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.

[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, 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 Jimi Hendrix Nancy Sinatra Neil Young Fleetwood Mac Steely Dan Green Day My Chemical Romance Smashing Pumpkins Depeche Mode	none (purchased by Warner Bros. Records in 1963)	now considered a major record label
Brother Records	The Beach Boys	1966	The Beach Boys The Flames	Capitol Records	active
Apple Records	The Beatles	originally ran from 1968-1975, revived 1988 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
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
Grateful Dead Records	Grateful Dead	1973	Grateful Dead Jerry Garcia Band Ratdog Old and in the Way	none	disbanded in 1977, but revived in the late 80's for archival and live releases. currently active
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
Fiction Records	The Cure	1978	The Cure (until 2001) Snow Patrol Yeah Yeah Yeahs Kate Nash	Elektra, then Polydor after the Cure's departure in 2001	active
Qwest Records	Quincy Jones	1980	New Order Frank Sinatra George Benson	A&M Records	active (2007)
Es Paranza Records	Robert Plant	1983	Robert Plant	Atlantic Records (WEA) (now Warner Music Group)	—
Paisley Park Records	Prince	1986	Prince Sheila E.	Warner Bros. Records (WEA) (now Warner Music Group)	closed (1994)
Maverick Records	Madonna	1992	Madonna Alanis Morissette Deftones The Prodigy (in the US) Michelle Branch Story of the Year The Rentals Tantric Candlebox Erasure	Warner Bros. Records	active
Nothing Records	Trent Reznor	1992	Nine Inch Nails Marilyn Manson 12 Rounds Pop Will Eat Itself The The	Interscope Records (now Universal Music Group)	defunct as of 2004.
Grand Royal	The Beastie Boys	1992	The Beastie Boys Bis At the Drive-In Jimmy Eat World Atari Teenage Riot Sean Lennon Luscious Jackson	Capitol Records	dissolved in 2001. Back catalogue distributed by GR2 Records, created when a group of fans purchased Grand Royal's assets.
MJJ Records	Michael Jackson	1993	Michael Jackson Brownstone 3T Tatyana Ali	Epic Records (Sony Music Entertainment)	seeking new distribution partner (2004)
Attack Records	Morrissey	originally ran from 1969-1980, revived 2003	Morrissey Nancy Sinatra Damien Dempsey Jobriath James Maker Kristeen Young Remma	Sanctuary Records	active (2005)
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 (2007)
Bad Boy Records	Sean Combs	1993	The Notorious B.I.G. Ma$e 112	Atlantic Records	now considered a major record label
Peak Records	Russ Freeman	1994	David Benoit Eric Marienthal The Rippingtons Russ Freeman	Concord Music Group	active (2007)
Palace Records	Will Oldham	1996	Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Will Oldham Papa M Matt Sweeney	Drag City	active (2007)
Melankolic Records	Massive Attack	September 1996	Alpha Horace Andy Craig Armstrong Day One Lewis Parker Sunna	Virgin Records	active (2007)
Vapor Records	Neil Young	1996	Neil Young Jonathan Richman Tegan and Sara Los Abandoned Spoon Acetone	originally Sanctuary Records, then Universal Music	active (2007)
HellCat Records	Tim Armstrong	1997	Rancid Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros Transplants The Slackers Dropkick Murphys The Distillers	Epitaph Records	active (2007)
Adeline Records	Billie Joe Armstrong	1997	Green Day AFI The Living End	Warner Music Group	active (2007)
Elementree Records	Korn	1997	Videodrone Orgy Deadsy	Epic Records	dissolved after Korn's departure from Epic
ATO Records	Dave Matthews	1997	Ben Kweller David Gray My Morning Jacket Crowded House Gov't Mule Gomez	Sony BMG	active (2007)
Third Man Records	Jack White	1999	White Stripes The Raconteurs The Muldoons	V2 Records, then Warner Brothers	active (2007)
Honest Jon's	Damon Albarn	2000	The Good, the Bad & the Queen The Ailerons Blur	Parlophone	active (2007)
Flawless Records	Fred Durst	2000	Puddle of Mudd She Wants Revenge Big Dumb Face	Geffen	active (2007)
Idlewild Records	They Might Be Giants	2002	They Might Be Giants	none	active (2007)
Brushfire Records	Jack Johnson	2002	Jack Johnson Matt Costa G. Love & Special Sauce Rogue Wave (band)	Universal Republic	active (2007)
Grand Hustle Records	T.I.	2003	T.I. Young Dro DJ Drama P$C Big Kuntry	Atlantic Records	active (2007)
G-Unit Records	50 Cent & Sha Money XL	2003	50 Cent G-Unit Lloyd Banks Mobb Deep The Game Tony Yayo Young Buck	Interscope Records	active (2007)
Machine Shop Records	Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson of Linkin Park	2004	Linkin Park Fort Minor Holly Brook Alexa Ray Joel Army of Anyone	Warner Bros. Records	active
Heiress Records	Paris Hilton	2004	Paris Hilton	Warner Bros. Records	active
DC Flag Records	Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte	2004	Hazen Street Lola Ray mc chris	Epic Records	active
Decaydance Records	Pete Wentz	2005	Fall Out Boy Gym Class Heroes Panic! at the Disco Cobra Starship Lifetime The Cab The Hush Sound	Fueled By Ramen	active (2007)
Born & Bred Records	Dropkick Murphys	2007	Dropkick Murphys	Warner Bros.	active (2007)
Liberty & Lament Records	Lucero	2005	Lucero	Warner Bros,	active (2007)