up to the early 2000s the record company grew from being a small town record company to one of the worlds biggest record companies.

Warner Music Group is a conglomerate, it contains Warner Bros. Records, Parlophone Records, Atlantic Records and Warner/Chappell Music. Founded in 1958, it has produced some highly well known artists such as A-Ha, Blur, Clean Bandit, Coldplay and many others.

Founded in 1999, Island Records is a major British record label which is apart of the Universal Music Group. The record label is divided up into three, one location being in the UK, the other in the USA and Australia. The USA has produced artists such as Demi Lovato, Neon Trees, Bon Jovi and Fall Out Boy. The UK produced other artists including Mumford & Sons, U2, Hozier and many more.

Established in 1947, Atlantic records is a major American record label, best known for its blues and jazz music recordings, including artists such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. Atlantic Records is considered America’s most important record label due to its success within the first 20 years of its operation. However since then, Atlantic records has helped produce artists such as Coldplay, Fun., Bruno Mars, the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin.

Founded in 1934, UMG (Universal Music Group) is the largest music corporation in the world. It is also a subsidiary of the the French media conglomerate Vivendi. It owns many successful artists such as Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Amy Winehouse and Queen.